The Ultimate Ranking Of Aldi Beers

We all know that Aldi can hold its own when it comes to everything from breakfast foods that will save you money to some of the best baked goods. But how does it fare when it comes to beer? In case you weren't aware, the discount grocer has nearly a dozen of its own brews that run the gamut from light pilsner to rich and toasty stout. And while we've all been let down by a cheap beer in the past, I've been around the industry long enough to know that a price tag should never be the sole determining factor on whether or not a brew is worth picking up or not.

As a Certified Cicerone, I have learned the ins and outs of hundreds of beer styles, having trained my palate to identify and critique them based on their presentation. However, I've also put this certification to use as the owner of an award-winning craft beer bar in Manhattan, where I've been able to stay on top of what's available on the market and sample tens of thousands of beers. I was able to get my hands on many of Aldi's available brews and tasted them all to determine which ones were the most impressive. Here's how everything shook out in the end.

Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer/distributor/etc.

For decades, imported lagers stood in as the "sophisticated" option for beer drinkers who were averse to macro domestic lagers. Of course, this always came with a slightly premium price tag that often nearly doubled the cost of a drink. That's not the case with Aldi's Holland Lager 1839, which is clearly positioning itself as a Heineken replacement, right down to the green bottle. And if you're willing to suspend disbelief, you might be surprised at how well this version stacks up.

Upon tasting, there are a lot of immediately apparent similarities between the Dutch original and this affordably priced alternative. I immediately picked up a fairly skunky nose (which itself is coincidentally the result of using that iconic green glass bottle that allows the beer to become lightstruck), along with lushly sweet grains and a strange aroma of plastic. The first sip revealed that carbonation is fine and upfront on the palate, tickling the tongue and creating a lively entry into flavors that include water crackers and a subtle European hop bite over a light-medium body. It's also remarkably crisp on the finish, thanks in no small part to the effervescence, along with a lingering hint of hoppiness.

I asked a fellow beer expert to weigh in with their thoughts, and we both agreed that this could likely pass for a Heineken in a blind taste test — and possibly even surpass it. Still, I'd be happier if it were available in packaging that didn't cause it to become lightstruck.

No matter where you stand on the idea of putting fruit in your beer, it's undeniable that there is a time and place where it can absolutely work. Legend has it that radlers came about in the early 20th century after a German tavern owner decided to supplement his dwindling supply of lager with a healthy addition of lemon soda to each pour he served to passing cyclists. These days, the style is still widely adored, and often serves as a refreshing in-between beverage thanks to its trademark low ABV that's usually around 2%.

I was excited to try this radler as soon as I opened the can, with its traditionally enticing soda pop nose of candied lemon and citrus zest that easily rises out of the glass, and a head that dissipates as quickly as a soda to boot. Bright, juicy lemon immediately soothes the palate with hints of Lemonhead candies, lemon bar desserts, and sparkling lemonade immediately coming through over an oh-so-subtle sweetness that is miles from cloying. As a low-ABV option, this is every bit the refresher beverage it was literally built to be. Don't think twice about tossing this into your beach bag or picnic basket if you're looking for a way to quench your thirst on a nice day.

Even with a beer whose name basically tells you what to expect, there are few more misunderstood styles than the pale ale. This isn't technically the public's fault: For decades, American brewers have been taking liberties with light-colored beer that eventually led to it getting splintered into subcategories. While the style is nearly entirely malt-driven in the U.K., where it was invented, domestic versions can often taste more like an IPA with a hop-heavy flavor profile.

Such is the case with this Aldi iteration. I was very concerned at first when I picked up a bit of an odd nose for the style with aromas of freshly baked biscuits tinged with a hint of frozen vegetables — and no perceptible hoppiness. However, the palate comes through more true to guidelines, with a sharp, hoppy bitterness balanced by a biscuity malt base.

It was at this moment that I realized this beer is a dead ringer for Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, which is nothing short of a beloved industry classic. While I certainly enjoyed the beer and would purchase it for myself again, it also lives up to the early-era craft beer takes on the style that overplays its hop hand. Ironically, this makes it less of a traditional pale ale and even more IPA-like than the actual IPAs in the Aldi lineup. This isn't to say it can't exist, but it's worth noting for any shoppers who are averse to this kind of flavor profile.

If there's one thing that has become crystal clear in my time in the consumer-facing side of the beer industry, it's that the U.S. has a very bizarre relationship with dark beers. Besides most people assuming they're always higher in alcohol (they're not) or heavier on the palate (also not necessarily true), they're simply not as ingrained in our typical drinking culture the way lighter colored brews tend to be. Fortunately, that's begun to change as the craft beer movement has taken off and exposed people to these darker pours.

This version from Aldi — which comes across as a dry Irish stout — gives me even more hope that the style will continue to catch on stateside. After pouring, I found it enticingly rich on the nose with aromas of freshly baked Devil's food cake and brownie batter. Fortunately, this isn't as cloyingly sweet as a pastry stout you'd find at your local craft brewery, with much of the decadence from the aroma becoming a pleasant backbone rather than a center stage star. It's remarkably light-medium bodied on the palate with notes of shaved baking chocolate and freshly pulled espresso shots, where roastiness perfectly balances out everything before a remarkably dry finish. Despite what some people's preconceived notions might lead them to assume, this is hands down an incredibly easy-drinking beer. And while it might not be packaged in nitrogenated form like its identical competitor Guinness, it's still a delightfully smooth (and relatively low ABV option at 4.2%) for anyone in the mood for a roasty pint.

Devoted fans of hoppy beers know that "IPA" isn't a monolithic style. Over time, the beer has transformed as the drinking public's tastes evolved and brewers became more focused on securing new strains of hop varieties. I'll admit that part of this evolution made me skeptical of this beer from the outset when I noticed it was still packaged in a brown bottle years after cans have become the industry standard for the style. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how well it performed in this tasting lineup.

In my tasting notes, I wrote that "a boldly fruity aroma leaps from the glass after pouring," adding that it creates a soft, lacy head that dissipates within 30 seconds. Citrusy flavors of blood orange, grapefruit, kiwi, and pineapple are upfront and pleasingly juicy on the palate, with hints of pink Starbust candies and creamsicle coming through before a rounded, juicy, lingering finish hits the tongue with a slightly rising hop bitterness on the very tail end. While this isn't the hazy New England-style IPA that has come to dominate the market in recent years, it's still on the more contemporary side of interpretations of the style. Because of this, even those who aren't typically fans of hoppy beers might find something they enjoy here.

For a long time, imported Belgian beers were a lifeline for American drinkers who wanted their beer to really taste like something. Fortunately, those bombastically flavorful ales are now even easier to come by, including in the aisles at Aldi. I'll admit that I was initially pessimistic about this version upon inspecting the label, somewhat gearing myself up to be let down by muddy flavors that can plague similar products. But I was pleasantly surprised by this take, to say the least.

The orange peels used in making this beer (according to the label) come through prominently on the nose, along with hints of cracked peppercorn and a subtle herbaceousness. It's lush and full-bodied on the palate, with juicy citrus flavors dancing alongside hints of clove spice, banana peel, and bubblegum. Bouyant carbonation pleasantly prickles the tongue throughout and helps carry these pleasing flavors through a long, silky finish. It's remarkably well balanced and undeniably refreshing, making it the kind of beer I reach for on the first nice patio happy hour of the season.

I'll be honest: I immediately prepare myself for the worst when I'm getting ready to try a budget IPA for the first time. In most cases, cheap versions of this beer are usually really over-the-top hop profiles instead of the nuances that standout versions have. This is especially problematic when you take freshness into consideration, as this key ingredient is the first one that begins to degrade as soon as the beer is packaged, leaving drinkers with a muddy, papery-tasting mess that's barely sipable.

Fortunately, my tasting proved otherwise. This value IPA has an impressively floral nose with aromas of fresh pine cones, citrus pith, and freshly cut grass. It's immediately bright on the palate with lively notes of orange peel, white Life Savers candies, cotton candy, and lime zest. What's arguably most notable about this is that it's remarkably well balanced for this style category, eschewing a harshly bitter finish for a refreshingly dry, crisp bite that lingers long after each sip. It's worth noting that I wrote down and circled "deeply impressed!" on my note sheet, and immediately took it to my colleagues who were working nearby so they could experience it for themselves.

I ultimately see this as a huge win for shoppers: Beer fans who know and love the style will appreciate the balanced flavor profile, while casual shoppers might even find this to be a "gateway" into the style that can sometimes be divisive. This also makes it a fantastic addition to a party cooler as a likely crowd-pleasing hoppy option.

There are fewer words in the beer world that are as recognizable as pilsner. The light, easy-drinking lager almost immediately became one of the first global breakout successes of the brewing world when it was developed in the mid-19th century in what is now modern-day Czechia. Unfortunately, just like anything else that becomes popular, some brewers relied too heavily on the style's name recognition and affixed it to cans and bottles containing subpar brew in hopes that it would bolster sales. But if you're shopping for your refreshing light lager fix in Aldi, this won't be a problem for you.

Anyone who has spent time in the beer aisle will notice that the Wernesgrüner can design is angling itself as a dupe for Pilsner Urquell — setting the bar relatively high considering it was the first pilsner ever brewed. Pouring it into a glass yields a stunningly clear, straw-colored lager that produces an impressively rich, foamy head that lasts for minutes before dissipating. The nose has typical pilsner aromas of creamed corn, water crackers, and soft grain that are comforting and enticing. The beer remains impressive on the palate, with a lean body, brisk carbonation, and a well-integrated set of flavors that combines light grains, crispy minerality, and slightly floral Czech hops that crescendo before a balancing bitterness comes through on a long finish. If we're going for style points alone, I'd go so far as to say that this is practically gold-standard levels of ticking all the appropriate boxes for an upstanding pilsner, making it my favorite of all the Aldi beers I tried. In fact, we think a pack of Wernesgrüner is just one of the amazing products you should pick up on your first trip to Aldi.

Since the availability of Aldi beers can vary from place to place, the company sent me samples so I could have the broadest selection possible. I stored them in the fridge overnight to ensure they'd be nice and cold when it came time for testing. I also stuck to the same service standards a respected beer bar would hold itself to when pouring them, using a clean, room-temperature glass for each and rinsing them to remove any residual soap and sanitizer from the interior.

As you probably notice, this lineup features various different styles, which can make ranking a bit complicated when you start putting IPAs up against stouts. But as the beer buyer for an award-winning craft beer bar and retail store in Manhattan and a Certified Cicerone, I used my decade and a half of expertise to gauge each beer to see how they stack up to style guidelines, pick up any flaws or deficiencies, and ultimately see which ones I would happily bring to a friend's get-together or purchase a second time.