The Best Light Beer Brands, According to a Blind Test

When you crack open a can of light beer, you expect a golden hue, some bubbles and a sippable flavor that might make you want to come back for another. That beer is Coors Light.

Open a can of Coors Light and you’ll find that it’s a nice pale color with some soft malty notes and slight minerality (is it that Rocky Mountain spring water?). There’s no bitterness or sourness to this beer—just easy drinking as you unwind on a Friday evening.

Because this beer is well-balanced and light (each can has 102 calories and 5 grams of carbohydrates), you can bet that it’ll hit the spot with any guests you have at your patio party.

In our tests, our team loves to tell stories in their notes. When it came to choosing the best ice cream sandwiches, several Test Kitchen staffers made mention of school picnics and field days. With Michelob Ultra, tester after tester said that this was the beer that they’d want to cool down with after a long day mowing the lawn and weeding the garden. In the words of Ellie Crowley from our Test Kitchen, “I would like this on a hot summer day after working in the yard.”

So what makes Michelob Ultra the choice for cooling down after doing some hard work and spending time in the sun? It’s incredibly refreshing! According to Deputy Editor Rachel Seis, “This one is the lightest with a crisp feel.”

Spend a little more time with this beer and you’ll pick up some very faint malt and citrus notes, but overall just expect something clean and crisp that’ll satisfy on a warm day. And if you want to expand the selection in your fridge, know that Michelob also has a line of infused beers for folks that want a hint of something else as they sip.

Hosting a big backyard bash? You’ll want to keep your coolers full of something tasty without busting your party budget. The right beer for the job is Natural Light. Costing about $15 for a 30-pack, you can keep your fridge full and your guests happy.

So what do you get when you crack open a can of Natural Light? According to Mark Neufang in the Test Kitchen, “a very easy-going, chill beer.” This American-style lager is perfectly carbonated and crisp with some very mild grain flavors. Essentially, it’s the sort of beer you want to enjoy on the back patio while flipping burgers and shooting the breeze with your besties.

And if you have a few cans left over at the end of the day, save ’em for your next shindig or add them to these recipes that use beer.