Atlantic Light Lager

Review Date 4/21/2024 By John Staradumsky

  Style:  Light Beer   Brewery: Narragansett   Country: USA   State: Rhode Island   $ Per OZ: $.10 (B)   ABV: 3.5%

One thing is for sure: I don’t review a lot of light beers. There’s a reason for that: I don’t drink a lot of light beers. I love beer, but more to the point, I love the flavors of beer, and truth be told there is not a lot of flavor in light beer. There are a few exceptions, at least light beers that have more flavor than most for the style. One of these is a beer I tried recently for the very first time: Narragansett Atlantic Light Lager.

Light beer is, of course, an American beer phenomenon, in that it is meant to be highly drinkable and low in calories but is also (usually) brewed with lightening adjuncts. The very first light beer was Gablinger's Diet Beer from New York’s Rheingold brewery, launched in 1967 (thanks Wikipedia!).

Narragansett wasn’t far behind. They say on their website:

A Light History Lesson: Narragansett Brewing Company actually produced one of the first light beers in the U.S. back in the '60s. It was called "96" because it had 96 calories. Unfortunately, that offering was ahead of its time. Even more unfortunate was the packaging, which unlike the beer it contained, was anything but ahead of its time. In truth, it was one of the ugliest packages ever produced. The beer tasted good, but nobody really wanted to try it to find out.

I never tried that beer, of course, but I have seen the cans and I am not sure I would agree they are ugly. I may buy a can on Ebay; if I do, I will add a picture to this review.

Narragansett Atlantic Light Lager has an alcohol content of 3.5% by volume. 3.5%! That’s one of the things I really like about this beer, because it is so rare to see a beer under 4% ABV by an American brewer. That makes the beer eminently sessionable. It’s also low on bitterness at 10 IBUs. I paid $2.49 for a pint can of Narragansett Atlantic Light Lager from Half Time. Total Wine sells it for $13.99 a 12-pack of 12-ounce cans in Richmond, Virginia. The beer has 108 calories in a pint per my can, which also appears to be freshness dated, but the stamp is illegible.

Narragansett Atlantic Light Lager pours to a very pale golden color with a thick fluffy white head and a nose of soft biscuit malt and a light hint of adjunct. Taking a sip, the beer is light and malty, about what I would expect from a light beer. It does have an enticing fresh bready character though, and less adjunct flavor than most in the style. It is crisp and refreshing and I am impressed, I like the low ABV and could easily see myself quaffing a few of these or more.

I’m giving it 4 stars when judged against other light beers, which is really the only way you can judge any beer-to style. This would be a great beach beer, or at a barbecue, or ice cold after a walk or run in the warm spring or summer weather.  

Glad I tried it?  T

Would I rebuy it??