Seeking least offensive light beer
May 24, 2010 11:14 AM   Subscribe

What's the least offensive light beer?

This is for Mr. Llama, who likes Magic Hat 9, Newcastle Brown, Belgians, Allagash White, and wants to find something lower calorie that isn't entirely sucky.

Please take it easy on any omfg light beer sucks why even bother? If it were me, I would go with eating less or skipping dessert to drink what I wanted, but that's not how he wants to roll.
posted by A Terrible Llama to Food & Drink (37 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Can you define what he finds sucky? Cause as a former beer snob Amstel is alright for taste (or lack thereof)... I'll do a bit of research.
posted by Nanukthedog at 11:18 AM on May 24, 2010


So long as your metric is not "entirely sucky" I'd have to go with Sam Adams Light and Michelob Ultra.
posted by Lame_username at 11:18 AM on May 24, 2010


I'd certainly start with Sam Adams Light, Shiner Light (if you can find it sold outside of sampler packs), or Amstel Light.
posted by mcstayinskool at 11:19 AM on May 24, 2010


Yuengling Light is decent, if you can get Yuengling where you live.
posted by spinto at 11:22 AM on May 24, 2010


I have to say that there isn't really one- all light beer is watered down and unpleasant- but if you have to, I'd go with Amstel Light.
posted by xmutex at 11:22 AM on May 24, 2010


3rding Sam Adams Light. It's not bad.
posted by Perplexity at 11:23 AM on May 24, 2010


You know, I have no shame about the fact that I like Miller High Life Lite. I also think Amstel is pretty good for a lite beer.
posted by Lutoslawski at 11:23 AM on May 24, 2010 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Can you define what he finds sucky? Cause as a former beer snob Amstel is alright for taste (or lack thereof).

Amstel is where he's at and that might be the best option; it's not horrible. Truly sucky was Miller Lite.

I think what he wants is to have the best beer drinking experience he can get while balancing against the desire to lose five pounds.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 11:24 AM on May 24, 2010


Corona Extra.
posted by jeffamaphone at 11:24 AM on May 24, 2010


Response by poster: Sorry Lutoslawski for my inadvertent diss of your beer of choice.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 11:24 AM on May 24, 2010


See also.
posted by jeffamaphone at 11:24 AM on May 24, 2010


Bud Light Golden Wheat is worth a try. It's quite refreshing, hints of citrus. Makes for a pretty good session beer if you're planning on putting a few away.
posted by IanMorr at 11:26 AM on May 24, 2010


Time to think outside the box! There are less calories in a bottle of Guinness (126 calories) than in a bottle of Budweiser (145 calories) and only a tiny bit more than in bottle of Bud Light (120 calories). You're welcome :-)
posted by furtive at 11:27 AM on May 24, 2010 [6 favorites]


2nd Amstel Light
posted by 2bucksplus at 11:30 AM on May 24, 2010


While it is not a declared light beer, Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy clocks in at 130 calories per 12 oz. glass. Though I've become quite the beer snob in the last few years, I find this variety to be particularly tasty, especially on a hot summer afternoon.
posted by grabbingsand at 11:30 AM on May 24, 2010 [1 favorite]


New Belgium Skinny Dip isn't bad.

Where do you live?
posted by box at 11:30 AM on May 24, 2010


Response by poster: Where do you live?

New England. We have access to some pretty good liquor stores near us.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 11:33 AM on May 24, 2010


Terrible Llama, you did not slam Lutoslawski's beer. Miller High Life Lite is different from Miller Lite, and I like Miller High Life better than Miller Lite, though I have not tried High Life Lite.
posted by Jorus at 11:35 AM on May 24, 2010


Seconding Guinnes Draft at 126 calories per 12 oz it's way better than any light beer. And it's good for you.
posted by halogen at 11:58 AM on May 24, 2010 [1 favorite]


I second Yuengling Light. Someone brought it to my house last week by accident, but everyone liked it.
posted by oreofuchi at 11:59 AM on May 24, 2010


I see Guinness has been mentioned. It really is the best light beer for people who don't like to drink beer-flavored water (like Michelob Ultra).
posted by nestor_makhno at 12:02 PM on May 24, 2010


I take the position that the calorie difference between light and regular beer is negligible – maybe 75-100 calories per 12 oz. bottle. But the taste difference is wider than that gulf. When you consider a handful of peanuts is almost 200 calories; a handful of potato chips almost 200 calories; 14 peanut m&ms over 200 calories ... well ... the answer is clear. One less dip into the peanut bowl – one less – lets Mr. L enjoy the good stuff.
posted by lpsguy at 12:13 PM on May 24, 2010


What lpsguy said. Stick with good beer and eat less food.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 12:19 PM on May 24, 2010


2nd Bud Light Golden Wheat...give it a try.
posted by doorsfan at 12:19 PM on May 24, 2010


I don't know if it's really made it to the East Coast yet, but my go to light beer (as in color, not necessarily calories, since I'm of the eat less, drink more camp) is Session Lager from Full Sail. It comes in at 130 calories per 11 ounce (awesome stubby) bottle, so it's in the lower calorie beer spectrum for sure. I tend to drink about 400 in a sitting, though, so that probably outweighs the lower calories, eh? YMMV.
posted by maniactown at 12:27 PM on May 24, 2010 [1 favorite]


As several people have pointed out regarding Guinness, stouts and porters are lower calorie due to lower alcohol content and the fact that much of the sugar has been caramelized in the malt-toasting process. Add in the fact that with more flavor you may not want to drink as much, and dark beers start looking like the best way to still enjoy beer while limiting caloric intake.
posted by Aizkolari at 12:36 PM on May 24, 2010 [1 favorite]


Beck's Light isn't horrible.
posted by spirit72 at 12:52 PM on May 24, 2010


thirding Yuengling Light
nthing Guinness
posted by azarbayejani at 1:00 PM on May 24, 2010


Abita Light! Only 119 calories!

What? I'm from Louisiana!
posted by Night_owl at 1:20 PM on May 24, 2010


Another vote for Sam Adams Light. It has become my "summer's looming and I need to drop some pounds" beer.
posted by notjustfoxybrown at 1:38 PM on May 24, 2010


Sorry Lutoslawski for my inadvertent diss of your beer of choice

It's cool. Besides, you said Miller Light - which is a distinctly different beer (and a much, much worse one) then Miller High Life Light.
posted by Lutoslawski at 3:07 PM on May 24, 2010


Response by poster: One less dip into the peanut bowl – one less – lets Mr. L enjoy the good stuff.

Problem is the margin for error is small. He's close to the weight he wants to be and is careful about what he eats, so he's not dipping into the peanut bowl; he's not a mindless eater and has really skimmed calories everywhere else, so he's already really frugal with calories--he's looking at the loose change, trying to see what more he can do.

I think he wants to get the weight loss over as quickly as possible. He lost ten pounds already, he's just looking to finish up and doesn't want to have to watch me drink Dogfish 60's while he's contending with the world of Miller Lite.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 3:39 PM on May 24, 2010


My wife drinks Miller 64 (as in 64 calories) while I drink Dogfish 60. She's not happy about it, but they are about 4.5 times the calories.

I've had a couple of her beers and they are tolerable. For me, once you reach a certain threshold of shittiness in beer, it doesn't really matter.
posted by exogenous at 3:57 PM on May 24, 2010


I was going to say Skinny Dip as well.
posted by grapesaresour at 4:04 PM on May 24, 2010


The beer snobs I've talked to agree almost universally that Amstel Light is the best of a bad bunch.

However, Jena!!! doesn't like Amstel Light at all and very much prefers Beck's Premier Light. For whatever it's worth, the beers she usually prefers are crisp, mild Asian lagers (another favorite is Sapporo), but she also likes some ales and IPAs, like Newcastle Brown and Belhaven's Twisted Thistle IPA.
posted by infinitywaltz at 4:06 PM on May 24, 2010


I'm here to agree with the others that have said Sam Adams Light.
posted by puritycontrol at 6:46 PM on May 24, 2010


Bud Light Golden Wheat was a pleasant surprise. It will be especially refreshing as the weather warms up.
posted by mmascolino at 8:40 PM on May 24, 2010


« Older Do I write back?   |   Has Your Therapist Fallen Asleep during your... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.