14 Craft Light Beers That Are Bartender Approved

Light beers are known for having fewer calories or a lower ABV, or sometimes both. As such, they are just what the doctor ordered when you want a drinkable brew that won't weigh you down or bowl you over with a high alcohol content. When this is in order, opting for a craft version (those typically made by smaller breweries using higher-quality ingredients), instead of something mainstream like Coors Light, pays off in spades regarding flavor, quality, and uniqueness. As it turns out, you don't have to sacrifice flavor to get a tasty light beer. You just have to know where to look.

To uncover some of the best craft light beers available on the market today, I checked in with several bartenders from across the country: Bridget Fahey, bartender and owner of The Wander Bar (a mobile event bartending service); Curtis McMillan, a bartender and the creative director at The Down Low in Woburn, Massachusetts; and Alex Howard, the co-owner and bar manager of Martha My Dear in Nashville, Tennessee. I also got expert insights from Mike Buckley and Lou Castro (lead bartenders at The Bend in Miami) and Robert Lang (the bar manager of Mama Tried in Miami). As Buckley and Castro told me, "a great light beer isn't just about having fewer calories or a lower ABV — it's about making you want another one before you've even finished the first." So, if you ever come across any of the craft ones listed below, you can rest assured they make fantastic choices.

The first craft light beer up for your consideration is Far Star by Half Acre, a brewery in Chicago, Illinois. According to our esteemed expert, Bridget Fahey, it makes an ideal pick for anyone craving a light winter lager. As she put it: "With a 5.2% ABV, Far Star features classic winter flavor notes like honey and citrus peel, which are combined with toasted grains and earthy hops for a deliciously crisp flavor perfect for cold weather." Umm, yes, please.

Half Acre also advertises Far Star as a wonderful pick for the Autumn and Winter months. It boasts that the brew provides some reprieve from the indulgent parties and meals that come along with the holiday season. Considering light lagers are typically thought of as a summertime brew, it seems like the brewers of Far Star are truly on to something here. I mean, who doesn't want to stand out from the crowd? In a good way, of course. Also, I don't know about you, but I'm ready to grab a hat and scarf and give it a try.

Moving over to the East Coast, you find Narragansett Brewing Company in Providence, Rhode Island. A long-standing brewery with lots of brand recognition (despite being from the smallest state in the nation), its Narragansett Atlantic Light Lager, commonly referred to simply as Narragansett Light, is another top recommendation for anyone looking for a beer that's both low in ABV and calories. In fact, two of the experts I consulted highlighted it as a fantastic pick. Before we get to that, though, you should know it has a 3.5% ABV and, according to the brewery, has a similar calorie count to an average domestic light brew. Nice.

Curtis McMillan was the first bartender to highlight Narragansett Light. As he told me, "they took a dead brand, breathed life back into her, and put her ass to work." He also noted that while it may be a favorite of hipsters, it is also "the pride of the Ocean State." Our expert Robert Lang also has a thing for Narragansett Light, calling it "the northeastern brother to Old Style and PBR," and naming it as one of his favorites. He admits that some beer aficionados would steer clear of it, but according to him, it is "another crisp light lager that pairs well with a shot of whiskey." Perfectly drinkable and light to the max, it's one to keep an eye out for.

Bell's Light Hearted IPA, from Kalamazoo, Michigan, is another fantastic light beer that boasts a ton of complex flavor. Thanks to it being an IPA, it delivers lots of hoppy pine and citrus notes to draw you in. Unlike your average IPA, it also manages to deliver a low 4% ABV and only 110 calories per can. I'm listening.

Details aside, our expert Alex Howard stands behind Bell's Light Hearted IPA as a fantastic light beer. As he told me, "If someone wants the hop character of an IPA without the weight or high ABV, this is always my recommendation. It's bright and sessionable while still retaining a distinct IPA bitterness." Consider it proof that IPAs don't have to be excessively strong and heavy. Who'd have thought? In addition, if you ever find yourself near Bell's, make sure to stop in and check it out. It offers one of the best brewery tours in the country, and missing out would be a total shame.

Next up is another craft light lager, Night Shift's Nite Lite. An American-style lager from Massachusetts, it boasts a low 4.3% ABV and only contains 120 calories per can, making it nothing if not crushable. In addition, our expert Curtis McMillan believes it "elevates the mass-market light lager through craft precision." As a result, he said, you get a brew that is "unfiltered, crisp, and brewed with genuine, premium ingredients."

Night Shift Nite Lite's tasting notes include hints of fresh bread, biscuits, and citrus, which further exemplify its overall crispness. To top it off, it is also devoid of preservatives, corn syrup, and artificial flavors, so it may be beer, but it's got health-conscious goals, for sure. There's no denying that the fun label featuring an old-school peg light board design is intriguing as well. I know you aren't supposed to make drink purchases based on the label. Still, just in case that tickles your fancy (cough, cough, raises hand), Nite Lite won't let you down in that regard, either.

Originally from Austria but now brewed in California, Trumer Pils is an award-winning pilsner. Pilsners are a type of lager, but they have a few distinct traits that shine through in this particular recipe.

According to our expert Bridget Fahey, Trumer Pils is "one of the more unique light brands out there." Why? Well, she told me: "Trumer Pils follows German Purity Law and therefore only uses hops from Austria and Germany, as well as pure water and a proprietary yeast strain. This leads to a standout golden appearance and distinct carbonation." The company claims they've been using the same standards for 400 years as well. Cool, huh?

As for the ABV, Trumer Pils sits at 4.9%, and that's another reason Fahey recommended it. She also encourages pairing it with sushi and other types of seafood dishes. Regardless of how you choose to enjoy it, though, this is one craft brew that shouldn't be challenging to track down.

Over at 3 Sons Brewing Co. in Dania Beach, Florida, the motto is, "Unconventional brews for unconventional palates." With this in mind, if you are looking for something out of the ordinary, the brand's Lite Crispy Bois American Lager has you covered. Every batch is handcrafted, and locally sourced ingredients are a priority at the brewery, so it truly delivers a taste of the local culture.

Our experts, Mike Buckley and Lou Castro, said 3 Sons Lite Crispy Bois American Lager is what they recommend to anyone who comes into the bar and says something along the lines of, "I usually drink Miller Lite." We all know someone like that, but Lite Crispy Bois will do you one better. According to Buckley and Castro, "It has that familiar crisp, easy-drinking profile but with a little more personality and a cleaner finish. Think of Miller Lite after it got into craft beer, started roasting its own coffee, and bought a fedora." All that and a low 4.2% ABV? Sign me up.

IPA lovers rejoice! Our experts came through with another light craft option in the style of beer, Harpoon's Rec. League Low-Cal Hazy IPA, and it is unique enough to pique just about anyone's interest — light beer enthusiast or not. Although the low, 120 calorie-count per can and 4% ABV sure don't hurt, either.

Harpoon Rec. League Low-Cal Hazy IPA stands out for more reasons than one, and our expert Bridget Fahey was more than happy to point them out. For starters, she told me that the brew features an interesting lineup of ingredients, including "buckwheat kasha, Mediterranean sea salt, and chia seeds." In addition, "notes of grapefruit, papaya, and mango create a clean and highly drinkable finish," said Fahey. Pair that with the low ABV and calorie count, and you've got a beer worth seeking out. Lucky you, Harpoon has breweries and tasting rooms in both Boston, Massachusetts, and Windsor, Vermont, so your potential to be near one of them is more likely than with many other small craft breweries.

Mast Landing Champ Lager is another New England craft brew that more than fits the bill of a tasty light beer. It hails from Maine, as so many tasty craft brews do, and has a 5% ABV. It made our list thanks to expert bartender Curtis McMillan, who had this to say about it: "Ohhhh Mast Landing. The vintage label is the only thing about this beer that's vintage. It's crisp and clean and awesome like all the beer at ML." He also said it is "easily one of the best lagers in the state."

As someone who has been to Mast Landing myself, I can attest to the greatness of the Champ Lager. FYI: I have 10 years of bartending experience under my belt as well, so I'm no stranger to the world of craft brews. Regardless, the time I spent at the taproom in Freeport, Maine (there are two), was thoroughly enjoyable due to the high quality of beer the brewery creates. Interestingly enough, Champ Lager was my favorite, too.

Allagash Brewing Company is another beer producer in Maine that is held in high regard by many, myself included. While Allagash White is arguably their most popular brew, if you are looking for something a bit lighter, which, obviously, you are, the brand's River Trip Pale Ale has your back. It features a 4.8% ABV and flavor for days, so it easily blows mass-produced light beers out of the water (pun intended).

As our expert Bridget Fahey told me, "The perfect craft light beer for a summer of sitting out in the sun is Allagash's River Trip." She likes this pale ale in particular because it "features bright notes of melon and citrus due to its key ingredients, which include coriander and dry hops." As she puts it, "River Trip is an easy-to-drink beer for a long day." I can hear the outdoors calling already. However, if you ever find yourself in the Portland, Maine area, I urge you to check out Allagash's brewery and tasting room. It's got excellent vibes, and you are sure to learn a ton. Ask me how I know.

Expert bartenders Mike Buckley and Lou Castro of The Bend are back on our list with another Florida light craft brew recommendation: Ravenous Pig Gatsu Gatsu Rice Lager. Coming to us from the Winter Park area, it provides drinkers with a fresh taste and a low 3.7% ABV that goes down unbelievably smooth. While flavorful, it's also demure enough to take a back seat to food, so it won't overpower a meal, either.

As Castro and Buckley told me, the Ravenous Pig Gatsu Gatsu Rice Lager is dangerously crushable. The lower ABV keeps it sessionable, while the clean malt profile and crisp finish make it one of our favorite beers to pair with sushi, ramen, dumplings, or anything fried." Interestingly enough, the brew was actually developed specifically for Tori Tori and Domu restaurants, so yeah. Japanese flavor pairings are a no-brainer. Our experts also went on to say, "Of course, there's nothing wrong with pairing it with a shot of Jameson either — that's bartender science." They jest, but I wholeheartedly concur. Just saying.

"If you're looking for a hop-forward IPA that is bold and aromatic, look no further than the DayTime IPA by Lagunitas," says Bridget Fahey, one of our seasoned bartending vets. It is a session-style IPA with a low 4% ABV and only 98 calories and 3 carbohydrates per can. As the website proudly proclaims, that's "less carbs than a banana and easier to peel." Consider me intrigued.

Stats aside, according to Fahey, Lagunitas DayTime IPA's "dryness and high carbonation lead to a refreshing flavor that isn't as heavy as typical IPAs." For those of us who haven't yet developed the taste for super hoppy beers bearing the style's name, it might have what it takes to make you a fan. In addition, Lagunitas DayTime IPA is fairly easy to find, so you won't have to search far and wide to snag some of your own. Just make sure not to hold on to these babies for too long if you stock up. As it turns out, the best-by date truly does matter with IPAs, and you obviously want to enjoy them when they are at their absolute best.

With four locations in Florida, Ology Brewing Co. is another craft beer producer that knows its stuff, especially when it comes to its Spa Goggles Sour Gose-Style Ale. Recommended to me by the dynamic duo at The Bend, Mike Buckley and Lou Castro, it boasts tons of bright citrus and cooling flavors (thanks to cucumber), making it a delicious pick for hot summer days. It is from Florida, after all. Plus, it is the only sour gose-style ale to make our list, so it offers something none of the other suggested brews do in terms of flavor. Yum.

Buckley and Castro told me, "When Florida feels like you're walking across the surface of the sun, this is the beer I reach for. It drinks like a refreshing lime-and-cucumber chelada without being overly sweet or gimmicky," and that's not the easiest feat when it comes to infusing such bold flavor elements into a beer. They went on to say, "Add a Tajín rim, and you've got one of the most refreshing craft beers you'll pour all summer. It's niche, but once someone tries it, they usually order another." Now if I could just get my hands on one... Guess I'll have to make a trip down South. Also, suffice it to say that I'm jealous if you are already within range.

When I asked expert bartender Robert Lang which craft light beers he approves of, he raved about Tripping Animals No Mames Lager. Hailing from Florida, he told me that it is "another beer held in high regard by locals." The brewery itself "lies in the center of Doral, which is an affluent Hispanic-dominant community, something that doesn't necessarily exist in the majority of the United States," said Lang. This gives it a bit of cultural edge.

Lang went on to tell me, "Tripping Animals Brewery is a personal favorite mainly because I grew up 10 minutes down the road from their brewery. Also, I remember chopping it up with one of the original owners before they had the brew room open during a drunken night at the Abbey on South Beach." Regardless, the No Mames Lager is smooth, dry, and subtly sweet and floral, making it a top-notch pick. He also noted that the rest of the brewery's beers won't disappoint, either. So much so that he said, "They can compete with the best breweries in the world." That's quite the endorsement. Even so, No Mames Lager has the highest ABV on our list, 6%, to be exact. So, you might want to keep that in mind if a lower alcohol content is a top priority of yours.

The last craft light brew to grace our list is Wiseacre Brewing Co.'s Tiny Bomb American Pilsner. It has a low 4.5% ABV, and as our expert bartender Alex Howard told me, it "is one of the best examples of a beer that's easy to drink without being boring. It has just enough malty cereal notes to keep things interesting while still remaining crispy," just like a quality pilsner should be. As someone who's sampled it quite a few times in the past, I couldn't agree with Howard's assessment more.

Howard also noted that Wiseacre's Tiny Bomb American Pilsner is "extremely popular in Nashville, being brewed 'locally' in Tennessee (by way of Memphis)." So, if you want some Southern charm and flavor all rolled into one clean and refreshing beer, it could be just what you need to knock out a craving for a deliciously light craft brew. Considering both Howard's and my ringing endorsement, and the fact that Wiseacre has four taprooms in the Nashville area, you have no excuse not to visit the next time you are within striking distance of the city.