Beer / April 17, 2026

Binny's Beer Tasting Panel: American Light Lager, Who Does It Best?

Binny's tasting panel

American Light Lager – it’s grown into the most consumed beer style in the US, but it’s a relatively new creation. In 1966 Rheingold Brewery released Gablinger’s Beer which was marketed as a reduced calorie beer. Meister Brau quickly followed with Meister Brau Lite, but both saw little success. Miller Brewing Company acquired the Meister Brau Lite recipe in the 1970s, reworked it, and introduced Miller Lite in 1975. Unlike previous efforts to market light beer as a diet option with fewer calories, Miller advertising employed famous athletes and sports announcers to pitch Lite as a beer that tasted great but was less filling. The strategy was wildly successful, and the big brands have been battling ever since.

Light lager is designed to appeal to the largest audience possible, with an emphasis on achieving a light body and refreshing finish. Brewers typically achieve this in part through the use of adjuncts. Ingredients that are not one of the four original building blocks of beer (water, malted barley, hops, and yeast) are often referred to as adjuncts. Corn sugar, corn syrup, and rice are common examples of adjuncts used for their fermentable sugars. Breweries typically do not disclose how much is used in a recipe, but it can be upwards of 40% of the mash!

Over the last few years we’ve noticed an influx of smaller breweries launching light lagers. So who does it best? Should craft be playing in this space? Do “premium” examples live up to that moniker?

To find out, we compiled a list of light lagers, all made in the US by a mix of craft brewers, contract breweries, and big industry veterans. We assembled a tasting panel of Binny’s Beer Consultants and tasted the beers blind, so we could evaluate the lagers purely on the merit of the liquid, free from the influence of price or brewery reputation. We used the Beer Judge Certification Program’s parameters for context when evaluating the beers. Here are the results!

#1 - Coors Light

Coming in at #1, it’s the iconic beer from the Rockies. Clocking in at 4.2% ABV, 102 calories, and 5g carbs - Coors Light delivers a bit of barley and yeast character while remaining crisp and clean. Of note, Coors mentions using American grown Moravian barley, which alludes to the classic lagers brewed in what is now Czechia. Corn syrup (which ferments out completely) is employed to keep the body light and the finish dry. Several tasters noted a subtle apple note and a very refreshing finish.

#2 - Miller High Life Light

In second place, we have the light version of “The Champagne of Beers”, which clocks in at 4.1% ABV, 107 calories, and 6.2g carbs. Curious how these stats stack up to the original? Miller High Life is 4.6% ABV, 141 calories, and 12.2g carbs. Introduced in 1994, 91 years after the debut of Miller High Life, it’s made with a proprietary strain of Galena hops which are light stable, so you don’t have to worry about getting a skunky beer when drinking out of their iconic “Champagne” style clear glass bottles. Dextrose (corn sugar) is employed here to keep the body light, and tasters noted that High Life Light delivered a touch more malt sweetness than many of the other entries.

#3 - Busch Light

Next we have Busch Light, which tasters lauded for its remarkably clean aroma and flavor. The nose here was completely free from any of the fruity or vegetal aromas that were prominent in many other entries. Debuting as Busch Light Draft in 1989, it was shortened to simply Busch Light in 1994. It clocks in at 4.1% ABV, 95 calories, and 3.2 carbs. Interesting to note, unlike other entries which rely on corn syrup, sugar, or rice as fermentable adjuncts, Busch instead uses corn grits. Perhaps that’s the key to this popular light lager.

#4 - Yuengling Light Lager

New to the Chicago market, Yuengling Light stood out from the pack with its copper color and subtle notes of caramel malt sweetness. At 4% ABV, 99 calories, and 3.2 carbs it proves brewers can still deliver some color and character while keeping the calories and carbs very low.

#5 - Miller Light

In 5^th place we have the beer that started it all, a brew that promises to taste great, but be less filling. Celebrating it’s 50^th Anniversary in 2025, Miller Lite is brewed with the same yeast strain that Frederick Miller carried with him from Germany in the 1850s. Of note, Miller mentions it utilizes Saaz hops, the prized noble variety that’s synonymous with Czech pilsner. 4.2% ABV, 96 calories, and only 3.2g carbs - tasters enjoyed the subtle herbal hop character on the finish.