By Liz Scholz

›: PBR. Keep it simple; you can buy 24 cans for about $16 after tax. That means you just paid 67 cents per can, they have an ABV of 4.7 percent, and it’s definitely not Milwaukee’s Best Special Reserve Ice. Need I say more? It’s perfect for when you don’t want to offer your friend’s friend a beer, and it won’t cost you too much in the end. Plus, they’ll probably love you for it. A little history about the Blue Ribbon: Originally named Pabst Blue Ribbon for the Blue Ribbon it allegedly won in 1893, the bottles used to be adorned with an actual blue ribbon. This practice stopped in 1916, and with good reason. However, don’t be dismayed. Since it’s original blue ribbon award, PBR has won many more, including the American Style Premium Lager gold medal at the 2006 Great American Beer Festival.$: Furthermore. A Wisconsin brewing company that is making some experimental brews, like their Knot Stock American Pale Ale: beer made with cracked black pepper. You’d think it’s gross, but the pepper isn’t overwhelming and quite honestly you don’t really notice it until you’ve had a few. It’s not for everyone, but it’s worth a try. Furthermore is a small brewery, so all their beers come in boxes with the same design, but their bottles have different labels so look closely. A six-pack costs about $8 ($1.33/bottle). See for yourself!

$$: Rogue Ales. A six-pack of Rogue will run you about $13 after tax, which means you’re paying $2 a bottle, but it’s definitely worth it. My personal favorite is the Rogue Mocha Porter, which I heartily recommend (it’s 5.1% alcohol). You can get it in a bomber if you’d rather just sample it by the 22 oz. instead of committing to the six-pack. In fact, Rogue has a lot of bombers, so feel free to sample all of them. It’s hard to find one you won’t like.

-LIZ SCHOLZ