How To Make Cheap Beer Taste So Much Better

Every beer enthusiast knows there will inevitably come a point when they will be faced with a less-than-ideal brew. Whether it's too thin and watery, too warm, or just not to your tastebuds' liking, it's good to have a few tricks up your sleeve to salvage cheap beer, so you can at least enjoy the crisp bubbles. And sure, you probably won't be able to get it to taste like a monk-brewed Westvleteren 12. However, you'd be surprised at how good a few tweaks can make even the sorriest brews taste — provided the beer has not expired.

Often, simply chilling a beer to the right temperature can bring out its crispness and suppress unpleasant characteristics. A dash of lemon juice, bitters, or even fruit juice can help steer the flavor profile into more palatable territory. All you have to do is figure out what aspect of the beer you want to improve, and chances are there is an easy hack to achieve that. In general, citrus and fruit flavors work better with lighter beers, while sweet spices like cinnamon pair nicely with heavier ales and dark beers. And in the unlikely scenario that you're unable to fix it to your liking, you can always use leftover beer for baking. However, we'd recommend trying these beer hacks first, because they'll probably make that unworthy brew good enough to guzzle.

A squirt of lemon or other kinds of citrus adds tartness and complexity to a light beer. A pinch of salt helps suppress stray alcohol notes. Consequently, a dash of sweet lemonade or salty pickle juice are both great ways to make a cheap beer more palatable. Depending on your affinity for savory drinks, you can even go one step further and add a drop of Tabasco — the condiment's acidity and spice work as a flavor enhancer and palate cleanser.

For more drastic changes to your brew, turn it into a beer cocktail. If a beer is too bitter, mixing fruit juice or even a carbonated beverage like Sprite can help improve the flavor. You can also make a beer spritz by adding a sweet liqueur like Campari, or make a beergarita with some added margarita mix and a shot of tequila. Both these methods improve flavor as well as bolster the drink's alcohol content. However, once you start adding mixers to your beer to boost its flavor, it's important to keep an eye on the resulting concoction's alcohol content, so it can be drunk responsibly. 

The most dramatic beer-boosting hack, fittingly called beer poking, is sticking a red-hot piece of metal into it. Since it caramelizes some of the sugars in the beer, this vintage practice gives the brew a deeper, smoky flavor.

There are many theories about the origin of that essential lime wedge that accompanies a bottle of Corona beer, and, while some have attributed it to a safety precaution due to citrus' antiseptic qualities, it's difficult to deny how well it complements the beer's flavor. Although this hack is only one example of how best to serve a cheap beer, many of a beer's faults can be rectified by simply serving it correctly.

While almost all beers benefit from being served chilled, this is more important for crisp, summer lagers that have an ideal serving temperature between 30 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit. In general, lighter beers should be served colder, while heavier or darker beers should be served at slightly higher temperatures (between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit). Cheap beers don't have too many pleasant aromas and flavors, and chilling them can help mask sharp and boozy notes. However, if a beer already tastes watery, serving it too cold can sometimes make it feel even thinner.

In chilly weather, consider making mulled beer from a less-than-impressive lager. By gently heating with warming spices and adding a shot of brandy, mulled beer can become as satisfying as its warm wine counterpart. And finally, one of the easiest ways to enjoy cheap beer is through clever food pairings. Salty and tangy snacks help cleanse the palette, while crispy and creamy textures contrast with beer, making every sip of that average brew a satisfying one.