Top 10 Starter Beers and Best Starter Beer

Drinking can sometimes be like getting your first tattoo or your first piercing, whichever you start with you tend to get carried away with. Its easy to be either a liquor drinker. You feel its effect much faster and it comes in different colors and flavors. But what about when you want to cross the enemy lines and become a more mature drinker and venture into the land of beers? Choosing a good starter beer is important. Depending on their first tries, a virgin beer drinker (VBD for short) may avoid beers forever or may suddenly realize a new world has just opened up to them. The following are the best brands for a starter beer drinker, going from more well known beers to slightly more unique beverages. Take a look…

Corona

anyone who knows anything about beer will say that this isn’t a beer worth its time, but will agree that its a great beer for someone who doesn’t have any beer experience. Incredibly light, a pinch of lime almost masks the usual bitter and strong taste newer beer drinkers often struggle with. Pours a lighter yellow, so its less intimidating than darker ales, and when poured, barely has any head or froth so it maintains that, “don’t be scared, try me out a little” seduction of the VBD. Corona Light might not be sincere or rich beer, but once someone becomes use to the taste of a corona, its easy for them to jump into deeper, more flavorful beers.

Blue Moon

This beer is great for starters because of its flavor. Blue Moon drinkers tend to throw an orange in it, because of its natural orange-y smell that wafts up during pour. A light color (but darker than Corona Light), the intimidation level is still low for non-beer drinkers, while the smell and medium head still makes it appear a delicious tasting beverage. Past the slightly fruity and spice filled flavoring, its a beer that will begin to introduce newbies to the taste of wheat. Not pungent and certainly not overwhelming, Blue Moon is bottled by Coors so it isn’t completely a name out of nowhere for any that are afraid of stepping into the yonder of beer drinking. Blue Moon might have an odd name, but it will transition a non-beer drinker one step closer to appreciating and tasting more wheat beers.

Duvel

Many may not be aware of Duvel, but once you try it, you will start understanding what beer drinkers mean by “depth”, “rich” and “full”. Duvel takes the non-beer drinker a step further, by producing a stunningly white, ever present head. Something many VBD’s may not know how to handle. The beverage is a a golden light color, still appetizing but still welcoming. It is an ale, so new drinkers are definitely beginning to learn the differences in their beers here, but the complexity with which a Duvel is made will push a new beer drinker into the land of appreciation. Duvel has a smooth texture, has an intense aroma of spice, fruit and wheat, and is often suggested served menacingly cold or desperately warm to bring out its true flavors. This sort of serving might be best for a VBD, since a cold drink can often hinder the initial punch of a new taste..but leave the taste buds cheering after the wave has passed.

Red Stripe

Hooray Beer! One thing that helps many products is a mere awesome ad. If you remember all the advertisements they ran for Red Stripe (“if ugly people stand next to a red stripe, they look beautiful!”) a few years back, then it might be a little easier to try something new when there’s “proof” it makes you good looking. But in all seriousness, one reason this is a good starter beer is because its taste isn’t overly skunky but its also not too deep. It also pours light yellow, clearish and has a slight head that dissipates over time. One thing that a VBD will notice is that its taste is slightly familiar…due to the carbonation it holds. Crisp, light and refreshingly are words people will use to describe it, good for its price is another, but that also should indicate that you’re still at the bottom slowly working your taste buds up the ladder.

Guinness

Everyone has heard and knows of Guinness. A dark Irish ale that is heavy and full. The only thing that makes this a decent starter beer is because it doesn’t produce some of that alcoholic smell you can get with other beers and drinks, and is so popularly known that many may feel alright giving it a go. The initial look makes you want to lick your lips anyways, so dark you can’t see through the glass, topped off with a creamy tan head that sticks with you to the delicious end. Guinness is a filler, so it sort of forces a newbie into appreciating it and taking their time. Which is excellent since this is the perfect opportunity to jump from spices and fruit to roasted and full. Its taste is mild and while some might not appreciate its dark body, its a great chance for a new beer drinker to try something down the other path.

Bass Ale

Going back to the fruity flavors, here is Bass Pale Ale. The pour is a golden light color and the head is moderate, nothing too overwhelming. What makes this different than ones on the list already is the malty, caramel taste you’ll get once you begin sucking it down. Inexpensive for sure, its a beer that younger beer drinkers have already gotten into. If they can do it, surely you can too. It will say hello to your tongue with its high carbonation and immediate flavor, has a smooth taste that finishes with a slightly bitterness, and is essentially a beer that can be enjoyed for its flavor or whatever your drinking needs may be.

Pilsner Urquell

Now that we are becoming more experienced in our beers, its time to try something a bit more…gourmet. Enter Pilsner. Pilsner is practically three ingredients, soft water, hops and barley, ensuring that it has a smooth and uncomplicated taste. The way Grey Goose is beloved for its extra filtration, Pilsner’s malt is mashed three times instead of general beer’s usual two in order to bring its flavors out more and develop the golden caramel taste that Pilsner is known for. A VBD will take in a whif of this beer and realize they’ve stepped up a bit. Its near impossible to not receive the soft wheat smell that rises up from a poured glass. A sip of Pilsner will invite a sweet taste, so a new beer drinker doesn’t have to fear forfeiting taste while learning to appreciate something a step up. If you’re going to try, try it all!

Yuengling

Yuengling is a beer that is becoming more well known. Its the only beer on this list that is going to pour a reddish color, so for a new beer drinker, there could be some excitement that this one will taste different than previous tries. Brewed outside of Pittsburgh, Yuengling is a lighter bodied beer that is has the same qualities as many others on this list (light bodied, moderate head, slight bitter aftertaste) but does find a way of separating itself by having a bready, malty taste. Some will note a hint of grain while others will push the malt. Either way, its a great beer that many VBD’s won’t find too hard to get down and will probably appreciate the difference of both its color and its taste.

Fat Tire

Again, we’re moving away from the super popular beers to the more discernible ones, but yet still on that path of “don’t be afraid” to our newcomer beer drinking friends. Fat Tire pours beautifully, has that same caramel taste we spoke of before with Bass Ale, bu incorporates the tan head of the Guinness..while managing to straddle both those beers. Carbonated, full bodied, amber color, and refreshing. The way this beer is, it certainly sounds possible to have it all. A beer that incorporates the hoppy taste towards the end, Fat Tire will allow you to taste the complexity behind it before it pushes you to the beer taste that more experienced drinkers will often appreciate. Plus, who doesn’t like ordering a beverage with a fun name?

Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Hefeweizen

Yes its true, if you try to say this name 5 times fast, you’ll start to sound like you’re just yelling in German…which you are…but if you also stroll up and order a Hefeweizen, you might be officially handing over you VBD card. This Hefeweizen isn’t necessarily for a newbie, but if we’re going to bring you this far, we might as well tell you what to order when you’ve decided to be a man about drinking, or a woman…we’re all-inclusive here. Sierra Nevada is a rich, orange brew with a head that holds up extremely well. Tastes bring out multiple deep flavors. Yes we’re talking fruits, but this is by no means a fruity beer. Papaya, banana, clove are some of the fresh fruits you’ll smell and taste once you dive in. With moderate carbonation, this beer will leave you more refreshed on a summer day than a dip in the pool may. With its hazy gold finish and its crisp taste, once a new beer drinker reaches the Hefeweizen level, they will surely be happy they decided to make the jump into the beer world.

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