Best Light Beer: 6 Best Light Beers, Ranked

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 which light beer is the best tasting 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. For this taste test, 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. 

I sat down to 12 light beers and came out with six that I honestly believe are worth buying. Here are the six best light beers ranked from good to incredible.

Best Refreshing

Have I been drinking stale Bud Light my whole life? Because I’ve never enjoyed a can of Bud Light until trying it for this taste test. I finally get it, guys. A fresh, crisp, right-from-the-fridge Bud Light is undeniably one of the best light beers. It’s crisp. It has a touch of malty sweetness on the finish. It tastes like beer. It is refreshing as all get out. I still won’t choose to buy Bud Light, but if someone offers me an ice-cold BL, I will gladly gulp it down.

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Best Malty

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 high school 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. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Grassy

If Michelob Ultra was 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 beer.

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best for IPA Lovers

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

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Vacation Beer

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

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

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

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other light beers we tried: Coors Light, Blue Moon Light Sky, Bud Light Premium, Lagunitas Day Time, Miller Lite, Corona Premier

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