When I got to college, I found myself searching for any drink that wasn’t beer at parties — easier said than done. I couldn’t find a type of beer that I liked, and I felt that my options were pretty limited. So that’s when I discovered beer cocktails, a concoction of beer and basically whatever other mixer is available to you to hide the hoppy taste. Here are eight beer cocktails for people who just really hate beer.
1. Adam’s Apple
Technically an “Adam’s Apple” should be one half Sam Adams Boston Lager and one half Angry Orchard Hard Cider—but as a broke college student, I opted for Natty Light and I was happily surprised with the results.
This mix had almost no taste of alcohol, with just a hint of apple. Sure, you could just drink the cider, but sometimes ciders are overly sweet and loaded with sugar, so diluting it with beer can help tame the taste a bit. This could also work with a Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Twisted Tea, or another flavored hard beverage.
2. Natty Cocktail
The Natty Cocktail is what happens when someone who knows nothing about beer tries to come up with their own cocktail, and it’s not half bad. This drink definitely makes the Natty easier to go down, but the club soda I added did a slightly less than stellar job hiding the taste. I would try a flavored seltzer or some other sparkling drink to add a bit more flavor.
3. Beer Margarita
A beer margarita is…. you guessed it — a typical marg with some light beer added in. I used half a beer, one shot of tequila, and filled the rest with limeade. This drink masks the taste of beer but replaces it with the taste of tequila. You can change up the proportions to what tastes the best to you, and if you really hate beer, well, then I guess you could always just drink the tequila.
4. Shandy
Technically, a shandy is made by mixing a light beer and either ginger beer or a fizzy soda or juice. I used Sprite and the mix was very refreshing. I added in lemonade after, and it was even better. This drink is very sweet, but there was no taste of the beer at all. I say, 10/10.
5. Modified Gridiron Punch
Typical Gridiron Punch calls for any type of beer, pineapple juice, and lemon lime soda. In my opinion, this combo was subpar, so I added in a splash of grenadine and the results were truly amazing. This mix completely masks the taste of beer, and is super sweet. Gridiron Punch is (obviously) supposed to be made in large batches, but as a single serving, it was still tasty.
6. Chelada
Probably my favorite of all of these drinks is the Chelada. A simple mix of light beer (I used Corona Light) and a whole lime. The results were a refreshing and tangy drink.
The name “Chelada” comes from the classic Mexican beer cocktail the Michelada, which is made with a lot of different sauces and spices, including Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. But since I didn’t have Worcestershire sauce hanging out in my dorm room, the simple Chelada was a perfect replacement.
7. Penaché
A European mixed drink similar to a shandy, Panaché is a simple combo of light beer and lemon lime soda. This drink definitely masked the taste of the Corona Light, and tasted pretty good. I used 1/2 beer, and 1/2 Sprite and it was just the right amount. This drink is an easy way to spice up any beer.
8. Sidewalk Slammer
OK, OK… I know neither Four Loko’s or King Cobras are technically beer. However, they are malt liquor which is beer with a higher alcohol content (usually above 5 percent). There’s also about five shots in one Four Loko and about four in a 40 oz. King Cobra, aka this drink will get you very drunk. Four Lokos come in all different flavors, so try ’em all with this beer.
So, drink up friends. You should be able to make most of these cocktails with the mixies and beer available at your average college party. You’ll never be stuck slowly sipping on a flavorless Natty Light until it’s warm ever again.