IF dry January for you is just a fanciful weather scenario then you may appreciate this article.
But if on the other hand it means 31 days of miserable sobriety, then this article is also for you.
Whether you’ve spent the last three or four weeks raising a glass to 2024 or counting down the seconds til February, you will either way appreciate a good beer.
You may also be a fan of a bargain beer, as everyone’s skint in January.
Fortunately, with the cost of living crisis far from a distant memory, there are some good deals to be had – even on Champagne, as we revealed.
And among those leading the charge not to charge too much are two of the best known budget supermarkets, Aldi and Lidl.
They are offering a range of beers that may remind you of some more established brands, and are arguably just as good.
We took it upon ourselves to test the best and the rest of what those two have to offer, and from what we can remember it was a very good night.
Luckily we took a few scribbled notes and even managed to cobble some ratings together.
So here are our findings with a heavy warning that we know very little about brewing, hops, or anything else for that matter. (And please don’t sue us if we didn’t think your beer was the best, it’s only our entirely worthless opinion)
Lagers
LIDL – Birra Italiana
- Price £1.49 / 500ml
- Cost per litre £2.98
- ABV 5%
First impressions were a lack of fizz. The head disappeared quickly and it felt a bit flat while drinking.
It was easy to drink, and the flavour, though not that powerful, was pleasant enough. However, it lacks a bit of a punch so wouldn’t be a go-to first pint.
Good for a few light ones, although you may soon get bored. Maybe good for a BBQ before and/or after something stronger.
Rating on the SwiftHalf beerometer: 60/100
ALDI – Birra Mapelli
- Price £1.49 / 500ml
- Cost per litre £2.98
- ABV 4.6%
Slightly more effervescence than its Lidl rival and better on the nose, with lasting bubbles. Bolder, more character, while also crisper than above.
Had a powerful initial hit and a satisfying after taste, that proved to be a welcome long-term guest on the palette. Would happily order as a first beer, and possibly a second, a third…
Rating on the SwiftHalf beerometer: 73/100
IPAs
LIDL -Hatherwood IPA
- Price £1.49 / 500ml
- Cost per litre £2.98
- ABV 5%
Soft fruits on the nose, with what we agreed was a peachy aroma, but had a bitter undertone, which should be expected with the grapefruit warning on label we supposed.
Could certainly taste the malt, and it gets better the more you drink it, to a point, as it does leave a long bitter after taste. Would we have another Hatherwood? Yes we would, but maybe not too many.
Rating on the SwiftHalf beerometer: 62/100
ALDI – Brewdog ALD IPA – Session IPA
- Price £4.99 / Four pack
- Cost per litre £3.78
- ABV 4.5%
Immediately impressed by the citrusy smell emanating from the equally impressive bubbles. (Not going to apologise for liking bubbles).
A bit thin compared to Brewdog’s classic Punk and heavier hitters, but that’s to be expected for a session IPA. Possibly a bit too light if you prefer IPAs that are closer to the 6% mark.
However, we would happily knock back plenty of cold ones on a long summer’s day. Unremarkable but very enjoyable nonetheless. And cheaper than Punk.
Rating on the SwiftHalf beerometer: 65/100
Speciality beers
LIDL – Franziskaner Weissbier
- Price £1.99 / 500ml
- Cost per litre £3.98
- ABV 5%
Love the jolly drinking monk on the label, apparently he’s been brewing since 1363 and has clearly picked up a trick or two between prayers.
They include producing a great head, while this had lovely mild yeasty strains too. Has the soft texture that you want from a weissbier, with just the right levels of bitterness.
Great aftertaste but not overpowering, we could certainly drink three or four without wanting a change. Extremely impressive stuff.
Rating on the SwiftHalf beerometer: 83/100
ALDI – The Biere Triple… Belgian-style beer brewed in France.
- Price £2.99 / 750ml
- Cost per litre £3.98
- ABV 6%
Has the original Bros stopper in the top, which gave it a huge headstart before it was even opened.
When the stopper was popped we were hit with an immediate explosion of fizz and a powerful nose that told us it’s serious business. Pound for pound this is great value, packing a devastating punch in both flavour and strength.
It also has that familiar Belgian aroma that apparently is the unique yeast strains, which we liked. Even if we didn’t understand. Not overpowering but good power.
Very impressive too.
Rating on the SwiftHalf beerometer: 75/100
Summary
So there you have it… Lidl’s wheat beer takes top spot, and we highly recommend you try it. But the wonderful news is, in our opinion, they are all pretty good, and will each make great accompaniments to whatever you do in February and beyond.
Cheers.
