A Taste Test of Cheap Lagers Nearly Divided the Office — but One Beer United Us

For generations of Americans, lagers were synonymous with beer. Major brands like Coors, Budweiser, Busch, and Miller built empires based on easy-drinking, adjunct-packed lagers (those that include additional non-malt fermentable ingredients such as corn, rice, or wheat for clarity or taste). And though the modern era has brought us the resurgence of IPAs, doppelbocks, Belgian-style ales, and so on, most of the best-selling beers in the world are still macrobrewed lagers.

Beer fans tend to stick to a favorite brand — it’s rare to hear someone who usually drinks Budweiser say, “I think I’m actually in the mood for a PBR tonight instead.” But with so much similarity between mass-market brews, can most people really pick their favorite lager out of a lineup?

A (mostly) friendly argument between editors about Miller High Life versus Coors Banquet had us put this to the test, bringing together a panel to taste 20 top-selling North American lagers, to see which would truly be crowned best. Each were evaluated sight unseen via Solo cups — for authenticity — then rated on a scale of 1 to 5 for flavor, finish, and overall enjoyability.

Here are the winners for best mass-market North American lager, with the full ranking listed below.

Best overall

Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn Lager

Brooklyn Brewery’s flagship, Vienna-style amber lager handily beat out most of the competition. “Definitely the most flavorful of the bunch,” said one editor. Malty, toasted notes pair with a dry-hop finish, creating a beer that’s crisp and refreshing — it’s great for almost any occasion. ($12 for a 6-pack)

Best old-school craft beer

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

Created by Boston Beer Company in the mid-1980s, Samuel Adams proves its craft credentials are as strong as ever, and was the only beer to come close to rivaling Brooklyn Brewery for the top spot. This German-style amber lager is pleasantly bitter with a touch of sweetness via malted barley and no adjuncts or additives. Or, as one reviewer summed up, “This tastes like real beer.” ($13 for a 6-pack)

Best Mexican lager

Modelo Especial

Modelo Especial is an icon of Mexican brewing, and for good reason. Among the Mexican beers we tasted, this pale yellow, Pilsner-style lager had the most robust profile, remaining fresh and light-bodied with a slightly longer, bitter finish. “This tastes like the 1980s in the best way,” said one of our editors. ($12 for a 6-pack)

Best for dive bars

Narragansett Lager

Hi, neighbor! ’Gansett, brewed in Rhode Island, is the cheap beer of legends. An American adjunct lager that’s well balanced with a bready finish, its ubiquitous 16-ounce cans mean you’ll get more bang for your buck, and the relatively low cost of kegs has made it a mainstay of happy hour lists across the country. ($9 for a 6-pack)

Best American classic

Coors Banquet

Of all the classic U.S.-brewed golden lagers, Coors Banquet remains a fan favorite. Thanks to the producer’s signature yeast strain and cold fermentation process, this beer has a smooth, relatively malt-forward profile with subtle but noticeable hints of banana — the perfect blend of everything you could want in a beer. ($9 for a 6-pack)

Best for the beach

Corona Extra

Corona offers a slightly hoppier profile with subtle citrus and green-apple notes, only improved with a squeeze of lime. Falling somewhere between the heavier body of traditional European-style lagers and the too-light offerings of many U.S. producers, Corona Extra has made a name for itself by being exactly what you’d want to drink on a hot day. ($10 for a 6-pack)

Best light beer

Miller Lite

Even though none of our editors named Miller Liter as their preferred choice in our pre-tasting poll, America’s “original lite beer” earned the highest score of all light beers sampled. Hop and malt notes are subtle, traded in favor of smoothness, drinkability, and a low calorie count. But Miller Lite offers a pleasant structure, effervescence, and unusually strong head retention that stands out in a beer category that can often come across as bland and watery. “Refreshing and well-balanced,” said one tester. “I could chug this all day.” ($10 for a 6-pack)

The full list of contenders, from highest to lowest ranked

1. Brooklyn Lager
2. Sam Adams Boston Lager
3. Modelo Especial
4. Narragansett
5. Coors Banquet
6. Corona Extra
7. Miller Lite
8. Pabst Blue Ribbon
9. Bud Lite
10. Miller High Life
11. Pacifico
12. Coors Lite
13. Tecate
14. Natural Light
15. Yuengling
16. Busch Light
17. Red Stripe
18. Budweiser
19. Rolling Rock
20. Michelob Ultra