There’s an inherent joy that comes from sharing a beer with friends. The main reason is the most obvious one: You’re hanging out with others face to face, a feat worth celebrating in an era when phones and social media can make getting together an oddly isolated experience. Gathering in person also gives you the chance to introduce someone to an unheralded brew they may have never tasted before — if they even know it exists at all.
These types of exchanges carry extra weight these days, given the beer industry’s ongoing struggles. Turning a friend on to an under-the-radar beer may end up converting them into a lifelong customer.
With that in mind, we asked 10 brewers which underrated brews excite them the most. Some went with specific labels, while others raved about certain styles. Regardless of the route they chose, each selection carries the potential for joyful exchanges.
The most underrated beer, according to brewers:
- Hitachino Nest White Ale
- Pacifico
- Saisons
- Urban South Brewery Paradise Park American Lager
- West Coast IPAs
- Rothaus Tannenzäpfle Pils
- Barrel-aged stouts
- Barleywines
- Schlenkerla Helles
- English beers
“I think the most underrated beer on the market is Hitachino Nest White Ale. It is a consistently beautiful example of a witbier, which I feel is an underrepresented style in the United States. The subtle complexity and soft easy-drinking nature allows it to stand alone or pair perfectly with a wide variety of cuisines. Hitachino White is always appreciated, even if it is infrequently lauded.” —Flint Whistler, brewer, Sixpoint Brewery, Brooklyn
“Pacifico. It is certainly not the most interesting beer out there, but on a hot day after a hike, a summer picnic, or at the beach, it’s perfect. When the sun is out, I would take Pacifico over anything in a clear bottle 10 times out of 10. (Who brings glass to the beach anyway?) It’s clean, balanced, and even has a nice color to it. It’s everything I want from a macrobrewery-produced beer and nothing I don’t.” —Daniel Vilarrubi, director of brewing operations, Atlas Brew Works, Washington, D.C.
“To me, the most underrated beer style is the humble saison. From simple ingredients emerges a complex matrix of enticing aromas and sophisticated flavors that are wonderful on their own and truly spectacular with food. It’s far more than the sum of its parts and deserves both greater attention and a place at the dinner table.” —Bryan Selders, brewing manager, Dogfish Head, Rehoboth Beach, Del.
“Paradise Park, an American lager from Urban South Brewery. I’m not sure if this beer is under the radar, but it was for me since I just had it recently. It was a great beer to round out a trip I took to attend a conference in New Orleans. This crisp, light, but flavorful lager was the refreshment I needed after a weeklong conference. The 12-ounce can was the perfect accessory to take one final walk down Bourbon Street.” —Sarah Real, owner and brewer, Hot Plate Brewing Co., Pittsfield, Mass.
“There are many beers that could be considered underrated, but stylistically I’d point to the West Coast IPA. For a long time, the push toward less bitter, fruit-forward options such as hazy IPAs and fruited kettle sours has dominated the craft industry, often at the expense of West Coast IPAs. Lately, though, drinkers seem to be turning back toward well-executed West Coast IPAs, which are in short supply. I’m excited to see a return to what helped define craft beer in the first place — brewing balanced, flavorful, and impactful beer.” —Thomas Becker, brewer and co-owner, Living Waters Brewing, Nashville
“Determining whether a beer is ‘underrated’ is inherently subjective unless you take a literal approach and consult the data. So I did some sleuthing on Untappd. I started with one of the world’s most respected styles: German pilsner. I looked up a personal favorite, Rothaus Tannenzäpfle Pils, which, despite being widely regarded by professionals as among the best in its class, sits at a modest 3.5 out of 5. Meanwhile, many locally brewed German-style pilsners in the Northeast score higher. Having tasted several of them, I’d argue none surpass the Rothaus, a spectacular and surprisingly underrated beer.” —Tim Adams, founder and owner, Oxbow Brewing Co., Portland, Maine
“I believe two very underrated styles nowadays are barrel-aged stouts and barleywines. Both feature richer bodies, malt-forward profiles, and flavors ranging from subtle to bold derived from aging in various spirits barrels. They have waned in popularity over the last decade because barrel-aged beers take longer to produce and don’t sell as fast as more popular styles like the hazy IPA or light lager. Many breweries seeking cost- effective strategies have cut back production of these once mighty beers and have relegated them to limited bottle and/or can releases or on a corner somewhere on the bottom of their tap lists. I personally would love to see a resurgence of interest in these styles by the drinking and dining public.” —Oscar Santiago, production team member, Finback Brewing, Queens
“Schlenkerla Helles. There isn’t a season throughout the year where this beer wouldn’t scratch an itch. It’s the epitome of balance and complexity. Clean and nimble, with just enough smoke on the profile to pair equally well with summertime camping or shoveling the driveway in the winter months. It’s capable of fading into the background of a social setting. Or, you can dive into the rabbit hole of the brewery’s history and how their yeast imparts the smoky character without the utilization of smoked malt. It’s truly a singular beer — one that I think more folks should seek out. You can find it year-round in the States if you know where to look.” —Phil Cassella, director of brand, Burial Beer Co., Asheville, N.C.
“I would say that saisons have to be the most underrated, and possibly misunderstood beer style on the market. Maybe it’s because some of the brands that incorporate a certain strain of Brettanomyces [yeast] get tasting notes like ‘sweaty horse blanket,’ ‘barnyard,’ and ‘hay.’ To clear the air, most saisons do not have that horsey Brettanomyces strain. They are most often dry, and have differing intensities and balance of fruity flavors like stone fruit, pomme fruit, or citrus fruit complemented by spicy notes like black pepper or baking spices and are sometimes influenced by earthy, sour, floral, or straight-up funky notes. They can be light and crystal clear, amber and cloudy, or dark as night, and the ABV can range from 3.5 up to 9.5 percent or higher. They tend to pair amazingly well with food, too. Next time you see a saison on the menu, give it a taste, you might be pleasantly surprised.” —Jason Wagner, vice president and brewmaster, Schussboom Brewing Company, Reno, Nev.
“As a broader style, English beers are heavily underrated. I’m especially fond of nitrogenated ones. They hold up well with some age, unlike an IPA, which should be consumed within weeks of packaging. There’s a great culture that exists around English beers that a lot of other styles just don’t have. They do especially well as cask pours, and English hops offer a lot of great earthy and citrusy notes you don’t get from a lot of other growing regions.” —Josh Penney, head brewer, Threes Brewing, Brooklyn
