I've tried some "good" craft beers based on friends' recommendations and still not good. I think beer just isn't for me. I much prefer cider.

Sure, but kinda ALL beer is an acquired taste, and frankly I don't think I've ever thought, "I sure do want a tasty beverage and don't care about the alcohol content" and ended up drinking beer. Even if you're not getting drunk, the alcohol is the point, and everything else is mitigation.

That said, when I am feeling like a little bit of alcohol, I like a nice malty dark beer, stouts of course, but even a simple schwarzbier dark lager can do the trick. A very dry cider is even better though, edging close to the point where I might actually pick it purely for taste.

If they taste good because they taste like something else, why not just drink that something else? /hj

All beers are bitter, things humans evolved to stay away from (bitter signals poison). If you like beer, it’s because you’ve become accustomed to it, not because it’s a good flavor to humans.