The best beers – or, the only beer – at Aldi all come from Aldi’s very own partnerships with breweries around the world. From Europe to the U.S., Aldi has developed some formidable beers.
With brewery partnerships around the world, the only beers available at Aldi are exclusives. They have several styles of beer – including a bock, 2 lagers, 2 IPAs, and more – available, and you will be getting a great beer at a great price. The White Tide (similar to Blue Moon’s Belgian White) and Wernesgrüner Pilsner are two of their best beers.
Keep reading to learn more about who brews Aldi’s beer, plus what these beers compare to and if they’re actually any good. Plus, we’ll break down each of the company’s current beers so you know exactly what to expect when making your next grocery trip.
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What kind of beer is available at Aldi?
The only beer available at Aldi is their in-house brand. This means that they don’t sell any beer that isn’t made by themselves. That’s not to say it isn’t great beer, though.
Being a German company, it’s only fitting that the franchise produces beer – and good beer at that.
Aldi produces several styles of beer and alternatives to big-name brands. These styles include a bock, 2 lagers, 2 IPAs, an amber ale, a Cerveza, a blonde ale, and a wheat beer.
If you’re planning a grocery trip to Aldi and want to try some of their beers, finish this article to find out which ones you should put in your shopping cart and take home with you.
Who brews Aldi’s beer?
Although Aldi doesn’t have breweries and brewmasters in the back of its stores, its beer is produced for just Aldi. It is partnered with breweries around the world – mostly Europe – to produce its beer.
Notable brewers like Brasserie de Saint-Omer in France and William Bros. Brewing Company brew beer for Aldi. Saint-Omer produces Aldi’s Lowenstein Pilsner. Other notable beers from these breweries include Saint-Omer’s Munsterbrau and William Bros.’ Alba.
These powerhouse breweries produce beer for themselves and Aldi. The Aldi exclusives are sold only in Aldi.
Is Aldi beer good?
Aldi’s in-house beers garner some great reviews online.
Aldi’s beer is brewed by established breweries and does not cut corners. Some of the beers are noted to be replicas of existing beers or beer styles – often claimed to be done better.
Aldi’s beers are good and reasonably priced.
Aldi beer prices and specials
Are Aldi’s beers expensive? Are they cheap?
Aldi’s beer prices are a steal considering the quality of the product. They vary from store to store. You’re unlikely to find any sales or additional discounts as Aldi’s prices are already low.
Aldi offers great alternatives to classic styles and brands at a good price.
Aldi beer comparisons
Aldi beer comparisons are pretty easy to make – some, you can even make just by looking at the packaging.
Aldi’s Brecken Bock can be compared to Shiner Bock, its Brens looks like Beck’s lager and tastes like a Heineken. The grocery store’s White Tide resembles Blue Moon Belgian White. The in-house Monterrey Cerveza can be compared to Pacifico or Corona Extra.
Other comparisons can be made about Aldi’s beers – continue reading to find out more about each of Aldi’s craft beers.
The best beers at Aldi
You can’t really go wrong with beer from Aldi. That being said, the beers at Aldi are listed below in no particular order.
Brecken Bock
- Name: Brecken Bock
- Style: Bock
- Beverage Tasting Institute Rating: 88 Silver
- Beer Advocate Rating: 83
- ABV: 4.5%
- Taste: This bock is dark and sweet malt with rich aromatics and lingering taste. It is lightly hopped with floral hop notes in the backend, and a thin to medium with slightly off-white head.
- Is it true to style? This beer is definitely true to its style. It has a roasty, toasty taste and aroma with pleasant mouthfeel.
Brens Lager
- Name: Brens Lager
- Style: European pale lager
- Beverage Tasting Institute Rating: 89 Silver
- Beer Advocate Rating: 83
- ABV: 5%
- Taste: The taste of this lager is drier and bread like. It is has a slight malty sweetness at the front and an herbal hop bitterness at the end, and a medium head with decent retention.
- Is it true to style? This golden lager remains true to style with a moderate hop aroma and slightly thicker mouthfeel. Crisp finish.
Holland Lager 1839
- Name: Holland Lager 1839
- Style: European pale lager
- Beverage Tasting Institute Rating: N/A
- Beer Advocate Rating: 76
- ABV: 5%
- Taste: This lager has a sweet and toasted malt flavor with a quickly dissipating white head and good lacing. It has a grainy smell with Noble hops aroma and finish.
- Is it true to style? The color and nose are true to style; however, the taste is a little sweet for a traditional lager.
Hopping Nomad Session IPA
- Name: Hopping Nomad Session IPA
- Style: Session American India pale ale
- Beverage Tasting Institute Rating: 89 Silver
- Beer Advocate Rating: 83
- ABV: 4.5%
- Taste: The piney and slight citrus taste of this IPA come from American hops. It has a minimal bite and malt flavor, a hoppy aroma and finish, and a healthy head and strong, spidery lacing.
- Is it true to style? This IPA is true to the genre of beer. It has a very modest ABV with present but smooth hop aroma and flavor and is very drinkable.
Independence Harbor Amber Ale
- Name: Independence Harbor Amber Ale
- Style: American Amber/Red Ale
- Beverage Tasting Institute Rating: N/A
- Beer Advocate Rating: 80
- ABV: 5.5%
- Taste: This ale has a caramel malt and mild honey taste with very slight hop finish. It has a thin head with little to no lacing.
- Is it true to style? It checks the boxes for malty sweetness in an amber ale, with minute hoppiness.
Monterrey Cerveza
- Name: Monterrey Cerveza
- Style: Adjunct/Vienna-style lager
- Beverage Tasting Institute Rating: N/A
- Beer Advocate Rating: 72
- ABV: 5.3%
- Taste: This lager has an opaque, pale-white gold color with thin a head and medium lacing. It has a grainy and buttery taste with a hint of corn, a light but present hop end, and an extremely crisp finish.
- Is it true to style? This beer is reminiscent of its likely inspiration: Modelo and Corona. It has a grainy, corny taste with thin mouthfeel with a comparably thin mouthfeel.
Ryder No. 8 Blonde Ale
- Name: Ryder No. 8 Blonde Ale
- Style: Blonde ale
- Beverage Tasting Institute Rating: N/A
- Beer Advocate Rating: N/A
- ABV: 4.5%
- Taste: Clean and grainy with a touch of hops throughout and in the end, this ale is slightly fruity and woodsy. It has a medium head with decent lacing.
- Is it true to style? This beer is pale-golden with clean taste – exactly what you would expect from a blonde ale.
Wernesgrüner Pilsner
- Name: Wernesgrüner Pilsner
- Style: German Pilsner
- Beverage Tasting Institute Rating: 88 Silver
- Beer Advocate Rating: 79
- ABV: 4.9%
- Taste: Bready malt and cracker aroma, this pilsner is crisp with a perfect amount of bitterness. It has a deep flavor and long finish.
- Is it true to style? It is very much true to style – both simple and complex flavor from beginning to end with a long finish.
White Tide Belgian White Ale
- Name: White Tide
- Style: Belgian white ale
- Beverage Tasting Institute Rating: 89 Silver
- Beer Advocate Rating: 85
- ABV: 5%
- Taste: The flavor of this beer is very well-balanced between the citrus notes, malt, and hops. It is has a very low IBU with present but not overwhelming citrus taste and a slight malt sweetness.
- Is it true to style? The citrus aroma and taste with notes or coriander make this a true witbier.
Wild Range IPA
- Name: Wild Range IPA
- Style: American India pale ale
- Beverage Tasting Institute Rating: 89 Silver
- Beer Advocate Rating: 78
- ABV: 6.3%
- Taste: This IPA has an oily and syrupy mouthfeel with presence of American hops in taste and nose that mix well with the malt. The hoppiness comes out on top.
- Is it true to style? This is an American IPA with American hops – closer to a regular pale ale.
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