The Simple Ingredient That Makes Cheap Beer Taste Better

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

In a perfect world, we'd have a bottle of craft beer in reach 24/7. But then you take a look at your grocery budget and ... well, Coors, Miller, or Buds aren't looking too bad as the occasional sipper. Most enthusiasts don't look at these cheap beers very fondly, but most of the time, they're the only things in the fridge. There's good news, though! You don't have to settle for a watery pint whenever you need a drink. There are ways to make them more palatable, and here's one you might not expect: add a few dashes of cocktail bitters.

This isn't a new idea. In fact, it's been around since the 19th century when the French came up with Amer Picon, a type of bitter orange liqueur that they'd splash into their beer. The zesty flavor of gentian roots gives the flat, cheap beer some much-needed body, while the slight sweetness of caramel smoothens out the texture for a more satisfying finish.

Today, this trick is still quite popular among bartenders and mixologists as a way to pick up the flavor of especially cheap tasting beer (which tastes like nothing at all) or light beers. But you need to be smart about what sort of bitters you pair your beer-of-choice with.

Fortunately, there are plenty of tried-and-tested ideas for you to mix right now, using some common bitters that even basic at-home mixing stations should have. Want to know how easy it is? Grab a Miller High Life and pour it into a glass, add a tablespoon of Aperol and one tablespoon of lemon juice. Tada, you've got a Spaghett! We promise this beer spritz is much, much tastier than your typical Miller.

For pale ale enthusiasts, consider adding some Fee Brothers grapefruit bitters to your cheap Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, which will give the bitter hops a much-needed boost. Add a tablespoon at a time until the flavor's just right. And for dark beers like Founders Brewing Co.'s Ale Porter Dark, the rich, coffee-like notes will go great together with herbal amari, such as the sage and wormwood of Dr. Zero Zero AmarNo.

A great thing about this trick is that you can use cocktail bitters as a flavor adjuster, too. Say, for instance, you have a sour beer that tastes just a smidge too acidic for your taste. Instead of puckering your mouth and going through the whole can, you can add something bittersweet to dial it back. Cynar, an Italian bitters derived from artichoke, is a great candidate for this, and so are amari like Fernet Branca. Feel free to play around with different mixes and combinations to find your faves. Really, there's no right or wrong here, only what works best for your palate!