The Best and Worst Light Beers—Ranked
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Some phrases just make you cringe. Dentist appointment. Tofu steak. Light beer.
But although the old slogan “Tastes Great. Less Filling” used to only be half true, nowadays brewers have tweaked their products enough that many light beers actually do stand up to traditional American lagers. With the red-hot dog days of summer upon us, Eat This, Not That! held a definitive taste test to find out which brews will refresh your palate without straining your belt.
First, we rounded up the light beers that ranked among the most purchased in America and added a few smaller, but still well-known, contenders. Then we gave samples to our test panelists—blind, so they didn’t know the brands—and asked them to rate the factors you’d look for in a sessionable beer, light or otherwise: overall taste, taste strength, carbonation and aftertaste, as well as bitterness and sweetness. (Our drinkers had no idea which beers were being tested, and all of them tried the beers in a different order to avoid palate fatigue; for further notes on scoring, click here.)
Which one should you pack in the cooler this summer? Read this list, ranked from worst to best. And keep slim all season long: Use these Eat This, Not That!-recommended 10 Daily Habits That Blast Belly Fat!
#10: Michelob Ultra
95 calories, 2.6 g carbs, 4.2% ABV
Michelob Ultra had the least “beer-like” flavor of any of the brews the panel tried—which is why it ranked ultra-last. While some testers found it light and refreshing, most agreed this brew was simply too light for their taste, labeling it “similar to water” or—yum?—“beer-flavored water.”
#9: Beck’s
64 calories, 3.9 g carbs, 2.3% ABV
Rhymes with “wrecks.” Beck’s turned off our drinkers before they even took a sip. A couple testers noted that it “smells skunky,” making you “nervous to even try it.” In fact, it was like “being in high school at a college party and pretending to like this beer” for one drinker. You’re an adult now, and you can buy any beer you want. ‘Nuff said.
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#8: Coors Light
102 calories, 5 g carbs, 4.2% ABV
Among the two beers that tied for eighth place, Coors Light got dinged for being unmemorable. Our tasters seemed at a loss for anything to say, labeling this American classic “not bad, not great” and “average.” Its only point of differentiation: Coors came in last in the quality of its aftertaste.
#8 (tie): Miller Lite
96 calories, 3.2 g carbs, 4.2% ABV
Tasters had a hard time discerning this beer from Amstel and Coors, but its aftertaste, which our drinkers found better than the other two brands, solidified its eighth place ranking. The low position is somewhat at odds with notes from our drinkers saying “it would get the job done” and had a “decent taste,” but in a competition with thirteen other beers, being “another interchangeable watered-down brew” just won’t earn you a top spot.
#7: Natural Light
95 calories, 3.2 g carbs, 4.2% ABV
Another tie: This time a three-way for seventh place. You may have fond memories of “Natty Light” as the beer that added magic to your frat house parties, but once it was removed from its packaging and tested blind against other light beers, our drinkers just called it “bland” and a “bad combo of bitter with even more bitter aftertaste.”
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#7 (tie): Amstel Light
95 calories, 5 g carbs, 3.5% ABV
“I can’t…shut it down.” Not a glowing recommendation, but a couple high scores for a crisp carbonation level saved this import from bringing up the rear of our list. Although Amstel was one of the few brews the drinkers tested that had a notably strong taste, one qualified that by adding, “the strong taste isn’t a good thing.”
#7 (tie): Keystone Light
104 calories, 5 g carbs, 4.1% ABV
Keystone scores a solid “C” — probably as a tribute to its connection to all of our college days. And, much like those late nights playing beer pong, this is one contender you’ll “never remember.” Chalk that up to its middle-of-the-pack praises from our drinkers: “palatable,” “decent” and “average” were the warmest remarks it earned.
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#6: Bud Light
110 calories, 6.6 g carbs, 4.2% ABV
One of the biggest problems our testers had with their array of light beers was the aftertaste. Classic Bud Light bucked that trend, scoring a couple of solid 9s and 8s out of 10 because it goes down smooth. One taster said, “It’s not good. It’s not bad. Like purgatory.”
#5: Corona Light
99 calories, 5 g carbs, 4.1% ABV
Although we couldn’t serve samples with the iconic wedge of lime, our testers found the carbonation of this beer pleasant enough to pull it into the middle of the pack — quite a feat considering comments that it was “watery” with a “horrible aftertaste.” As one taster noted, the “carbonation is the only pleasant thing about this one.”
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#4: Bud Light Platinum
137 calories, 4.4 g carbs, 6% ABV
Despite just missing the third place title, the Platinum version of Bud Light received slightly more favorable feedback than its chilly cousin, Ice — from about half of our panel. “If it were a hot day and I just came in from mowing the lawn, I would reach for this,” one person commented.
#3: Bud Light Lime
116 calories, 8 g carbs, 4.2% ABV
In a surprising twist, Bud Light Lime, the youngest brand here, at just 7 years old, performed remarkably well — despite its polarizing taste. A few low scores aside, drinkers pretty much agreed that this was the beer that could most seamlessly transition between barbecue and beach—and please a crowd. Well, most of the crowd. Our testers had opinions ranging from “tastes like ginger ale” to “is this Lemon Pledge?”
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#2: Bud Ice
121 calories, 4 g carbs, 5.5% ABV
Though Bud Ice landed in second place, its silver medal comes with caveats like, “Reminds me of flat draft beer.” A second taster summed up the collective opinion best, saying, “It’ll work in a pinch.”
#1: Sam Adams Light
119 calories, 9.7 g carbs, 4.3% ABV
And here we have it: The Best Light Beer in America. Pulling significantly ahead of the pack, Sam Adams Light was lauded for its discernable nutty flavor and relatively full body. One tester even noted that it “tasted like something I might find in a nice beer garden!”
PAIR YOUR PICK WITH THE PERFECT BURGER FROM OUR EXCLUSIVE REPORT ON THE BEST AND WORST BURGERS IN AMERICA — CLICK HERE
AND SIP YOUR WAY SLIMMER Swap your light beer for a green tea once a week. We love it so much, we made it a staple of a new weight-loss plan—and test panelists lost up to 10 pounds in just one week! “I loved the results!” says Jeannine Arenas, 31, from Miami. “I followed the plan for 7 days and lost 9 pounds!” Try The 7-Day Flat-Belly Tea Diet and Cleanse now!
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