Light beer is the most popular type of beer in America by far. These days, brands are looking to cash in on the ever-rising consumer demand. Coors Light and Busch Light have shown us there’s room for more than one brand in the market. What’s the difference between these two beers?
The difference between Coors Light and Busch Light is the calorie count, ABV and recipe. Coors Light and Busch Light have similar calories; Coors Light has 102 with five grams of carbs and Busch Light has 95 with 3.2 grams of carbs. Each is brewed with water, malt, hops and yeast, but Busch Light also uses rice. Coors Light is more popular.
Keep reading for more information on each beer and how they’re compared, including their histories and overall popularity in the beer market.
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Coors Light vs Busch Light comparison overview
Coors Light and Bush Light are not owned by the same company, which means they’re direct competitors to one another. Coors Light is owned by Molson Coors and Anheuser-Busch InBev owns Busch Light.
Coors Light and Busch Light were both first brewed to meet the demand of light beer drinkers. Coors Light was brewed first and is a light variation of Coors Banquet. Busch Light is a light version of Busch and has less to its recipe and taste than Coors Light and other light beers on the market.
Coors Light is usually more readily available than Coors Light and retains a greater market share than Busch Light.
The following information is based on one 12-ounce serving.
| Comparison | Coors Light | Busch Light |
| Calories | 102 | 95 |
| Carbs | 5 grams | 3.2 grams |
| ABV | 4.2% | 4.1% |
| Ingredients | Rocky Mountain water, lager yeast, hop extract, corn syrup and two-row Moravian barley | Water, barley malt, select grains, hops and yeast |
| Taste | “Beery” taste, thin, crisp, refreshing, sweet | Dull, bland, rice, slightly sweet, drink ice cold |
| Aroma | Light fruit aroma, sour, sweet | Mild malt and rice |
| Cost | $8 per 6-pack | $7.50 per 6-pack |
| Popularity | Second most popular beer in the country, 6.82% market share, 14 million barrels shipped (2019) | Ninth most popular beer in the country, 3.07% market share, 6.3 million barrels shipped (2019) |
| History | First introduced in 1978 | First introduced in 1989 |
What is the difference between Coors Light and Busch Light?
Coors Light and Busch Light compete with each other for sales year after year. Each is adorned by a loyal fanbase, likely in part because of the marketing; they taste different, but Coors is the most distinguishable.
The main differences between Coors Light and Coors Banquet are present in the:
- Coors Light vs Busch Light Calories
- Coors Light vs Busch Light Carbs
- Coors Light vs Busch Light Alcohol Content (ABV)
- Coors Light vs Busch Light Ingredients
- Coors Light vs Busch Light Taste, flavors, and aroma
- Cost
- Popularity and sales
- History
Coors Light
Coors Light is a powerhouse light beer owned by Molson Coors. It’s a top-three light beer in the country in terms of popularity and stays ahead of Busch Light in that regard.
Coors Light was first brewed in 1978 as the light version of Coors Banquet. It was brewed to compete with other light beers at the time and was immediately successful, eventually becoming more popular than the original Coors. Coors Light is brewed with two-row Moravian barley and Rocky Mountain water. It competes heavily with Busch Light.
Coors Light won a packaging award for its 16-ounce aluminum twist-off bottles and is available mostly in 12-ounce slim cans and 12-ounce bottles.
Calories, carbs, and other nutrition facts
Coors Light is an American light lager and contains few calories.
Coors Light has 102 calories with 5 grams of carbs and zero fat in one 12-oz serving.
Alcohol Content (ABV)
Coors Light has a low ABV to achieve its light and refreshing characteristics.
Coors Light has a 4.2% ABV. It has a 10 IBU and is not bitter.
Ingredients
This light beer is brewed with select ingredients and sustainable resources.
Coors Light is brewed with Rocky Mountain water, an original lager yeast, hop extract from different hops, corn syrup, and two-row Moravian barley malt.
Coors Light partners with farmers to reduce water usage by 25% when producing its Moravian malt.
Taste, flavors, and aroma
Coors Light is a tricky beer. Brewing mistakes are evident in the beer and are therefore unaffordable. Its taste has depth, but what does Coors Light taste like?
Coors Light tastes light and crisp. It’s refreshing and contains the well-known American lager beer taste. Most of its flavor comes from the malt and yeast used. Coors Light has a banana flavor from the type of yeast used for brewing.
Cost
Most places, including bars and restaurants, stock Coors Light in either cans, bottles or on draft.
Coors Light costs about $8 on average for one 6-pack of cans or bottles. It’s also commonly available in 12, 15, 18, and 30 packs as well as in 24-ounce single cans.
Popularity and sales
In 2019, Coors Light was the second most popular beer in the country, beating out Miller Lite by one spot.
Coors Light is among the top five most popular beers in the United States every year. It possessed a 6.82% market share with 14 million barrels shipped in 2019.
History
Coors Light, the light version of Coors Banquet, was brewed during the height of the light beer movement.
Coors Light was first brewed in 1978. Adolph Coors opened the Golden Brewery in Golden, Colorado in 1873. Coors Banquet is the original Coors beer, but Coors Light has since become more popular.
Busch Light
Busch Light is an Anheuser-Busch product and is a competitor of Coors Light. It’s the light version of Busch and is a hit among outdoorsy light beer drinkers.
Busch Light was first introduced in 1989 as Busch Light Draft. It was renamed Busch Light in 1994 and has not changed since. It tastes like malt with minimal flavor. It has 95 calories and 3.2 grams of carbs in a 12-ounce serving and costs about $7 for a 6-pack.
Busch Light comes in cans, bottles and on draft at bars and restaurants.
Calories, carbs, and other nutrition facts
Busch Light has fewer calories and carbs than Coors Light.
Busch Light has 95 calories with 3.2 grams of carbs in one 12-ounce serving.
Alcohol Content (ABV)
Busch Light has a lower ABV than other light beers, including Coors Light.
Busch Light has a 4.1% ABV.
Ingredients
Busch Light doesn’t give us much information on its ingredients or where they’re sourced from, but the list includes the main beer ingredients and a classic light beer adjunct.
Busch Light is brewed with barley malt, water, lager yeast, select hops and rice. The rice gives it a crisp taste and mouthfeel characteristic of light beers.
Taste, flavors, and aroma
Busch Light has a dry and crisp mouthfeel from the rice used during brewing.
Busch Light tastes like an American light lager. It is supposed to be served cold as a refreshing beer, and therefore its flavors are often muted. It has notes of sweet malt in the taste and aroma with no hop flavor or bitterness.
Cost
Most light beers are affordable – Busch Light isn’t an exception.
On average, a 6-pack of Busch Lights costs about $7.50. It is available in cans and bottles as well as on draft at bars and restaurants.
Popularity and sales
Busch Light is less popular than Coors Light but it’s still in the top ten most popular beers in the country as of 2019.
Busch Light is a popular light beer because of its outdoor branding and refreshing taste. It sold 6.3 million barrels in 2019 making it the ninth most popular beer.
History
Busch Light is a product of Anheuser-Busch. It’s a light version of Busch Beer, which was originally named Busch Bavarian Beer.
Busch Light was Busch’s first light beer brewed in 1989 and was originally named Busch Light Draft. In 1994, it became just Busch Light. It was brewed to meet the demands of the light beer market that was generating so much attention.
Anheuser-Busch’s light beer portfolio also includes the most popular light beer in the world: Bud Light.