A craft beer guide for non-craft beer drinkers

The craft beer guide for non-craft beer drinkers聽 Tensions between craft and commercial beer makers have been brewing for years, as illustrated in the that aired during the Super Bowl. But the rift shouldn鈥檛 cause a conflict between beer drinkers. In a world where small-batch brands are on the rise, it鈥檚 smart to have a plan in place for the next time you鈥檙e out with your craft-beer loving friends in a bar that bans your beloved Bud Light. And Rob Fink, a home brewer and certified cicerone, has you covered. Here鈥檚 his guide to some of the biggest beer brands and their similarly styled craft beer siblings. (AP Photo)

AP Photo

American Adjunct Lagers Rob Fink, a home brewer and certified cicerone, says popular beers such as Miller Lite, Bud Light, Heineken, Corona, Coors and Amstel are all considered American adjunct lagers. 鈥淭hat means they have a proportion of corn or rice in the beer to substitute for sugars that you would otherwise get from malted barley,” he says. The good news is, there are plenty of craft beers that have the same light, crisp and refreshing taste that fans of these commercial beers love — and you don’t even have to travel far to find one. (AP composite photo)

AP composite photo

American Adjunct Lagers If you’re a fan of American adjunct lagers, Fink says you’ll surely love a variety聽from Loudoun County’s Lost Rhino Brewing Company called Rhino Chasers Pilsner. “It鈥檚 going to have a lot of the same profiles that you鈥檙e accustomed to in your light lagers, but kind of a little more amplified and a little more traditional, in terms of ingredients,” Fink says. (Courtesy Lost Rhino Brewing Facebook)

Courtesy Lost Rhino Brewing Facebook

American Adjunct Lagers Another great option for light lager fans is the Victory Prima Pils, which Fink says is one of his favorite pilsners of all time. He says this option is going to be a tad more assertive in hop character, but adds, “It鈥檚 not so far removed that it鈥檚 a departure necessarily. Someone might like hops and they didn鈥檛 know it and they try Prima Pils and they鈥檙e like, 鈥極K, there鈥檚 something here.鈥欌€� (Courtesy Victory Brewing Facebook)

Courtesy Victory Brewing Facebook

Vienna Lagers: Yuengling聽and Sam Adams聽 Prefer to sip on the suds of a聽Yuengling or Sam Adams? Fink says these varieties are more akin to what’s called a Vienna lager. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very similar to a traditional German M盲rzen, which is the first Oktoberfest beer,鈥� he says. These lagers are often mahogany in color and have some malt character with hints of caramel and toffee. (AP Photo)

AP Photo

Vienna Lagers: Yuengling聽and Sam Adams聽 Fink says there are plenty of options when it comes to finding a craft beer for fans of Vienna lagers. His first pick is the Devil’s Backbone Vienna Lager. It’s an all-malt lager brewed with German ingredients in聽Roseland, Virginia.聽鈥淭hey do a very good job of adhering to tradition,” Fink says. (Courtesy Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company Facebook)

Courtesy Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company Facebook

Vienna Lagers: Yuengling聽and Sam Adams聽 Fink’s second pick for a craft beer Vienna lager is the Eliot Ness from Great Lakes Brewing Company. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a little hoppier than Devil鈥檚 Backbone and definitely more hoppier than a Sam Adams Boston lager, but it is a great example of the style, and it鈥檚 not so hoppy that it will turn your average light lager drinker off. It鈥檚 something that will likely be embraced,” he says. (Courtesy Great Lakes Brewing Company Facebook)

Courtesy Great Lakes Brewing Company Facebook

For the Guinness Fans聽 Sure, you can still drink the traditional Irish stout聽on St. Paddy’s Day, but there are plenty of similar options out there for the other 364 days of the year. (Getty Images)

Getty Images

For the Guinness Fans聽 鈥淎 great local option for folks who like Guinness but are trying to branch out would be the Penn Quarter Porter from DC Brau,” Fink says.聽鈥淧enn Quarter Porter will have a lot of the same flavor characteristics, but not be quite as sharp. In terms of the roasted bitterness and chocolate flavors, it鈥檚 definitely more rounded in flavor and more rounded in mouth feel.聽It blurs the line between porter and stout for sure, but it鈥檚 something that people who like Guinness could naturally gravitate towards.鈥� (Courtesy DC Brau Facebook)

Courtesy DC Brau Facebook

Belgian Style Witbier Blue Moon is another popular beer sold at bars, but unlike the others, this variety is a wheat beer. It’s traditionally served with an orange slice to bring out the beer’s citrus flavors. (Getty Images)

Getty Images

Belgian Style Witbier If Blue Moon is not available on tap — or you’re looking to venture out from the routine — Alexandria-based Port City’s Optimal Wit will surely satisfy. It’s crispy and citrusy taste is similar to Blue Moon’s flavor profiles, but it’s brewed with Virginia-grown wheat and Spanish orange peels to give it a little something extra.聽 (Courtesy Port City Brewing Facebook)

Courtesy Port City Brewing Facebook

Belgian Style Witbier Another craft beer that’s similar to Blue Moon is the Allagash White, brewed in Portland, Maine. Like Blue Moon and the Optimal Wit, it’s brewed using wheat, orange peel and coriander. And over the years, it’s won multiple awards for its taste. (Courtesy Allagash Brewing Company)

Courtesy Allagash Brewing Company