America loves beer.
Especially light beer, since it saves us a few calories.
And hey, why not?
Let’s face it – American lagers aren’t exactly the tastiest beers in the history of the world.
You’re looking for light, crisp, refreshing – the kind of beer that really hits the spot on a hot day after mowing the lawn.
And boy, does light beer deliver on that.
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So we love light beer – but which light beers do we love most?
Well, fortunately the good folks over at YouGov have given us a rigorous answer.
Every quarter they conduct surveys to get a sense of what beer brands Americans know and like.
We just got the Q1 numbers and…well, it’s fair to say they were pretty surprising!
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I was sure the #1 light beer in America would be Corona Light. (My whole family drinks it.)
Failing that, maybe Bud Light?
Or Miller Lite?
But nope – none of those.
Fortunately, I’ve put together a full list of the top 11, going by what I call “true popularity.”
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You see, it’s pretty easy to win a straight-up “who likes what beer the most” contest when you’re a big macro brew.
It’s all about name recognition! Even if relatively few people like your beer, as long as the number of people who KNOW it is enormous, you’ll win on volume.
That seems…unfair?
And not really representative of how Americans feel about beer.
So I developed a measure I call “true popularity” – which takes the percent of people who like a beer and divides it by the percent of people who know it.
This gives us unique insight into which beers are actually really popular with the people who know them…and therefore really represent America’s favorite beer…even if not all of America has discovered it yet.
So with that in mind – on to the list!
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How many Americans know it: 90%
How many Americans like it: 32%
True popularity: 36%
My notes:
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How many Americans know it: 78%
How many Americans like it: 30%
True popularity: 38%
My notes: Really? Only 78% of Americans have heard of…Natty Light? I find that hard to believe. But that less than 40% of people who knew it liked it (the true popularity score)…that I can buy.
Even in college, Natty didn’t have a great reputation. It’s only soured further as we’ve all gotten a little more disposable income.
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How many Americans know it: 77%
How many Americans like it: 30%
True popularity: 39%
My notes: Keystone Light isn’t going to be many people’s favorite light beer, but it’s a perfectly fine – if pretty tasteless – addition to the lineup. With a 4.1% ABV (in-line with your other macro light beers) and 101 calories, it’s perfectly forgettable.
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How many Americans know it: 88%
How many Americans like it: 37%
True popularity: 42%
My notes: Now’s where we start getting into beers that people don’t just tolerate (or like) but genuinely appreciate. Miller Light has always been a favorite down South where I’m from, although (until recently) it frequently played second fiddle to Bud Light. It’s not the most tasteful beer ever, but as far as light beers go? It’s one of the best in my opinion.
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How many Americans know it: 97%
How many Americans like it: 41%
True popularity: 42%
My notes: Bud Light was of course quite a bit more popular before the controversies of the last few years. For my money it’s still the best overall macro domestic light beer, although I know plenty of people will disagree with me on this. It’s just…consistent! Drinkable! Straightforward!
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How many Americans know it: 84%
How many Americans like it: 36%
True popularity: 43%
My notes: Michelob Ultra (not to be confused with #2 Michelob Light) is a lower calorie, lower carb option (it’s frequently mentioned as a semi-Keto-friendly beer, as much as any beer can be Keto-friendly)…but there’s a cost to reducing the calories and carbs: It’s pretty tasteless!
You can drink it for sure, even if you’re counting calories…but it’s not going to taste like a whole lot.
Some people are into that, I guess?
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How many Americans know it: 94%
How many Americans like it: 41%
True popularity: 44%
My notes: Another popular light beer, Coors light is served at plenty of backyard barbecues. Personally I prefer Miller or Bud Light, but the differences among them just aren’t that great in my opinion.
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How many Americans know it: 90%
How many Americans like it: 41%
True popularity: 46%
My notes: Corona Light is probably the best light beer for Summer, right? There’s something about the flavor (with a lime, of course) that just makes it perfect for a hot sunny day, preferably beachside. I always keep a 12-pack handy. (Also there’s something about the flavor you get from the glass bottles vs from an aluminum can. Hard to quantify, but it matters!)
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How many Americans know it: 89%
How many Americans like it: 41%
True popularity: 46%
My notes: I wonder if this is people getting Heineken and Heineken Light mixed up – because, back when I was a bartender, I genuinely never sold Heineken Light (but I sold plenty of Heineken). Or maybe it’s people thinking, “oh, I’d probably like Heineken Light since I like Heineken…” But regardless, it’s weird to me that so many people claim to know and like it, when I literally never served it!
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How many Americans know it: 87%
How many Americans like it: 44%
True popularity: 51%
My notes: Michelob Light is the light Michelob for people who aren’t training up for a marathon…or doing the Keto diet…or just in general want a little more body and flavor. It’s a great beer – well-known, well-liked (especially, I think, by comparison), and just genuinely an all-around solid choice any time you’re looking for that classic light American lager.
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How many Americans know it: 33%
How many Americans like it: 19%
True popularity: 58%
My notes: Saint Archer isn’t well-known…at least yet…
But a clear majority of people who have heard of it love it – and it sports by far the highest “true popularity” score – so it wins our spot as America’s favorite light beer!
Come for the slim cans and cheeky marketing, stay for the crisp and refreshing taste. It’s not my personal favorite light beer, but I can see why so many people like it – and why so many more will when they try it for the first time!
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So there you have it – America’s favorite light beer according to my “true popularity” score.
But here’s the big question – what do YOU think?
And which beer should absolutely be added to the list?
Let us know in the comments!
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