What Can You Put in Beer to Make it Taste Better?

For some, the bitter taste of beer is enough to make them put down the frothy mug in favor of a more flavorful beverage. But when beer is a must (think "Oktoberfest"), adding other ingredients to a beer will take the bitter edge off and make it go down smoother.

Lemon or Lime

The choice of beach-goers is either a lemon or lime slice. In fact, bartenders almost automatically provide a slice of lime when you order a Corona, a Mexican beer. When the weather is hot, adding a lemon to a beer will neutralize the bitterness and add a refreshing citric element. A simple lemon or lime slice will make the beer feel more like a cocktail making it approachable to non beer drinkers.

Ice

When a beer gets too warm, the flavor is destroyed. The taste is overly bitter and hardly palatable. By adding ice, not only does the beer cool down quickly, but the melting water will dilute the beer lowering the bitterness.

Soft Drinks

By adding ginger ale or carbonated lemonade, the beer is transformed into a "shandy." A shandy is more palatable and goes down a lot smoother than a regular beer. Like lemons and limes, a shandy is a popular summer drink.

References

• Chow Hound: Adding Stuff Like Lemons to Beer -- Good Idea?
• Wise Geek: What is Shandy?