Grillo’s and PBR Released a Pickle Beer, Here’s What People Think of It

If you like the taste of pickles, you’re in luck – because it is absolutely, completely, everywhere at the moment. More and more food and drinks companies have been releasing pickle-flavored products that toe the line between being genuinely appealing and sheer gimmickry. In the last few weeks alone, we’ve had Laughing Cow Dill Pickle Cheese Wedges (which are actually pretty good), we’ve had Dill Pickle Oreos (yep, really), and we’ve had Pickle Pepsi from KFC. Weird world, huh?

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That last one is especially pertinent here, as it shows that pickle-flavored drinks are (maybe) in – and Pabst Blue Ribbon is jumping on the bandwagon. It’s just released a pickle beer with Grillo’s, and we’ve got the scoop on what people think of it. Spoiler alert: It’s not great.

PBR x Grillo’s dropped a Pickle Beer

Grillo’s and Pabst Blue Ribbon brought out their Pickle Beer last week, and for a while there it looked like it might have been a belated April Fool’s Day joke. The announcement of this 4.7% ABV beer caused a lot of consternation when it dropped on Instagram, with thousands of comments discussing the lager and its potential flavor. The press release for PBR X Grillo’s Pickle Beer described it as having a “crisp, dill-forward punch that tastes unmistakably Grillo’s,” and saying that “it’s an easy-drinking, sessionable, and refreshing brew that serves as the ultimate sidekick for the summer nights ahead, from the backyard to the beach.”

Does it have all of these qualities? Well…

Here’s what early reviews are saying

Over on Untappd, a website where people can publicly rate and review beers, PBR x Grillo’s Pickle Beer has received a less-than-glowing response. “I’ve had good pickle beers, but this isn’t one of them,” said one recent review, which gave the beer a 2.5 out of 5 rating. Another person stated that it “smells like pickles but a little weird. Doesn’t really taste that pickley would’ve liked it to be stronger,” while another compared it to a McDonald’s cheeseburger. Yeah… no thanks. In total, its rating hovers at around the 3.2 mark out of over 200 scores – and that ain’t glowing!

This isn’t Grillo’s first pickle beer

Interestingly, this isn’t the first pickle beer out there (sorry, PBR). Grillo’s has previously collaborated with Lord Hobo on its Pickle Beer, an ale infused with pickle brine. Sadly, it doesn’t look like this beer is a favorite, either: It has a 3.05 rating on Untappd, out of well over 1,700 scores. Call us old-fashioned, but maybe pickles and beer don’t go that well together? Just a thought. 

Meanwhile, Grillo’s has continued going big on the brand collabs. Just yesterday, we were talking about the rumor that it’s teamed up with Burt’s Bees to release a cucumber dill lip balm. What’s pretty amazing is that said lip balm is apparently not that pickley at all. Hey, maybe it does know a thing or two about restraint.