Ranking and Reviewing All 11 Of Aldi’s (Current) Beer Selections
Photo by YesMore Content/Unsplash Drink Lists aldi
Many love Aldi for offering an amazing value shopping experience. The brand cuts out the unnecessary frills you see at other supermarkets to provide a streamlined grocery experience focused on value and quality. Who needs 10 brands of milk to choose from? Why waste an employee’s time unboxing each individual item onto the shelf? Why meaninglessly force cashiers to stand at the register?
Given this no-nonsense approach to running their store, Aldi’s beer selection is surprisingly extensive while still being exceptionally affordable. Their offerings vary throughout the year, but there are consistently around 10 unique and distinct options located at Aldi locations across the nation.
In their spirit of efficiency, most of Aldi’s beers are proprietary, contract-brewed exclusively for their stores. As a result, you won’t find any of the popular brands available at other stores on their shelves, but some of the options are eerily familiar to grocery store beer-aisle staples. For the sake of experimentation, I bought one of each to try, and these are the results. For the sake of my liver, I skipped out on their seltzers, hard root beer, cider and “pearsecco.”
Here are my rankings and comments. Maybe they can help you out next time you want to grab some beer alongside your saran-wrapped bundles of zucchini and surprisingly affordable international cheese. Just don’t forget a quarter for the shopping cart!
11. Independence Harbor Amber Ale
Rock Wall Brewing Company, Rochester, NY
Style: Red Ale, American Amber (5.5%)
Aesthetically, this beer is clearly trying to evoke Samuel Adams Boston Lager with motifs of the American Revolution on the label. This beer was never an exact clone, as it’s an amber ale in contrast to its Vienna lager inspiration. The similarity between the two beers has been further complicated by the fact that Samuel Adams Boston Lager has been “remastered” as a golden American lager. Ironically, this means that Independence Harbor may be the better choice for those who enjoyed the original Sam Adams Boston Lager. There are still some major differences, though, mainly the addition of honey in Independence Harbor. Unfortunately, that brings out an unwelcome saccharine note that outlasts the flavor of the beer. It also lacks the clean, malty finish that amber beers should have.
10. White Tide
Rock Wall Brewing
Style: Wheat Beer, Witbier (5.4%)
As a Belgian-style wheat ale with orange and coriander, this is an obvious attempt to capture the appeal of Blue Moon or Shock Top, but it falls short of both. The creamy wheat flavors are missing, and the citrus of the orange peel is barely perceptible. The beer has a light body, but overall, the flavors here are muddled together, and no one characteristic stands out. It also lacks the quintessential brightness that makes this beer’s inspirations so refreshing.
9. Hopping Nomad
State of Brewing, Waunakee, WI
Style: IPA, Session (4.5%)
Session IPAs can be great. As more and more beers on the shelf vie for our attention, higher ABVs often become a selling point, which is not necessarily what some drinkers are looking for. Reduced booziness and lighter body can be a great opportunity to showcase hop profiles, but this is not the case with this beer. The aroma presents a faint caramel maltiness followed by an even fainter pine note from the hops. Upon pouring, the beer is a deep, pale amber color, but the head rapidly dissipates. The flavors here are thin and lack the refreshing quality of the other hoppy ales on this list. As an Aldi-specific selection, this one is pretty forgettable. Likely inspired by Founders’ All Day IPA, this is also one of the few beers on this list that is roughly the same price point as the beer it’s mimicking.
8. Limaveza
New Realm Brewing Co.
Brewed by ABW, Virginia Beach, VA
Style: Lager, American (4.5%)
The aroma on this beer is nearly identical to [insert your favorite Mexican lager] with a fresh-squeezed lime. The issue is that once you take a sip, you’ll notice that there’s something missing. Fans of cocktails are well aware of the major differences between fresh- squeezed lime and pre-packaged “lime juice,” and there is a similar disconnect going on here. The zest doesn’t linger the way you’d want it to, and while there is a tartness, it falls short of the refreshing zing of a fresh-squeezed lime.
7. Locken’s Tropical Pineapple
Brewed by Rock Wall Brewing Company, Rochester, PA
Style: Kölsch (4.5%)
A tropical pineapple Kölsch sounds like the ideal summer beer, and in a pinch, this would be a great beach brew. Yet the aroma here screams pineapple flavor, reminiscent of the pineapple flavor in a chewy candy. At the end of the day, there’s no doubt that this is coming from “natural flavors” and not real pineapple. The beer itself boasts a brilliant clarity and is light in flavor (as a great Kölsch should be). The artificiality of the pineapple is the main thing holding this beer back. It’s vaguely reminiscent of Leinenkugle’s Summer Shandy, a similarly fruit-forward lighter ale that features a much closer representation of the fruit it advertises (in this case, lemon).
6. Covista
Brewed by Rock Wall Brewing Company, Rochester, NY
Style: Lager, Mexican (4.5%)
Another Aldi exclusive, this beer’s name and design is reminiscent of Corona. Flavor-wise, it’s actually closer to Modelo or Dos Equis, with a little bit more of a malty base while still remaining light. It has a pale-amber hue and a faint sweetness in the aroma. The flavor here is light and clean, with just a hint of corn sweetness. Overall, it’s a great value and a solid choice for something easy drinking on a hot day. Ironically, this beer with a lime is much better than the Limaveza.
5. Shuteye Peak Pale Ale
Brewed by State of Brewing, Waunakee, WI
Style: Pale Ale, American (5.6%)
It’s probably not a coincidence that “Shuteye Peak Pale Ale” sounds reminiscent of “Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.” That’s clearly what they were going for, from the green, mountain-heavy can art to the deep caramel color of the beer, and they did a pretty good job! This hoppy pale ale is clean, bright and boasts fragrant notes of pine and light grapefruit. In a side-by-side comparison, this beer lacks the same clarity and is a bit lighter on the citrus finish than the quintessential American pale ale. Still, it’s a well-executed beer that scratches the same itch and at a great value. This is the only Aldi beer to come in a 12-pack, but finishing it will be no problem.
4. Holland Lager 1839
Royal Swinkels, Lieshout, Noord-Brabant Netherlands
Style: Lager, Pale (5%)
At a glance, this may look like Aldi’s attempt at a Heineken clone, green bottle and all; however, it’s actually made by a preexisting brewery in The Netherlands and is not exclusive to Aldi. Still, there are similarities to note. Both beers are light, dry and clean with a lingering finish. They also both suffer from being packaged in green bottles, which allow more light penetration, leading to skunking, which is common in many lighter European lagers. Thankfully, this six-pack was relatively fresh, and the skunking was very faint. At the end of the day, this beer is preferable to a Heineken (and cheaper).
3. Wild Range Brewing Company IPA
Rock Wall Brewing Company, Rochester PA
Style: IPA, American (6.9%)
This is your father’s IPA, a perfectly translucent West Coast-style beer featuring a caramel hue. The aroma is citrus-forward, with a hint of pine resin. On first sip, it’s surprisingly clean and dry, with a light malt sweetness that comes through immediately. What follows is a bold but not tongue-coating, citrusy hop body. Overall, this beer is on the thin side, but that adds to its drinkability. For a 6.9% ABV IPA, it’s surprisingly refreshing. While this Aldi-specific IPA doesn’t seem to be mimicking any one specific brand, fans of classic hoppy beers before the hazy revolution are sure to enjoy; Sierra Nevada’s Torpedo Extra IPA comes to mind.
2. Maguires Draught Stout
State of Brewing, Wauankee, WI
Stout, Irish Dry (4.2%)
Any beer with the word “draught stout” in its name is begging to be compared to Guinness, and the Celtic motifs on the label lean into this theme. Surprisingly, this stout holds up well. Don’t be deceived by the dark color; this stout is thin and is an easy-drinking 4.2% ABV (the lowest of all the beers they sell). Despite the thin texture, this beer is rich in flavor with a clean, toasty finish. Of all the Aldi-specific beers, this one is the closest to the product it’s imitating. The most obvious difference is the lack of nitrogen, which delivers the rich creaminess Guinness is known for. Still, this is an affordable, flavorful, and true-to-style example of an Irish dry stout.
1. Wernesgrüner Pils
Wernesgrüner Brauerei, Steinberg Germany
Style: Pilsner, German (4.9%)
At a glance, this beer looks like an imitation of Pilsner Urquell, the quintessential (and original) pilsner. The can is deep green with golden accents, complete with a red seal at the top. As it turns out, though, Wernesgrüner is a well-established German brewery whose beer can be found throughout Europe.
Upon pouring, the beer is crystal clear and has a light golden hue. The aroma is faintly malty and has traces of noble hops. It’s sweet, with a subtle hop bite and a clean but lingering finish with a mild floral note that persists. While this beer is light enough to easily pound down, a small sip is all it takes to get all of the flavors, and sipping it over time leaves behind an impressive lacing on the glass. Overall, it’s a well-executed pilsner that stands up to any German-style pilsner you’d pick up in the European section of your local bottle shop. Aldi’s German roots are on full display here, with their only German beer being a great representation of the style.