"I hate beer."

Start then off with something like blue moon. If that is too much flavor for them than they will never like beer with flavor.

 

I have had a lot of success taking people who like wine or ciders and turning them on to fruited sours and wild ales.

 

Light beer, if they won't drink that then they really dislike beer.

 

I have never liked light beer. It took me about 28 years on earth, but I discovered eventually that I DO like beer. In fact, I love beer. I just hate light beer.

In fact, light beer put me off actually trying the beer styles I like by about a decade.

 

If one must try to convince another, start by asking questions. Ask what flavors they like, in general, in particular, and what they are in the mood for at the moment. Then, and, this is the important part, listen to their answer. Don't try to push your preferences on them, listen closely, and let them show you where to take them.

Beer has so many potential flavors, and combinations, it's going to be difficult to find a beer an open minded flavor explorer won't like. It happens, so don't get pushy, but it's rare that a wee bit of effort can't find a beer that makes some folks go "What? That's beer?".

 

A nice local Helles/Bavarian Lager would be a good start. Sometimes cheap beer just tastes cheap, and a rich beer that's nicely balanced, not over hopped or overly carbonated might do the trick.

 

I wouldn't say dislike, but will generally reach for whiskey before one.

 

Fine. I’ll admit it. The Citra Hop was my gateway into craft beer.
I have gotten a lot of my friends to come on board with a all Citra hopped beer. Now, their a bunch of hypes lol

 

This thread title is misleading.

 

Done this before, worked even with something as easy to find as DFHs SeaQuench.
there's a beer for us all

 

My go-to when I hear this is to get them a pour or bottle of Crane's Tea Weiss. Converted a lot of 'wine only' drinkers with that beer.

 

Light beer tastes like a watered down piss spritzer. I find that only having tried light beer or macro junk is the reason people don't like beer.

As a beer merchant who is regularly asked for recommendations, including from people who "don't like beer," I will say with confidence that there's a beer for almost everyone. I've had people come in wanting me to help them find a beer they can enjoy and I send them home with a sampler 6-pack of quality, flavorful beers: usually a lager, IPA, wheat, Belgian, porter, and sour or fruited beer and tell them I'll refund them for whatever they don't like. They almost always come back later and tell me that they found a winner in the bunch.

 

My immediate response would be, "Why should I care? Drink something else, then, dumbass."

 

I got my start on Boston Lager and Blue Moon. I generally will suggest this to newbies. If they don't like, I don't care to press further.

 

Here's my issue with the OP's statement. "I hate beer" isn't a very inviting statement. I guess some people take it as a challenge, but "some people" doesn't include me. I'm not at the pub to save people from bland macros. I'm just there to drink and enjoy myself. Now if a person walked up and inquired about what I was drinking and wanted to have a conversation about it, I'm game. Just don't start out said conversation with a lazy, uninformed statement.

 

Convince them to like NEIPA so we can make the lines longer at the breweries that do them well.

 

Then have a sour

 

I have never felt the compulsion to convince people to like the things I enjoy.

 

This was my fiance when I met her five years ago. She only drank syrupy sweet ciders and sparkling moscato. It took some work but now she only drinks incredibly dry ciders, sours and Russian Imperial Stouts.