Trader Joe’s has mastered the art of offering solid — sometimes stellar — products for bargain prices, and that extends into the beer aisle. While the grocery store chain carries plenty of familiar beer brands that one might see at a typical store, it also has plenty of exclusive in-house offerings that can’t be found anywhere else. Better yet, most of these beers retail for about a dollar a can.
Trader Joe’s has also mastered the art of private labeling. As is the case with all of its products, the company doesn’t actually make its own beer. Rather, it sources them from third-party manufacturers and sells them under pseudonyms. So although the fine print on many TJ’s beer cans states, “Brewed and canned by Joesphsbrau Brewing Co.,” that brewery doesn’t really exist. Trader Joe’s doesn’t openly disclose its contract brewing agreements, but several sources online claim that Goose Island Brewery, Gordon Biersch Brewing Company, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, and Minhas Craft Brewery either brew or used to brew some of the company’s beers.
Regardless of where they come from, the real question is: Are these brews any good? To find out, we picked up a can of every Trader Joe’s beer currently available, put them to the taste test, and ranked them from worst to best.
8. Boatswain American IPA
The text adorning Trader Joe’s Boatswain IPA is pretty vague, but maybe that’s intentional. Allegedly brewed “in small batches” with a “high hop level,” this murky amber-toned brew clocks in at 6.7 percent ABV and is frankly the least palatable expression of them all. The nose dishes up a gnarly whiff of tar and burnt rubber with a subtle hoppy bitterness lurking underneath. The sensory assault continues on the palate, making for a drinking experience that we’d equate to chewing on raw hops. The slightest hint of sweetness emerges on subsequent sips, but it’s barely enough of a redeeming quality for us to ever consider recommending this beer.
Average Price Per Can: $1.08
7. Simpler Times Lager
The can claims that Simpler Times is brewed in Wisconsin, where many American macro beers are produced. So we were expecting a rather inoffensive, crushable lager, but unfortunately it’s anything but. Pouring a copper hue with a quickly dissipating head, Simpler Times opens with intense malty aromas underscored by notes of caramel and — oddly — Twizzlers. The palate lands a tad sweet, but finishes with a lingering, face-contorting bitterness that makes it hard to dive back in for more. At 6.2 percent ABV and 84 cents a can, it’s definitely a cheap way to get tipsy, but if this beer truly represents what “simpler times” tasted like, perhaps it’s good that life has generally gotten more complicated.
Average Price Per Can: $0.84
6. Drive Thru Red Dry Hopped Red Ale
As a nod to the company’s California roots, Trader Joe’s Drive Thru Red Ale is “inspired by the majestic ‘drive thru’ Chandelier giant Sequoia tree,” a massive redwood in Leggett, Calif., that has a carved-out base, allowing cars to pass through it. As for the beer itself, it’s a 7.2 percent ABV red ale hopped with noble Tettnang hops. While it visually presents like a classic red ale, the nose is more reminiscent of an old-school West Coast IPA. A burst of resiny hops, pine, and malty sweetness offers some promise, but then everything falls apart on the palate. A pervasive bitterness steamrolls any nuance, resulting in an ale that hits like a bad barleywine. Still, it’s a step up from Simpler Times.
Average Price Per Can: $1.50
5. Boatswain Double IPA
Described on the can as “one big, bold beer,” Boatswain Double IPA is an 8.4 percent ABV brew that isn’t too bad, although it doesn’t really taste like a double IPA. The murky, bronze pour and perfect quarter-inch head look promising, but then the nose presents a bouquet of malt, caramel, and toffee with little hop character to speak of. The palate follows with a chewy mouthfeel and a pronounced bitterness with a similar Twizzlers note to TJ’s Simpler Times Lager. If we tasted this blind, we’d guess that it was either an amber ale or a high-octane German lager of some sort, but it’s a halfway decent beer nonetheless.
Average Price Per Can: $1.09
4. Josephsbrau Hefeweizen
Trader Joe’s house hefeweizen bears many of the typical characteristics of the style. It pours an opaque light amber color with a thick foamy head. It packs an even-keeled 5.3 percent ABV, and it bears a banana- and clove-forward profile. On the downside, notes of chalk and artificial vanilla flavoring are also present, and the beer is so highly carbonated that even small sips turn into mouthfuls of foam. The finish is dry and slightly bitter, ultimately making this one of the more balanced beers in the lineup.
Average Price Per Can: $1.34
3. Henry Hotspur’s Hard Pressed for Cider
Henry Hotspur’s Hard Pressed for Cider isn’t technically a beer, but we were impressed enough by this hard cider to make room for it on the list. Made with nothing more than pressed Pacific Northwest apples and brewing yeast, the cider pours a completely clear, pale-yellow hue, and packs fresh notes of tart Granny Smith apples and white grape juice. The palate is crisp, dry, slightly sweet, and captures the essence of myriad autumnal apples. At 5.5 percent ABV, this cider is sessionable and perfect for summertime sipping or crisp fall walks with a drink in hand. The only minor critique is that it’s a little overcarbonated, much like the Josephsbrau Hefeweizen.
Average Price Per Can: $1.67
2. Boatswain Hazy IPA
Boatswain Hazy IPA manages to pull off something that the other Boatswain beers don’t: It actually tastes like an IPA, albeit more like a West Coast one than a New England IPA. And rather than the haze we expect from the style, the Boatswain Double IPA is more opaque in appearance. Clocking in at 6.1 percent ABV and brewed with a trio of Mosaic, Ella, and Citra hops, it opens up with aromas of grapefruit pith, lemons, and pine with a subtle cannabis-like dankness woven throughout. The palate ultimately lands like a slightly sweeter version of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale: The hop character is there; the finish is dry and crisp; it just doesn’t have the juicy, tropical profile we were anticipating. Still, it’s a great beer, and it’d be hard to find a better IPA — let alone any IPA — at the same price point.
Average Price Per Can: $1
1. Stockyard Oatmeal Stout
Labelled as a “traditional Irish stout,” Stockyard Oatmeal Stout is smooth, rich, and decadent. Upon pouring, we’re greeted with a pitch-black brew topped with a thick, creamy head. Just like a good pint of Guinness, the head clings to the sides of the glass and sticks around until after the last sip. The nose dishes up a standout note of malted milk balls, bolstered by undercurrents of coffee, vanilla, and roasted malts. The palate is even more generous, delivering additional notes of cedar and ash. At 5.2 percent ABV, this beer manages to be flavorful without being a booze bomb like many craft stouts on today’s market. It may not hold a candle to Guinness, but it’s a solid substitute overall.
Average Price Per Can: $1.42
*Image retrieved from Kristina Blokhin via stock.adobe.com
