Brew Ha-Ha: Drinking Cheap

It being the beginning of the semester and all, and right after the long vacation, most of us out there are probably strapped for cash. Listen to Brew Ha Ha however and you won’t have to sacrifice good drinking in favor of more economical choices.

Kirkland Brand Beer: For those who love cheap beer, but don't like to sacrifice taste, Costco has a product for you. Through their house brand, Kirkland, Costco has begun selling cases of craft brewed beer. They come with four individual six packs each, in four different styles of beer (German lager, hefeweizen,  pale ale, amber ale), and all for under twenty bucks. That's real beer (not slightly alcoholic piss water), for roughly Budweiser prices. This is not to say that Kirkland beer is of an award-winning quality, but it's the best bang for the beer buck that I've so far discovered. Of the four particular styles, the best are the German lager and pale ale. Both are aromatic and mildly hoppy, with economical flavors that don't overwhelm but are clearly present. The hefeweizen and amber ale are both decent, if somewhat bland by craft brew standards. But all in all, it's hard to complain about anything at that price.

Click above to read more.

Pabst: Disregard the oversaturation of hipsters that run this brand into the ground, for $6.50 a 12 pack, the patriotic packaging of a PBR is going to deliver the most flavor of the macro-brews for the price. Step up the taste game from the Busch and Keystone lights without getting saddled by the price of Bud Light either. Miller High Life is never a bad choice either for flavor, value and availability. They don’t call it the champagne of beers for nothing.

Trader Joe’s Beer: The grocery chain offers its own selection of brews ranging from an Oktoberfest to a lager. In all there’s usually at least six varieties in stock at one time of the Trader Joe’s brand and they also offer seasonal. These aren’t going to blow you away, but for $6 a six pack they are worth the deal. If you want to go even cheaper at TJ’s, the Good Times lager and pilsner are about $4 a six pack and offer a big step up in flavor as well. You can also purchase Good Times in cans.

Budweiser American Ale: All you need to know: is it’s in stock, you can pick up a six pack of AA at Target for $4.50. This shit’s not bad either. A very full body and rich amber color, it can compete with a Sam Adams Boston Lager. Maybe not that far, but it’s a great offering from Bud.

Sam Adams: Speaking of. I know what you’re thinking, Sam Adams is not that cheap. Well, you’re correct, it’s about $13-$14 a twelve past. But look at it this way. Head down to the bottle shop and you’ll pay about $9 or more dollar a sixer. If you’re serious about drinking, you know it’ll probably be worth it. My word of advice: try it before you buy it. Those more expensive beers are often a lot more potent variations of styles you may already not be that familiar with. Sam Adams offers near 20 varieties of beer and all are very true to style and very good. And there’s always a variety pack of 4 or 6 style beers in a 12 pack. You and a buddy spilt a variety pack and try out all the different styles before you rush out and spend a fortune on something you may not like. It’s informative, fun, bonding and will get you drunk.