04/14/2026
As the weather gets warmer, IPAs and lagers start showing up everywhere. And while most people love the cool, crisp snap of a lager, IPAs can still be a little hit or miss.
So if IPAs don’t really feel like they’re for you, here are 5 alternative beers we love that we always recommend trying instead:
🍺 Hefeweizen: expect banana and clove notes (usually one or the other, sometimes both). If you love banana bread, cozy winter spices, and a medium-bodied beer (texture-wise, think somewhere between water and hot cocoa), a Hefeweizen might be your beer.
🍺 Pilsner: earthy (like the smell right before rain), sometimes floral, less bready and more crackery/dry. You may get a little malt up front, but as your mouth empties and your tongue meets your palate, there’s usually a soft, lingering bitterness. Usually light to medium-bodied.
🍺 Kölsch: super light in mouthfeel, crisp, refreshing, and basically what most people mean when they want an easy summer drinker. Very mild, with subtle yeast notes that can read fruity and/or bready. The dryness makes it a great swap if you usually reach for crisp white wine or dry bubbles.
🍺 Amber Ale: this one lives in the sweet spot between maltiness (think the flavor version of how malted milk balls smell) and sometimes a slight fruitiness. People call these “balanced,” which just means the sweet and bitter notes tend to show up in pretty equal measure.
🍺 Fruited Wheat: these are so fun — and honestly one of our go-to recommendations when someone says they don’t like beer. A lot of the time, you taste the fruit as much as (or more than) the beer itself, and they often drink a little sweeter unless you’re specifically ordering a sour.
We’re firm believers that everyone has a beer for them — they just haven’t found it yet. And if that’s you in general (or specifically with IPAs), we hope this roundup helps.
Save this for your next brewery visit so you can skip the panic-order… or at the very least order a flight that helps you find your beer of the summer (or beyond).
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