If you are a beer lover, you will definitely encounter this problem: the dazzling array of beers on the supermarket shelves look good and taste cool, but sometimes they always taste weird, as if they have been mixed with something. This is not just an illusion. Many beers are not brewed as you imagine, but "beer-like drinks" blended with flavors and pigments. How to tell whether the beer is brewed properly or blended fake.
Today, let us uncover the secrets behind beer and learn how to distinguish which are the essence of brewing and which are inferior blended products.
1. Look at the ingredient list and find out the truth in minutes
Don't rush to open the beer and take a sip. Pick it up and turn it over to see the ingredient list. The ingredients for brewing beer are very simple, mainly water, barley malt, hops (or hop extracts), and yeast. If you see other "mysterious substances" in the ingredient list, such as syrup, flavors, corn, and rice, you have to be careful, because this may be a blended "fast food beer".
Barley malt and hops are the soul of beer, and they determine the aroma and malt aroma of the beer. Beer with real ingredients is soft and has a natural malt aroma; while blended beer often tastes thin or sweet.
2. Look at the production method and brand reputation
Now some brands will directly mark "pure fermented beer" or "whole wheat brewing" on the bottle, which is relatively more reliable. Then check the background of the brand to see if they have a formal brewing process. Although some imported brands are expensive, they are not necessarily good wines, while some domestic niche craft brands are cost-effective choices.
3. Look at the price, don't be fooled
Brewing beer takes time and cost, and the price is generally not particularly low. If a 500ml bottle of "beer" only costs a few dollars, you have to be careful, it is likely to be blended. Although it cannot be said that high-priced products are necessarily good, "cheap products are not good products" is quite accurate in beer.
| 7 ZhenXi Craft Beers | ||||
| Products | Specifications（ml） | Original wort concentration | Alcohol content（vol） | Price RMB/100ml |
| Black Lion White Beer | 500 | 11.8°P | 4.50% | 2.00 |
| Qin Shi Huang CPA | 500 | 12.8°P | 5.00% | 3.00 |
| Fresh Wheat Beer | 500 | 11.5°P | 4.30% | 1.50 |
| Passion Fruit Beer | 330 | 8.0°P | 2.50% | 2.30 |
| Raspberry Craft Beer | 330 | 10.0°P | 3.30% | 2.30 |
| Jasmine Tea Beer | 1000 | 12.0°P | 4.60% | 2.40 |
| West Lake Longjing Tea Beer | 1000 | 12.0°P | 4.60% | 2.40 |
| Latte Stout | 1000 | 14.0°P | 5.20% | 4.50 |
4. Take a sip and look at the foam and the foam on the cup
The foam of beer is its "face", not only beautiful, but also hides the secret of real ingredients. After the brewed beer is poured out, the foam is dense and delicate, and it is very long-lasting and will not disappear immediately. After taking a sip, you can see if there are fine foam marks on the wall of the cup. Good brewed beer has obvious foam, delicate foam, and mellow body.
On the other hand, the foam of blended beer may appear slightly yellow, mostly rough, and disappear in just a few seconds. Sometimes there is even no foam or foaming phenomenon, which has no "high-end feeling" at all.
5. Smell is the key, you can tell the difference by smelling
Pour the beer into the cup and smell it. The aroma of brewed beer is natural and rich, with the sweet aroma of malt and the slight bitterness of hops. What about blended beer? The aroma is very simple, or it has an artificial sweetness, smells like cheap candy, or even has a strange smell. If you smell a pungent smell of alcohol, it may be mixed with alcohol. Such beer not only cannot bring us a pleasant olfactory experience, but may also pose a potential threat to our body.
Some people ask, is blended beer bad for the body? In fact, there is no need to completely demonize blended beer. As long as the manufacturer meets national standards, this type of beer will not pose a direct threat to health. Just from the taste and nutritional value, brewed beer is definitely better.
This ancient brewed beer uses German imported barley malt and high-quality hops. After 28 days of low-temperature slow fermentation, it not only has dense foam, but also tastes mellow and smooth, which can definitely satisfy your taste buds.
Moreover, it insists on brewing with whole wheat, without adding a drop of flavor, and even the hops are top-grade varieties. Take a sip and you will find the aroma of wheat, slightly bitter with sweetness, perfect beyond words.
Beer culture is particular, and real good beer is worth spending time to understand. I hope this article today can help you learn to distinguish between blended beer and brewed beer. When you go to buy beer again, don't just look at the packaging, look for the ingredients and taste, choose the right beer, and life will be more flavorful!
Not necessarily! Some international industrial conglomerates (such as Goose Island, owned by Budweiser) continue to use this label, but cross-verification is necessary:
Quite the contrary! Slight turbidity is a sign of active yeast:
Three elements are required:
Ingredients must comply with the Purity Act (water/malt/hops/yeast).
