16 Things You Should Be Adding To Your Beer For 10x The Flavor

In a perfect world, we'd always have access to the crispest, highest-quality beer possible, but sometimes, we need to make magic with less. Whether you're on a strict grocery budget and have to settle for the cheap stuff, or you've grabbed a bland beer at a gathering and want to show your friends a cool trick, there are plenty of ways you can spruce up a subpar bottle of beer. You may even want to experiment with beers that are already fabulous, because some tricks could unlock new depths you never imagined existed.

Knowing how to pair beer with food is a skill everyone should know. For example, beer and cheese curds will always hit the spot. However, with some simple tweaks to the beer itself, you can make any bottle delicious enough to stand on its own, no chaser needed. Best of all, you probably have many of these ingredients already on hand.

So, how can you level up your beer? Read on to explore the things you should be adding to your beer, for 10 times the flavor.

If you look at any ranking of classic American beers, you likely won't be surprised by which brands are at the bottom of the barrel. Many of us agree that the lower-quality beers aren't the easiest to enjoy, yet their cheap price point makes them common in fridges and coolers — especially when folks host big get-togethers. If you want a fighting chance of enjoying the beers that might not be your favorite, salt may be your best weapon.

Salt helps in a handful of ways. First, salt does a phenomenal job of cutting through bitter flavors. If these beers have any hint of sweetness, salt can also highlight the more pleasant notes. Lastly, salt can make a beer become a little extra fizzy, which can feel more refreshing on the palate. If you've been nursing a bad beer for a while and it's starting to go flat, a pinch of salt can give your beer the kiss of life.

Out of everything you need to know about Blue Moon, one of the most iconic is that this beer is to be served with an orange wheel as a garnish — the reason being that orange is an integral ingredient in the recipe. Pairing the brewed orange with a fresh, juicy orange makes the beer pop even more. Blue Moon isn't the only beer brand that should have a claim on citrus fruits, though.

Ale and plenty of other pale types of beers tend to be refreshing and sometimes hoppy, so adding bright citrus to the mix can really liven things up. Like Blue Moon, these beers may also contain fruit in the brewing recipe, so you're not making too much of a leap by pairing it with its fresh counterpart. Start with a juicy wedge in your beer, then, if you're brave, squeeze it to maximize the citrusy flavor. Lemon, orange, lime, and grapefruit can all add complexity to any beer.

Most folks have heard of a dirty martini, which gets its bold flavor from olive brine. Of course, it's also garnished with one or two olives. It's the perfect drink for people who appreciate a savory, sophisticated cocktail. As it turns out, olive brine can make even the gnarliest beers go down smoother, too, so imagine what this addition could do to a beer that's actually pleasant. It works the same way as pure salt: the brininess neutralizes the most offensive elements of a low-quality beer, while heightening the good.

The drink is cheekily known as a beertini, and it's a Midwestern classic. You get a tall mug of cold beer, plop some olives in it, and add a splash of the brine for good measure. Not only do the olives make the beer taste better, but they also give you a show while you sip. The olives bounce around in the mug as the carbonation interacts with the salt. Even if you're not the biggest fan of olives, the whimsy of this drink is guaranteed to help you have a better experience.

If you've ever wanted to make your beer a little more potent in terms of alcohol content and flavor, look no further than liqueur. There are tons of liqueurs on the market with titillating flavor profiles ranging from fruity to herbal and beyond, so the amount of beer combinations is seemingly endless. One redditor's favorite drink is adding a shot of amaretto to a lager. A second person commented that adding this to a Corona specifically makes the drink taste like Dr. Pepper. Another user mused that amaretto must be phenomenal in a malty Bock.

If you have Bailey's on hand, you need to try pouring some into your next porter or stout. The final result will be rich, creamy, sweet, and chocolatey, cut with a hint of bitterness. While you're at it, you may even want to whip up chocolate chip cookies with Bailey's for the ultimate night of decadence.

Bloody Mary is perhaps the most famous cocktail prepared with tomato juice. If you gravitate toward this drink at brunch, then you need to try Bloody Beer, which is simply tomato juice poured into beer. Folks may have their own preferences for how tomato-forward they want their beer to be, but a good starting point is a 4:1 ratio of beer to tomato juice. If you want to get a little fancier, you can use a store-bought Bloody Mary mix or even some Clamato.

Tomato juice isn't for everyone, so be cautious when choosing your beer. Lagers are absolutely the way to go here because they're on the mild end of the flavor spectrum. If you choose anything with too much personality, adding tomato juice could make your stomach churn. The key is to let the delicate tomato flavor shine while still enjoying the beer's delightful crispness.

Bloody beer is undoubtedly a great, simple beer cocktail. However, this list of beer enhancers wouldn't be complete without mentioning the iconic michelada. Preparing micheladas is a bit more complicated, and the recipe is up for debate. Some would list the michelada under the tomato juice category, but many would argue that a truly authentic michelada must contain hot sauce instead. You still get the tomato flavor with the added benefit of a kick. Many use beer, lime juice, Tabasco, and, interestingly enough, some Maggi liquid seasoning, which amplifies the fermented flavor. The glass has to be chilled, and the rim must be salted.

If you aren't in the mood for all that jazz, adding a splash or two or three of your favorite hot sauce directly into your cold beer will also hit the spot. One thread on Reddit discussed this combo, and several folks agreed that Tabasco has the best texture for mixing into beer, with Cholula coming in second place. A wide range of beers can benefit from some heat, but one user urged others to try it in a hoppy beer first.

Beer purists may furrow their brows at the mention of adding lemonade to a cold mug, but this drink has a proper name: the shandy. The most well-known shandy is the simplest, which is just combining these two beverages. The lemonade brings both sweetness and tartness to create a more well-rounded beer. You can play around with your beer-to-lemonade ratio depending on your taste buds, but you may want to aim for around 50/50. This gives the beer some zip without overpowering it.

If you want to take things up a notch, you have to try a Philly-style summer beer shandy, which brings lemon Italian ice into the equation. Not only does this ingredient have a lovely impact on the texture as it slowly incorporates into the shandy, but it also keeps the beer cold, which always improves the taste. In this version, you cut back the lemonade slightly, but you won't miss any lemon flavor once you plop the Italian ice on top.

A simple ingredient that you can never go wrong with when doctoring up a beer is fruit juice. Orange juice, in particular, is fabulous for folks who love mimosas ... or want an acceptable alcoholic beverage earlier in the day. There are so many spectacular beer cocktails you should be making at home, but the beermosa might become your new favorite. Another cheeky name for this drink is the manmosa, but fellas, you should proudly drink any alcohol you enjoy.

Any lager will fit the bill for this fruity beer cocktail. A Blue Moon might hit the spot if you want the strongest orange flavor, but even a simple, cheap Bud Light or Coors will do.

Shandy purists may believe that lemonade is the only true counterpart in this beer cocktail, but other folks say that all fruit juices are welcome. Some Redditors rave about apple juice and cranberry juice, but it ultimately comes down to personal preference. If you have a favorite fruit juice and lager, mixing them is guaranteed to be delicious.

Folks can have a lot of fun trying different snack and alcoholic beverage pairings to heighten the drinking experience. For example, try munching on popcorn while drinking whiskey because the buttery, salty popcorn complements the whiskey's oaky, sweet undertones. The next time you're sipping beer, though, you should try dumping some salted peanuts directly into the drink. We've already gone over how salt can make a disappointing beer taste more nuanced. By letting the salted peanuts make direct contact with the beer, the seasoning can get to work more efficiently than chewing a handful of nuts after a sip.

As for the peanuts, they're simply a fun textural addition. If you're from the South, then you probably already know the real reason why people put peanuts in Coke. Why not try the same thing with your beer?

Any beer can benefit from this treatment as long as you're a peanut lover, but one kind is tried and true: Guinness Extra Stout. One curious redditor who tried this concoction reported that it was an absolute game changer. The reason why first-timers should seek out a Guinness Extra Stout is that this beer has rich, chocolatey flavors. It's hard to deny that chocolate and peanut butter are a match made in flavor heaven.

Stout drinkers and coffee lovers are often one and the same. Since stouts have such a strong roasted flavor, even the coldest pint can bring back sweet memories of a hot cup of high-quality coffee. If you want to bring the coffee notes of your favorite stout to the forefront of your palate, adding a shot of espresso will do the trick. You should never ruin the delightfully refreshing temperature of your beer, though, so make sure the espresso is chilled.

This addition may be enough to get your mouth watering, but you can go further if you're eager to splurge. Stouts also have chocolatey notes that are worth highlighting. One redditor shared that drizzling chocolate syrup all around the mug before pouring the stout can be life-changing. Plus, the syrup can help balance the extra bitterness that comes from the espresso shot. Be sure to keep the syrup bottle on hand if you want to adjust the sweetness.

A great beer is nice and carbonated, so it makes sense to combine it with another bubbly drink. Sure, you could add a splash of champagne to your beer if you're in an elegant mood, but sometimes it's fun to crack open a can of your favorite soda and give the combo a whirl. As it turns out, Germans have their own specialty beer-soda drink called the Diesel. A Diesel is simply Coca-Cola poured into a mug of any pale lager. The drink turns into a mystical, delicious potion once the dark soda takes over the light-colored beer.

Who says you have to stick to the German recipe, though? One redditor discovered that adding Mountain Dew to Coors Lite with a 1:1 ratio is actually quite delightful. This could be one of the most enjoyable ways to give a less-favorable beer brand a makeover. Another redditor explained that adding Sprite or 7UP to beer is a popular alcoholic drink in Belgium, and the name of the combo translates to "snow white." If you round up your most adventurous pals, you could have a fun get-together sampling different mixtures, and figuring out which ones are the best.

Root beer may be the darling of the ice cream float world. This iconic duo deserves its flowers, but you're missing out if that's where your exploration ends. Anyone who loves a classic root beer float is also likely to appreciate the depth of a Guinness float. The earthiness of the sassafras in root beer pairs wonderfully with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. While Guinness has a different flavor profile, it still has a familiar earthiness from its roasted coffee flavor, which is a little bitter.

Like a shandy topped with lemon Italian ice, turning your pint into an ice cream float will keep your beer crisp from start to finish. Casual beer drinkers who aren't in love with the drink's typical bitterness can appreciate the contrast of sweet and bitter when they try beer in a float. The best part is that the sky is the limit when it comes to choosing your ice cream flavor. Vanilla is the go-to for good reason, but there's no doubt that a Guinness with chocolatey notes would be dreamy with a scoop of chocolate ice cream.

Do you like to keep your fridge stocked with a range of beer options so you'll always have the best drink to pair with your dinner, or random pick-me-up whenever the craving strikes? If so, you may have had moments when you stood in front of your open refrigerator, feeling stumped. The next time you're on the fence, or simply up for an adventure, try mixing two contrasting beers.

Every beer aficionado needs to learn how to pour a black and tan beer. If you're not careful, you can ruin the magical presentation. Traditional black and tans bring both ends of the beer flavor spectrum together by combining an ale with a stout. The result may seem questionable, but your taste buds will thank you for the nuance. Sweet and bitter, earthy and bright, and indulgent and refreshing all come together in this brilliant beer.

Olives have earned their spot as an iconic ingredient in alcoholic beverages, but they're certainly an acquired taste. The acidic punch of the brine may not be the issue. Some folks simply hate olives. If this is the case for you, don't knock pickled jalapeños until you've tried them in a beer. The salty brine will dazzle your palate, and their subtle heat is extra intriguing when mingled with a cold beer.

Fresh jalapeños are also phenomenal for those who can tolerate more heat. You should definitely opt for a beer on the lighter end of the spectrum, and maybe choose something fruity. The sweetness can help you feel braver about the raw jalapeño. While you're chopping your jalapeño, you might as well whip up some sheet pan nachos topped with pico de gallo for a heavenly pairing experience.

As it turns out, countless folks on Reddit are riding the jalapeño beer train. One user became so infatuated with the combo that they're still dreaming about a specific craft beer they were served eight years ago. If so many people are obsessed, this combo is worth a shot.

Fresh fruit is always a lovely addition to any alcoholic beverage. The juice can incorporate into the alcohol, and the freshness makes the beer that much crisper. A lesser-known addition is frozen fruit. You can still enjoy the sweetness and tartness that fresh fruit offers, but you also have delicious ice cubes that don't water down your drink like a normal ice cube would. It's a win-win situation.

One redditor was snacking on some succulent frozen mango while sipping a Miller Lite. They asked the internet if they should plop some slices into the beer. Of course, everyone encouraged them to do it and report back. The user raved about how magnificent this combo was.

Frozen berries are another recommended alcohol pairing, with blueberries being the crowned jewel. Once the fruit softens and you get to the bottom of your drink, you can pop the berries into your mouth. If you're lucky, they'll have soaked up some of the beer by the time you eat them. If not, your palate will still be refreshed.

Fall may not officially begin until September, but many enthusiasts say fall is a state of mind. Still, nothing lifts these folks' spirits quite as much as when the rest of the country catches up to their excitement, and seasonal items like pumpkin spice lattes are finally back on the menu. PSLs can be a fabulous pick-me-up, but nothing is quite as magical as sipping on a pumpkin ale with friends, especially if you're sitting in a scenic outdoor spot.

Breweries know how deep people's love for autumnal flavors goes, which is why grocery stores are flooded with many seasonal beers. If you buy any, you can make your at-home drink feel as elegant as your local brewery by pouring it into a nice mug with a decorated rim. All you need to do is mix a little cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar for dipping. Each sip will be warming and refreshing at the same time.