We Asked 12 Beer Pros: What’s Your Go-To Cheap Beer? (2025)

Summer’s coming, and with it arrives the timeless ritual of plunging your hand into an ice-filled cooler in search of something cold and crisp. In that moment, nothing hits quite like a cheap beer. No need for bells, whistles, or double dry-hopping — just easygoing refreshment in its purest form. Whether it’s a macro label with widespread distribution or a basic regional expression, a low-cost brew exists as a vehicle for uncomplicated pleasure — and you can’t ask for much more when the mercury’s boiling.

Of course, not all cheap beers are created equal. Ask someone who works in beer, and chances are they’ve got a favorite — one that slaps a little harder than the others in the category, punching above its weight in terms of flavor, nostalgia, or sheer drinkability. With that in mind, we asked 12 brewers and beer industry professionals to name their go-to cheap beer and why it works for them.

The Go-To Cheap Beers, According to Beer Professionals:

Hamm’s
Penn’s Best Non-Alcohol Lager
Coors Banquet
Victoria
Old Style Lager
Genesee Cream Ale
Pabst Blue Ribbon
Okocim O.K. Beer
Narragansett Lager
Modelo Negra
Blue Moon
Miller High Life

“For our go-to cheap beer, it’s Hamm’s and it’s no contest. Hamm’s built our brewery, in the sense that it was our working beer during demolition, construction, startup — everything. To date, I can confidently say we have purchased over 150 30-racks of Hamm’s to provide for our staff and friends on long work days. Currently, we play a game in our back of house with industry friends where we slam a can of Hamm’s, crush the can, and play disc golf with the crushed can. I personally ended season one of our game 394 under par.” —Matt Holton, co-owner, Wandering Leaf Brewing Co., St. Paul, Minn.

“I don’t drink cheap beer, but my husband, former Mt. Hood Brewing Company brewmaster Jon Graber, does. His favorite is Penn’s Best Non-Alcohol Lager. He loves having three–four beers a night, but the doctor told him ‘drink less, please — you’re a short guy!’ So Jon blends Penn’s Best NA with excellent craft beers for his nightly tipples. He gets less alcohol, but lots of flavor. What he likes about Penn’s Best NA is the price: 24 cans for $12 at Total Wine & More. He also likes its neutral clean lager flavor, which blends well and stays in the background of the good craft beers he blends it with.” —Teri Fahrendorf, founder, Pink Boots Society, Portland, Ore.

“I don’t often reach for a cheap macro lager, but when I do, Coors Banquet is the only choice. It has an actual malt profile unlike its light or ‘lite’ counterparts. It’s an adjunct lager so it has sweetness, but somehow it doesn’t get as cloying as quickly as Bud Heavy [a.k.a. Budweiser]. There is a hint of an ester-y note that suggests a complexity beyond your typical bodega beer. And maybe the mystique of it only being brewed in Golden, Colo., instead of whatever random brewing facility serves your area, adds to its allure.” —Chris Cognetti, logistics manager, Wild East Brewing Co., Brooklyn

“My go-to cheap beer growing up in the Midwest was High Life, and I’ve become more enamored by Genesee, a.k.a. ‘Genny,’ since moving to NYC. However, Victoria, a.k.a. ‘Vicky,’ has always been my favorite cheap beer from my childhood home and memories in Mexico City. A classic Vienna-style lager that’s super clean and balanced with the right amount of toasty biscuity goodness, but super drinkable and refreshing.” —Jonathan Ifergan, co-founder/head brewer, Niteglow Beer Company, Brooklyn

“After ruminating on this for a bit, my answer is more culturally bound versus economically, and is the Chicago Handshake: an Old Style lager and a shot of Malört. I love Malört, unironically in fact, and I have loved my times in Chicago. This ritual brings me fond memories of those times.” —Jared Lewinski, head brewer, Five Dimes Brewery, Westwood, N.J.

“I have a soft spot in my heart for Genesee Cream Ale. I was born and raised in upstate New York. This was the beer that my grandfather kept in his fridge, and he’d sneak me an occasional sip here and there. Naturally, it became my go-to 30-pack suitcase of choice during my college years at Syracuse University. I revisit this beer often, thanks to reliable distribution down here in Asheville. It never fails to scratch the homesick itch.” —Phil Cassella, director of brand, Burial Beer Co. Asheville, N.C.

“My favorite ‘cheap beer’ is Pabst Blue Ribbon. Pabst separates itself from other domestics that are typically cheap, as it’s a bit sweeter but remains super drinkable while still having some flavor behind it. It’s still my go-to beach beer and I’ve tailgated more concerts and festivals than I can recall with a cooler of ice-cold PBRs. There’s also just something about their timeless can design that makes it stand out when you’re running into the grocery store for beer.” —Mike Bracco, brewer, FlyteCo Brewing, Denver

“I highly recommend Okocim O.K. Beer. This Polish macro lager made by Carlsberg delivers above-average European-import macro quality at a decent price point. Crystal clear golden lager with a bright white crown, grassy and citrusy noble hops, a hint of balancing malt sweetness, a thin mouthfeel, and medium carbonation.” —Dennis Maciupa, head brewer, Five Dimes Brewery, Red Bank, N.J.

“Back around 2007, I was managing a 400-bottle craft beer bar while in grad school in Gainesville, Fla. When I wasn’t there drinking craft beer, I’d hang out at dives and crush this new-to-me quirky lager from Rhode Island called Narragansett. The easy, light beer was perfect for after-hours drinking, limited grad- school budgets, and hot, sticky Florida summer nights. Fast-forward to 2025, and I still crush ’Gansetts at Brooklyn dive bars, at Rockaway Beach, and occasionally with the fantastic humans of the Narragansett brew team. It’s also a plus that [brewmaster] Lee Lord and her band of brewers at the Narragansett brewery in Providence are killing it with a range of excellent beers on tap. It’s definitely a must-visit to pay homage to a classic American beer.” —Heather McReynolds, Northeast craft sales, Hopsteiner, NYC

“I hold Modelo Negra in the highest of regards, and am constantly wooed by that amber elixir whether I’m at the grocery store, gas station, or a favorite Mexican restaurant. I’ll drink it when it’s hot, I’ll drink it when it’s cold, and it’s incredible when used in cooking. Maybe its relevance in my life can be attributed to it being the beer of choice when I was vacationing on the Yucatan at the supple age of 16. Either way, Negra is the one for me.” —Woody Mott, head brewer, Tributary Brewing Company, Kittery, Maine

“My go-to cheap beer is Blue Moon. To me, the only thing that tops that smooth and creamy body with the crisp finish and citrusy aroma is the nostalgia. Drinking it takes me back to memories of drinking beer in college, playing shuffleboard with my now husband and co-founder, Chase Healey. It’s obviously a must to have it with a big slice of orange for full effect!” —Erica Healey, co-founder, American Solera, Tulsa, Okla.

“What an easy question! Miller High Life, ideally in a glass bottle. Its moderate sweetness, bitterness, and alcohol make the drinking experience easy and pleasant. There’s also the magic of the tetra hop extract that makes it immune to skunking, even in a clear bottle. Plus, it has the side effect of amazing head retention. It’s a marvel!” —Daniel Galada-Maria, head brewer, Finback Brewery, Glendale, N.Y.

*Image retrieved from schankz via stock.adobe.com

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