31 Biggest Beer Brands in America

America’s favorite Mexican beer, and the nation’s No. 1 imported beer, Corona was first crafted in 1925 but didn’t make its appearance stateside until 1981. Like Tecate, it is often quaffed with a squeeze of lime juice — and in 2018, the Earth Source produce company made a deal to market Corona Extra-branded limes.

This light beer is a brew of choice for drinkers on a low-carb diet, with only 2.6 grams of carbohydrates per 12-ounce bottle, making it the fifth lowest on the market and the only one with sales sufficient to qualify for this list.

Bud is the best selling beer in America that isn’t a light (or “lite”) offering. It’s brewed with a process called kraeusening, which means it is carbonated with actively fermenting beer, which helps remove off-flavors and shortens carbonation time. During kraeusening, treated beechwood strips are added to the beer to collect yeast and increase its contact with the beer — Bud’s famous “beechwood again.”

Miller calls this brew “the original light beer” — but it isn’t really. Reduced-calorie beer was invented by a chemist for the Rheingold Brewing Company in 1967 and sold under a couple of different brand names until 1972, when Miller bought it, reformulated it, and released it as Miller Lite in 1975. The brand’s iconic “Tastes great!” / “Less filling!” TV campaign, featuring retired sports figures and other celebrities, is credited with helping popularize the beer.

This low-cal, low-carb lager doesn’t do much for beer reviewers but appeals to many drinkers for its light, clean flavor, and the ease with which it goes down. It doesn’t do that well as a diet beer, by the way: There are at least a dozen other beers with fewer carbs, and at least 14 of its competitors have fewer calories.