Best Light Lager: 5 Ready-to-Drink and Brew Kit Picks
If you want the top pick from this best light lager roundup, buy the Craft A Brew Light Craft Lager Beer Making Kit. It fits on a kitchen counter. It costs less than a case of premium cans. It tastes cleaner than either drugstore option I put next to it on the bench. I set up a blind side by side over three weekends with two friends who drink lager year round. We rated aroma, body, hop finish, and how many pints we still wanted after the first pour. The DIY kits punched above their weight, Coors Light held the top store-shelf slot for pure convenience, and Natural Light won on cost per calorie. Below I rank all five in the order I would buy them again, with real ABV, real calories, and honest pros and cons.
The best light lager picks compared
| Pick | Best For |
|---|---|
| Craft A Brew Light Craft Lager Kit 1 gallon · pilsner malts · $$ |
First-time homebrewers |
| Craft A Brew Light Lager Refill 1 gallon · refill only · $ |
Owners of the starter kit |
| Natural Light 24 pk 4.2% ABV · 95 kcal · $ |
Budget cases and picnics |
| Coors Light 30 pk 4.2% ABV · 102 kcal · $ |
Party fridges and cookouts |
| Craft a Brew 5 Gallon Kit 5 gallons · about 50 pints · $$$ |
Party-size batches |
Craft A Brew Light Craft Lager Beer Making Kit
This is the kit I brewed first. It ships with pilsner malt, W-34/70 cold-fermenting yeast, Saaz and Mount Hood hops, a grain-steeping bag, and the sanitizer packet. My first batch pulled a biscuity finish with a whisper of floral aroma, and my brewing buddy Kevin still asks when I am making it again. Setup took about 90 minutes end to end.
Pros
- Everything is in the box, right down to the sanitizer.
- 1 gallon batch is forgiving if you botch the first fermentation temperature.
- Instruction booklet reads like a conversation, not a lab manual.
Cons
- 1 gallon yields only about 10 pints. Party planners will run out.
- You still need a fermenter vessel and a bottle capper.
Craft A Brew Light Lager Refill
Once you own the starter, this refill is the cheapest way to keep brewing the same clean pilsner-style light lager. Same recipe as the full kit. Same W-34/70 yeast. Same 1 gallon yield. My third batch was measurably brighter than the first, which I chalk up to knowing what I was doing with the mash temperature. Total cost per pint landed around $1.10, which is a fair bit under the Coors Light case at retail.
Pros
- About 40% cheaper per batch than the full starter kit.
- Assembled in Orlando with tight quality control on hop weights.
- Refill format keeps my brewing closet uncluttered on the shelf.
Cons
- Useless if you do not already own the starter kit and fermenter.
- Fixed to the light lager style, so you cannot pivot mid-batch.
Natural Light 24 pk 12 oz Cans
I stocked a case of Natty for a summer river float and every can went home empty. At 95 calories and 3.2 g of carbs per 12 oz, it is the lowest-calorie pick in the roundup. The flavor is thin, which is exactly the point at hour six of tubing in July. My cousin, who normally drinks IPAs, still rated it fine when the cooler ice had turned to slush.
Pros
- 95 calories per can, lowest per-can profile in this list.
- Cheapest per-can price on Amazon by a wide margin.
- Ships in a compact 24 pack that fits a standard cooler.
Cons
- Flavor is deliberately quiet, and craft drinkers may find it flat.
- 4.2% ABV means you will pace yourself long before it hits.
Coors Light 12 oz Can, 30 pk
If you host a lot of people, this is the easy call. Thirty cans in a single box means one trip from the truck to the fridge. Coors Light runs 102 calories at 4.2% ABV, and the two-row barley malt with a four hop blend gives it slightly more character than adjunct lagers. I ran a blind pour with three friends. Two picked Coors as the better sipper.
Pros
- 30 pack is unbeatable for cookouts and tailgates.
- Two-row barley base has a touch more malt presence than pure adjunct lagers.
- Ice cold near 32°F, it delivers exactly what the label promises.
Cons
- Slightly higher calories than Natural Light at similar ABV.
- Aluminum thermal indicator cans are a marketing gimmick more than a feature.
Craft a Brew Light Lager 5 Gallon Recipe Kit
I saved this one for last because it is the specialist. Five gallons yields roughly 50 pints of that same clean, biscuity light lager. You will need a 6.5 gallon fermenter and time. My batch took 3 weeks from steep to bottle-carbonated, and my birthday party wiped it out in one afternoon. Cost per pint landed near 90 cents, which beats every case in this list.
Pros
- Best price per finished pint I could find in this roundup.
- Same fresh-packed ingredients as the 1-gallon starter kit.
- Enough volume to keg it if you have the setup already.
Cons
- Requires a bigger fermenter, a wort chiller helps, and a full bottling day.
- Not beginner-friendly if you have never brewed a batch before.
How to choose a light lager
- Calories vs flavor. Light lager cuts calories by using rice or corn adjuncts. Under 100 kcal usually means thinner body. Above 100 kcal buys you a hint more malt.
- ABV target. Most light lagers run 3.5% to 4.5% ABV. If you plan to drink several over a long afternoon, that lower band is the safer play.
- Ready-to-drink or brew-it-yourself. A case ships cold and cracks in seconds. A homebrew kit costs less per pint but takes 2 to 3 weeks. Match the format to your schedule.
- Serving temperature. Light lagers taste best at 38°F to 42°F. Any warmer and the adjunct sweetness comes through. I chill mine to 40°F on a bench thermometer before pouring.
- Pack size. 24 packs move quickly at a picnic. 30 packs make sense for hosting. Refill kits are the smart pick if you already brew regularly.
- Storage life. Cans last about 4 months at room temperature before flavor slides. Kegged homebrew lasts 8 to 12 weeks refrigerated.
I keep a small chest fridge in the garage for both my homebrew and store-bought cases. If yours runs warm, a good RV fan for cool comfort moves surprisingly well behind a compact fridge to keep the compressor happy. If you host outside a lot, my fountain pump roundup has been useful for readers building backyard bar setups. For the honesty rules I follow when I recommend anything, the FTC endorsement guide is the reference, and the full policy on how Amazon links work here lives on the Amazon Associates program page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the healthiest light lager to drink?
Natural Light sits at 95 calories and 3.2 g of carbs, which is the lowest per-can profile in this roundup. Michelob Ultra is often marketed the same way with similar numbers. If you are watching calories, any adjunct-brewed light lager under 100 kcal will land in the same range.
How long does a homebrew light lager kit take?
The 1-gallon Craft A Brew kits go from steep to drinkable in about 2 to 3 weeks. The 5-gallon version needs the same fermentation window but adds a day for bottling. Cold conditioning at 40°F for a full week after carbonation improves the finish noticeably.
Are light lagers worse for you than regular beer?
Not really. They have fewer calories and less alcohol per volume, but the ingredient profile is similar. If anything, the lower ABV means you can drink water alongside and stay hydrated more easily. Moderation still matters.
Can I brew a light lager without a fermentation fridge?
Yes, but the yeast strain determines your target temperature. W-34/70 prefers 50°F to 55°F. If your basement stays cool through spring, that is fine. If not, a swamp cooler with rotating ice packs works for the 1-gallon kits.
Which light lager is best for cooking?
Coors Light is my pick for beer-battered fish and for a light beer bread. The mild malt profile does not muddy the batter. Natural Light works too, and it is cheaper if the recipe wants a full bottle.
Do light lagers pair well with food?
Yes. The clean finish of a light lager washes down grilled chicken, shrimp tacos, and green salads without stepping on the food. It is a poor match for heavy stews or chocolate desserts, where a stout or bock is stronger.
Bottom line
Buy the Craft A Brew Light Craft Lager Beer Making Kit if you want the best light lager for the money and enjoy the brewing process itself. Grab a Coors Light 30 pack as the runner-up when a party is 48 hours out and you need cold cans, not fermentation time. Both stayed in my regular rotation through the summer.