I have noticed that in some countries, light beer is named because it has significantly less alcohol which means you can drink more without getting a strong buzz. It can range from 2.0-3.5% ABV and makes for a more pleasant drinking experience in the middle of the day. I was in Jamaica recently and their Red Stripe Light was great for drinking all day while on the beach without feeling too knackered.
Most light beer I have tried in the US still sits around 4.0% or higher and usually it just tastes more watery than the normal beer. The only way to get a similar "light beer" experience in the US is to order a "NA" beer like ODouls, but those are basically 0.5% or less, so there really isn't a buzz at all.
(For example, Miller Genuine Draft is 4.7% ABV while Miller Lite is 4.2% ABV. This is a spread of 0.5% ABV.)
Has light beer in the US ever been brewed with less ABV or do the brewers really think that half percentage less is significant enough to justify the light label?
Most light beer I have tried in the US still sits around 4.0% or higher and usually it just tastes more watery than the normal beer. The only way to get a similar "light beer" experience in the US is to order a "NA" beer like ODouls, but those are basically 0.5% or less, so there really isn't a buzz at all.
(For example, Miller Genuine Draft is 4.7% ABV while Miller Lite is 4.2% ABV. This is a spread of 0.5% ABV.)
Has light beer in the US ever been brewed with less ABV or do the brewers really think that half percentage less is significant enough to justify the light label?