Here’s the thing about the best light beer: If you have a brand to which you are loyal, that is always going to be the best light beer for you. I won’t try to convince you otherwise. We’ll just get into a fight…again. Please, let’s be friends.
But if you’re interested in finding out the answer to the question, what is the best light beer, for reals? Then please, by all means, keep reading.
Allow me to start by saying that my first light beer was Keystone Light. It was the light beer of choice for my college, so I didn’t really have a choice. You’ll notice that beer does not appear on this list. That is not a light beer for sipping. It is a light beer for college, and I’ll leave it at that.
What we looked for in the best light beers
For our taste tests, I was looking for the best light beers to drink—not chug. I wanted a light beer that was crisp and clean but still tasted like a decent beer—something I could imagine drinking more than one of without feeling like I was missing out on real beer. I looked for a balance between malt and hops and a lack of that telltale stale beer taste that so many cheap light beers have even when they’re fresh.
What’s new on this ranking
In our most recent search for the best light beer, we tasted a few big brands we had initially left out of our first taste test (such as Tecate Light and Amstel Light), as well as a few new light beers to the market (like Garage Beer). We added two new beers to the list and removed Bud Light. It simply did not wow us. But, as I said, if that’s your brand of choice I’m not going to try to convince you otherwise.
Over the course of two taste tests, we tried 18 light beers and came out with seven that we honestly believe are worth buying. Here are the seven best light beers ranked from good to incredible—including the best light craft beers.
The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.
- Michelob Ultra
-
If you believe the commercials, this is the best light beer to drink after a long bike ride or kayaking adventure. But you don’t need to be a Tough Mudder to enjoy a Michelob Ultra. It has a toasty aroma with notes of pear. Take a sip and you’ll be refreshed but still get some nice, fall-y malt flavors. It tastes fresh and crisp and not at all like a highschool basement party. It tastes like a grown-up beer. I would happily drink this on a patio or porch or, fine, after running a 5K. It also happens to be the best cheap light beer on this list.
Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine
- Heineken Light
-
If Michelob Ultra is the best light beer for fall, then Heineken Light is the best light beer for springtime. It has almost grassy notes with some citrus zest. It gives music-festival-in-Central-Park vibes. You can drink down a couple of these and feel like dancing on the lawn. That’s to say, it won’t bog you down. It’s an uplifting light beer.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Amstel Light
-
As far as light beers go, this isn’t going to scratch a craft beer itch—but if you’re looking for the best tasting light beer that has actual flavor but is still very widely available, Amstel Light is worth a try. Somehow, in my many years of beer drinking, I missed Amstel Light. But it’s much better than Coors Light or Bud Light. (If you love Coors Light or Bud Light, power to you, I just prefer my beer to actually taste like beer.) In fact, Amstel Light calls itself the “beer drinker’s light beer” and I think that’s a pretty good description. There are notes of hops, but it’s not bitter. It’s balanced and extremely drinkable. Plus, it’s a great bottle. It’s always nice to drink beer out of a bottle.
Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine
- Garage Beer Classic Light Beer
-
I didn’t try this beer because it’s a Kelce brothers product. In fact, I didn’t know this was owned by the Kelce brothers until I started writing this paragraph. Regardless of your feelings towards the Kelce brothers, you should know that this is one of the best light beers. It’s rich and toasty and has a bit of a fruity finish—almost like a hint of apple. It has way more flavor than a lot of the usual light beers. But it still comes in at just 95 calories a can. Hey, Kelce brothers, good job. I’m looking forward to giving their lime-flavored beer a try, too.
Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine
- Dogfish Head Slightly Mighty
-
If you usually drink East Coast IPAs but are looking for something that isn’t 8% ABV, this is the best light beer for you. Dogfish Head didn’t slack when they decided to make a light beer. They put just as much effort into this one as they did any of their more adventurous craft brews. It’s extremely easy to drink thanks to its mild fizziness with a tasty bitter finish. Take a sniff and you’ll get those hops you’re looking for.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Corona Light
-
Corona Light is the best light beer to drink when you want to pretend you’re on vacation. It’s grassy and fresh and it tastes like a day at the beach. Yes, some of that is probably due to the brand’s extremely effective advertising (the Christmas commercial alone is proof of that), but I swear Corona Light is also just a great tasting light beer. And one of the things it definitely tastes like is weed (I can say that—I live in California where it’s legal). So if you don’t like the taste of marijuana, you should probably steer clear of Corona Light. But if you get down with the kine bud (I am so sorry, parents), then you should revisit this summertime classic.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Kona Light
-
This is by far the best light beer you can buy at grocery stores. It’s downright tropical with notes of pineapple balanced with herbaceous hops. It doesn’t taste like you’re sacrificing anything. I would choose to drink it over many non-light beers. If you come to my house (please don’t), I will offer you one of these, because I will be stocking my fridge with Kona Light for all my day drinking needs from now on.
Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine
Best Malty
Best Grassy
Best Lightly Hoppy
Best Classic Beer
Best for IPA Lovers
Best Vacation Beer
Best of the Best
Other light beers we tried: Coors Light, Blue Moon Light Sky, Bud Light Premium, Lagunitas Day Time, Miller Lite, Corona Premier, Aslan Brewing Co., Bud Light, Latty 88, Easy Rider Light American Lager, Tecate Light
