Trader Joe's Simpler Times Lager Vs Budweiser: A New King Of Beers May Rise

While Trader Joe's certainly has no shortage of original and innovative products (especially in the snack and frozen appetizers departments), the chain is also well-known for creating "dupes" of popular name-brand products. These proprietary-brand versions are often cheaper than their more famous counterparts, though they ultimately bear similar flavor profiles and serving sizes. For example, check out Trader Joe's dupes of Takis, which are chili-and-lime-flavored rolled tortilla chips that are notably similar to the Mexican originals — or take a closer look at the grocery chain's Fancy Cheese Crunchies, which look and taste quite a bit like Cheetos.

As it turns out, TJ's dupes aren't limited to the snack department, and if you've ever taken a gander at the alcohol section of the store (and more specifically, the selection of Trader Joe's beer), then you might have noticed some familiar-yet-different brews. Perhaps the most notable dupe is Trader Joe's Simpler Times Lager, which one could argue mimics several inexpensive name-brand lagers out there. Upon closer inspection, Simpler Times may share the most similarities with Budweiser, an American staple in the world of cheap and readily available beers.

While Simpler Times may be something of a Budweiser dupe, does it give the classic lager a run for its money? We put the two brews to the test, tasting them side by side to determine which one is better and well worth your hard-earned beer money.

For those who don't frequent Trader Joe's, there's a good chance that the grocery store's specific alcohol offerings aren't on your radar. Simpler Times lager is one of a handful of beers that are specifically made for Trader Joe's. As the name suggests, this beer is pretty bare-bones — it's a lager, of course, and it's not trying to do anything particularly fancy.

Though the store's website doesn't go into specifics about exactly what ingredients make up the Simpler Times lager, we do know that it's produced in Wisconsin by a family-operated brewery and is purportedly free from the fillers found in other beers. We also know the alcohol by volume (ABV) that Simpler Times contains, and that would be 6.2% — which is somewhat on the heavier side, especially considering that this is a lager, but nothing that will knock your socks off. Since this is a Trader Joe's brand of beer, there's only one place where you can buy this lager, and that's on the shelves of your local TJ's.

You may not have heard of Simpler Times, but there's a very good chance that you're familiar with Budweiser lager, the self-proclaimed "King of Beers." Up there with other bestseller beers like Bud Light and Miller High Life, Budweiser is one of those commonplace brew brands that you're going to find pretty much wherever they sell beer in your town. It's a staple among America's cheap beer offerings, boasting a no-frills approach to lager while still maintaining a palatable and relatively smooth profile. 

Unlike Simpler Times, we know exactly what goes into Budweiser — and as it turns out, it isn't much. A simple concoction of water, barley malt, yeast, rice, and hops make up a Budweiser, which really isn't surprising considering that, like Simpler Times, this lager is aiming for a simple approach to beer. However, you'll find slightly less alcohol in Budweiser than in Simpler Times, with the former lager featuring 5% ABV.

Also unlike Simpler Times, Budweiser is much more ubiquitous, and depending on your state and exact location, you'll be likely to find it at most major grocery stores. Moreover, you'll probably find Budweiser at convenience stores, gas stations, and just about any other place that sells alcoholic beverages. Suffice it to say, this lager is about as widespread as it gets in America, so it only makes sense that Trader Joe's created its own version to compete. 

We'll get to the taste of Simpler Times and Budweiser lagers soon enough, but before we jump into that, one important question remains — how much do each of these beer brands cost? The simpler answer applies to Simpler Times lager, which, since it's only available at Trader Joe's, is pretty standard in price, listed on the grocery chain's website at $7.49 for a 12-pack of 12-ounce cans. 

Meanwhile, Budweiser is pretty consistently inexpensive across the board as well, though there is some variation in price since it is sold at various store chains, and comes in packages of different quantities; for example, I paid $11.99 for a 12-pack of cans for the sake of this review, but that price could vary depending on your location. 

Moreover, you can get Budweiser in quantities and containers that differ from standard 12-packs of cans, like an 18-pack of bottles sold for roughly $15.50 at Walmart. Again, the price may vary depending on where you're buying your Bud, but regardless, there's really no denying that Simpler Times does come in at a cheaper price point if you're purchasing a 12-pack of each product. 

Before tasting Trader Joe's Simpler Times Lager, I poured some into a glass to first check out its appearance. Unsurprisingly, it looked like your typical lager, albeit a very amber one — the rich, golden color was far from off-putting, but in line with its relatively high ABV percentage, this darker hue had me a little bit concerned that I was getting into something a little stronger than your average lager.

Upon the first sip, my assumptions were confirmed — this is a strong beer, and it's no wonder that it has an alcohol content that surpasses the 6% mark. The most notable thing about the flavor of this beer was its robustness. While it did taste like a lager, and it certainly didn't feel like it was teetering into a more potent type of beer territory, the robustness was quite overwhelming. 

In fact, sometimes the sheer yeastiness of Simpler Times beer was a bit hard to swallow. It's not surprising that a beer would taste yeasty, but it did strike me as a bit odd that this beer tasted so overwhelmingly of yeast — especially since this is a lager, which is a type of brew known for being on the lighter side. It was to the point where, more than anything else, I had bread on the brain with each sip. 

As I did with Simpler Times, I first poured a can of Budweiser into a glass to get a good look at the beer's color. Perhaps I was expecting something a little more vibrant after seeing the rich, golden hue of Simpler Times, but Budweiser's light tint was definitely lackluster. Sure, a cheap lager doesn't have to wow in the color department, but I could almost sense how watered-down the beer would taste based on its hue alone, and this premonition once again turned out to be quite accurate.

Where Simpler Times is overwhelming with a yeast-forward flavor, Budweiser seems to be lacking any of that. This lager tasted notably watery, and I understand that water is the base of any beer, but surely there was room for more hops, barley, and yeast somewhere in the mix. 

Simply put, Budweiser left me looking for a little bit more in the flavor department, but I don't think this is entirely a bad thing. After all, this beer is meant to be a lager, so its lightness was perhaps an intentional characteristic. Compared to Simpler Times, however — for better or for worse — it was simply undeniable that Budweiser just didn't have that same oomph, and that same yeasty aftertaste that only a beer can provide. Nonetheless, I certainly didn't hate the Bud, and all things considered, I didn't find it to be particularly off-putting or unpalatable. 

The question of whether or not Simpler Times lager is worth purchasing over Budweiser comes down to a few key factors. If you are a Trader Joe's super fan and are not an avid Budweiser enthusiast, then sure, Simpler Times just might be the beer you've been looking for. There's no denying that you really do get quite good value for your money with Simpler Times, both because a 12-pack costs less than $8 and because this lager boasts a relatively high ABV. 

On the other hand, if you are a huge fan of Budweiser but are looking for a more cost-effective dupe, I wouldn't say that Simpler Times is what you're after. The two beers taste distinctly different, and while they each have a classic lager flavor, Simpler Times is much stronger, and any devout Budweiser drinker would no doubt notice the difference. 

As someone who doesn't seek Budweiser out very often but who does frequent Trader Joe's, Simpler Times would be my go-to choice despite its slightly overwhelming yeast flavor. It all comes down to what taste you're looking for, how much you're wanting to spend, and whether or not you prefer a lager that veers a little bit on the stronger side — if that's the case, Simpler Times will be awaiting you at Trader Joe's.