The worst beers in the world, according to Beer Advocate
The worst beers in the world, according to Beer Advocate
It's no surprise that Americans love their beer.
In 2023, the U.S. beer market totaled $117 billion, up slightly from $115 billion in 2022. That increase is thanks to one type of beer in particular: craft beers. Sales of craft beer increased 3% year over year to $28.9 billion, now accounting for about a quarter of the total market.
Meanwhile, overall U.S. beer production and imports were down 5%. There are many factors that could be causing that shift, including younger generations choosing to not consume alcohol, the increasing popularity of hard seltzers and beer alternatives, and one of America's biggest beer brands getting caught up in a major political controversy.
In a struggling market filled with thousands of worthwhile contenders, beer loyalists can be picky about their preferences. Beer Advocate allows users to rank and leave comments on any beer commercially available, and critics who pick up on watery taste and over-carbonation do not mince words.
Ironically, many of the worst-ranked beers are also the most bought nationwide, including Corona Extra and Bud Light. This could be because American drinking culture uniquely prizes low-quality, light-bodied beer that can be drunk quickly in large quantities. America has a more dysfunctional drinking culture than most other countries. The fraternity system and massive sporting events (not to mention tailgates) are just two examples of cultural staples that eschew other countries' fondness for moderation and pacing when drinking.
But as the recent craft beer sales indicate, tastes do appear to be changing. Over the past decade, regional breweries have stolen a more significant portion of national annual beer sales from global giants. In 2010, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Molson Coors (formerly MillerCoors), two of the largest beer companies in the world, comprised roughly 77% of total beer sales in the U.S. In 2020, that share was less than 60%. As tastes become more refined, average beer prices are increasing as well, reflecting consumer demand for a higher-quality product.
So which beers are Americans "hate-drinking?" Stacker compiled a list of the worst-rated beers in the world, using ratings from Beer Advocate as of May 2024. This list was created by choosing those with the worst rank among beers with more than 100 ratings. To diversify the beers' origins, Stacker selected a maximum of five beers per brewery for ranking.
#25. Heineken Premium Light Lager
- Average rating: 2.38 (1,062 votes)
- Type: Light Lager
- ABV: 3.3%
- Brewery: Heineken Nederland B.V.
- Location: Netherlands
Heineken's Premium Light Lager was introduced in a limited number of states in 2005 before being released nationwide the following year. The beer's primary draw is that it has just 90 calories, but many consumers think this comes at the cost of taste, with some reviews calling the offering watery and flavorless.
#24. Corona Extra
- Average rating: 2.37 (5,636 votes)
- Type: American Adjunct Lager
- ABV: 4.6%
- Brewery: Grupo Modelo S.A. de C.V.
- Location: Mexico
Corona Extra is the most popular of Corona's beers and has ranked as one of the top-selling imported beers in the U.S. since 1998. Advertised as a light, fruity lager, some customers think it ultimately tastes too bland.
#23. Kirin Light Beer
- Average rating: 2.3 (229 votes)
- Type: Light Lager
- ABV: 3.2%
- Brewery: Kirin Brewery Company, Limited
- Location: Japan
Kirin Brewery produces Japan's two most popular beers, Kirin Lager and Ichiban Shibori. The brand also brews in Australia, Europe, and North America. Kirin Light, though appreciated for having 95 calories, is also disliked for its overly mild taste.
#22. Tecate Light
- Average rating: 2.31 (347 votes)
- Type: Light Lager
- ABV: 3.9%
- Brewery: Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma, S.A. de C.V.
- Location: Mexico
Tecate Light is the less calorie-dense version of its namesake, brewed to achieve a citrus taste. Many drinkers note a distinct (and distasteful) corn syrup flavor in the drink.
#21. Old Milwaukee
- Average rating: 2.16 (100 votes)
- Type: American Adjunct Lager
- ABV: 5.0%
- Brewery: Sleeman Breweries Ltd.
- Location: Wisconsin, United States
Old Milwaukee's lightness and heavy carbonation have some critics. Nevertheless, it won medals at the Great American Beer Festival six times since 1997.
#20. Colt 45 Malt Liquor
- Average rating: 2.29 (996 votes)
- Type: Malt Liquor
- ABV: 5.6%
- Brewery: Pabst Brewing Company
- Location: Texas, United States
Colt 45 generally turns off drinkers with its overpowering booziness. A beer modeled to imitate malt liquor is unorthodox enough to require a star-studded PR campaign to encourage consumption: various celebrities have promoted the drink, most recently Snoop Dogg.
#19. St. Ides High Gravity Malt Liquor
- Average rating: 2.23 (220 votes)
- Type: Malt Liquor
- ABV: 8.2%
- Brewery: Saint Ides Brewing Company
- Location: Texas, United States
St. Ides is notable for having an alcohol content higher than malt liquor. What it lacks in flavor balance, it makes up for in pop culture lore. The beer has been endorsed by a slew of famous rappers including the Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac, Ice Cube, Wu-Tang Clan, Dr. Dre, and Eminem.
#18. Labatt Blue Light
- Average rating: 2.28 (715 votes)
- Type: Light Lager
- ABV: 4.0%
- Brewery: Labatt Brewing Company Ltd.
- Location: Ontario, Canada
Labatt Blue has been a dependable choice for Canadians looking for a light beer that can be consumed quickly en masse. Though this variation was created in 1983, the brewery itself has existed in its earliest form since 1847.
#17. Stroh's Light
- Average rating: 2.11 (102 votes)
- Type: Light Lager
- ABV: 3.8%
- Brewery: Pabst Brewing Company
- Location: Texas, United States
Stroh's originally hails from Detroit and it has its fans, but the beer still ranks pretty poorly on Beer Advocate, barely evading this list with a 2.64 rating. However, the light version fared worse, with one reviewer saying the beer has a "nearly unbearable body."
#16. Lucky Lager
- Average rating: 2.09 (122 votes)
- Type: American Adjunct Lager
- ABV: 5.0%
- Brewery: Labatt Brewing Company Ltd.
- Location: Ontario, Canada
This 90-year-old offering was popular in the 1950s and 1960s, but has since fallen out of favor in the States and Canada, where it's now made. Many have commented that it's watery and one reviewer on Beer Advocate called it "real straw yellow sadness."
#15. Coors Light
- Average rating: 2.06 (5,750 votes)
- Type: Light Lager
- ABV: 4.2%
- Brewery: Coors Brewing Company (Molson-Coors)
- Location: Colorado, United States
It's not just a watery taste and overly carbonated texture that has gained Coors Light pushback. In 2013, the brand was called out by the Federal Trade Commission for allegedly misleading consumers into thinking that it had achieved a scientific guarantee of freshness with slogans including "the world's most refreshing can" and "beer on the inside, science on the outside."
#14. Red Dog
- Average rating: 2.04 (803 votes)
- Type: American Adjunct Lager
- ABV: 4.8%
- Brewery: Miller Brewing Co.
- Location: Wisconsin, United States
Red Dog beer had its peak of popularity just before the 2000s and it is hard to find in stores today. But its manufacturer, the Miller Brewing Company, remains one of America's most significant breweries, in operation since 1855, and influential in the development of light beer.
#13. Keystone Lager
- Average rating: 1.9 (148 votes)
- Type: American Adjunct Lager
- ABV: 4.9%
- Brewery: Molson Coors Canada
- Location: Ontario, Canada
Keystone Lager is light-bodied—so light that those looking for a nuanced, flavorful taste will have complaints. The beer's smoothness, however, makes it a popular at tailgates and other gatherings that call for an easy-to-drink can.
#12. Corona Light
- Average rating: 1.98 (2,190 votes)
- Type: Light Lager
- ABV: 4.1%
- Brewery: Grupo Modelo S.A. de C.V.
- Location: Mexico
Corona Light falls just behind Corona Extra in popularity, with around one-third of the calories and half of the carbs. The beer suffered from negative public opinion at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, when over a third of Americans said they would not buy Corona "under any circumstances" because of its association (in name only) with the coronavirus.
#11. Busch Ice
- Average rating: 1.87 (368 votes)
- Type: American Adjunct Lager
- ABV: 5.9%
- Brewery: Anheuser-Busch
- Location: Missouri, United States
Uniquely, Busch Ice has a slightly sweet taste, which many drinkers are not fans of. This is achieved through an ice-brewing process, during which the beer is frozen to achieve a sugary taste and high ABV.
#10. Milwaukee's Best
- Average rating: 1.89 (846 votes)
- Type: American Adjunct Lager
- ABV: 4.8%
- Brewery: Miller Brewing Co.
- Location: Wisconsin, United States
A 2024 ranking from Taste of Home gave Old Milwaukee a solid review, slotting it in at #7 among 28 mass-market beers. While that reviewer said it "smells good, tastes good, is good," the consensus isn't the same over on Beer Advocate, where some call it "drinkable" at best and "abysmal swill" at worst.
#9. Bud Light
- Average rating: 1.88 (6,667 votes)
- Type: Light Lager
- ABV: 4.2%
- Brewery: Anheuser-Busch
- Location: Missouri, United States
Bud Light is so popular that it inspired a collection of spin-off drinks, including Bud Light Seltzers, Bud Light Peels, Bud Light Platinum, and Bud Light Chelada. The beer was described by one reviewer as "water with a hint of alcohol."
#8. Milwaukee's Best Light
- Average rating: 1.84 (738 votes)
- Type: Light Lager
- ABV: 4.2%
- Brewery: Miller Brewing Co.
- Location: Wisconsin, United States
Though Milwaukee's Best Light is one of the lowest-ranked beers amongst the American public, it is favored by some judging panels, having won a silver medal at the 2006 Great American Beer Festival. In an effort to get the drink into the national spotlight, the beer was made sponsors of the 36th World Series of Poker and a national tour of the world's largest poker table.
#7. Miller 64
- Average rating: 1.84 (841 votes)
- Type: Light Lager
- ABV: 2.8%
- Brewery: Miller Brewing Co.
- Location: Wisconsin, United States
Miller 64 is marketed as an extra-light version of the 80-calorie Miller beer. Critics say it is so light that it is "barely beer," and even Miller Brewing describes it as just "beer-ish."
#6. Natural Ice
- Average rating: 1.85 (1,590 votes)
- Type: American Adjunct Lager
- ABV: 5.9%
- Brewery: Anheuser-Busch
- Location: Missouri, United States
Though both beers are largely disliked by American consumers, Natural Ice has a slight edge on its brother Natural Light due to its higher alcohol content. The beer is brewed with hops, malt, and corn at a temperature below freezing—thus the "Ice" moniker.
#5. Beer 30 Light
- Average rating: 1.66 (105 votes)
- Type: Light Lager
- ABV: 4.0%
- Brewery: Melanie Brewing Company
- Location: Wisconsin, United States
This Midwestern budget beer has a low alcohol content, as many light beers do. Reviewers seem to agree that you get what you pay for with Beer 30 Light, with many commenting on its unappealing odor and aftertaste.
#4. Keystone Light
- Average rating: 1.84 (2,196 votes)
- Type: Light Lager
- ABV: 4.1%
- Brewery: Coors Brewing Company (Molson-Coors)
- Location: Colorado, United States
As the name Keystone Light would suggest, criticisms of this beer largely focus on the fact that it's very watery. The beer is popular in drinking games, where its weak taste makes it easy to drink quickly in large volumes.
#3. Sharp's
- Average rating: 1.72 (174 votes)
- Type: Low-Alcohol Beer
- ABV: 0.4%
- Brewery: Miller Brewing Co.
- Location: Wisconsin, United States
Though low-alcohol beers are generally lower in flavor than full-bodied ones, Sharp's is disliked for being even less flavorful than its other low-alcohol competitors. The beverage premiered in 1989, with Miller boasting its "patented Ever-Cool brewing process" to achieve a beer taste with a minimal ABV.
#2. Natural Light
- Average rating: 1.76 (2,398 votes)
- Type: Light Lager
- ABV: 4.2%
- Brewery: Anheuser-Busch
- Location: Missouri, United States
Known fondly by American consumers as "Natty Light," this lager undergoes a longer brewing process to achieve its low-calorie, light body. Natural Light now has a variety of offshoot products including seltzers, vodka mixes, and lemonade drinks.
#1. Budweiser Select 55
- Average rating: 1.65 (630 votes)
- Type: Light Lager
- ABV: 2.4%
- Brewery: Anheuser-Busch
- Location: Missouri, United States
Budweiser Select 55 is a 55-calorie alternative to Budweiser's heavier Select original, and brewed with a caramel taste. Anheuser-Busch has been instrumental in popularizing lagers amongst American consumers for decades, after the beer style was first introduced to the U.S. thanks to German immigrants in the mid-19th century. One Beer Advocate reviewer summed this offering up thusly: "It's thin, flavorless, and odd smelling."
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