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Finally, you can unwind from a long day with a nice, tall glass of Market Basket. No, seriously. If you’re looking for a light, drinkable, affordable beer, grab a 12-pack of Market Basket’s new official beer. Style-wise, it’s a standard light pilsner. Or as my dad would call it, “a normal beer.” Market Basket Lager is a conventional light pilsner that is easy drinking, clocking in at 4.0% ABV. Taste-wise, it’s a step up from a typical domestic light beer. To be clear: There are no rogue members of the Demoulas family brewing up batches of this somewhere in Tewksbury. Instead, this beer is made by Zero Gravity Craft Brewery in Burlington, Vermont. That’s a solid get for Market Basket. Zero Gravity’s Cone Head IPA is one of the better IPAs you can get in terms of bang for your buck. Or should I say, “More for your dollar?” Market Basket Lager | Review Last week, the popular grocery store chain made waves when it announced that it had released a Market Basket Lager. Yes, it’s real. Tracking it down will vary in difficulty depending on where you live. If you’re in Massachusetts, you can grab it at Market Basket’s liquor store spin-offs, MB Spirits and MB Beer & Wine. You can find them right next to select Market Basket locations in Tewksbury, Shrewsbury, Danvers, Waltham and Hanover. In New Hampshire, which typically allows beer sales in grocery stores, you can buy it directly at 33 Market Basket locations. It’s also available at all three Market Basket stores in Maine. But you’d better be quick. The cashier at the Shrewsbury MB Spirits told me that this stuff has been flying off the shelves. They’d sold 70 cases in the first few days, with one person grabbing upwards of 10 cases. What does it taste like? This checks all the boxes for what you look for in a light lager. It’s crisp, refreshing and easy to drink. It’s a major upgrade over your Bud Lights and Miller Lites of the world. That’s because of how clean the taste is. There’s no funky “wet cardboard” taste that you sometimes get out of the major beer monoliths. Instead, you get this smooth, bready flavor that finishes clean on your palate. Style-wise, it’s a neat and tidy pilsner, leading with golden malt flavor that’s slightly sweet. Is it any good? Yes, 100%. I’ll admit it. I’m a big beer nerd. I’ll try all the IPAs and dessert stouts. I have thoughts about Belgian Tripels and saisons. But sometimes, even I want something simple that I can sit back and sip on for an afternoon. It’s not fancy. There are no crazy hops or flavorings. It’s not a super-thick stout. This is exactly what a classic American-style light beer should taste like. The final word Market Basket has been the subject of a lot of drama in recent months, particularly with the perpetual battles among the Demoulas family. People in Massachusetts have feelings about Artie T. being fired as CEO, along with a lot of key executives. I do, too. We can talk about that another day in the traditional Massachusetts manner: shouting at each other in the parking lot of a Dunkin’ in Saugus at 9 a.m. For now, all I can say is that the beer is good and I’m glad it exists. --- “Nick Ate It” is a recurring column with a light-hearted take on food. Want more “Nick Ate It” coverage? You can follow Nick on Instagram (@NickAteIt) and TikTok (also @NickAteIt) You can send any praise/food suggestions to nomalley@masslive.com. Please send all criticisms and complaints about Market Basket business politics to cmckenna@masslive.com. You can check out the rest of the series here.
