Beer drinkers constantly debate the best brew to hail from Milwaukee.  Usually, light beers barely get a mention.  But what is Milwaukee -- and Wisconsin's -- best low-cal beer option?  We recently let the readers of OnMilwaukee.com weigh in, choosing from a list of 16 brews from around the state.

You chose Miller Lite and Leinenkugel's Light as your top two picks, respectively.  Then we, the thirsty editorial staff of OnMilwaukee.com, picked up a couple six packs and took the same test.  Though none of us were particularly moved by either offering, we, too, choose Miller Lite as the winner, three to one.

Read on for the painstaking analysis of this latest Milwaukee (and Wisconsin) Challenge, and feel free to comment on our opinions using the Talkback feature below.

Molly Snyder Edler
Staff writer
Pick: Miller Lite
To me, the difference between Miller Lite and Leinie Light is almost nil. Although Miller’s low-cal brew is a pilsner, and Leinie’s counterpart is a lager, both have a similar light yellow appearance and watery taste. For me, however, this isn’t a bad thing. Thanks to Riverwest Stein and Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout hangovers from hell, I’m much less of a beer consumer these days and, with the exception of Guinness, prefer lighter beers. Tastes great, less headache.

Hence, either of these beers would work for me in lieu of wine, but if forced to choose, I would pick probably Miller Lite because it’s somewhat of a family tradition, is more readily available (I rarely see Leinie’s Light for sale), and has slightly fewer calories and grams of carbohydrates. (Miller Lite has 96 calories, 4.2 percent alcohol and 3.2 grams of carbohydrates. Leinie’s Light has 105 calories, 4.19 percent alcohol and 5.7 grams of carbohydrates.)

Julie Lawrence
Staff writer
Pick: Miller Lite
The differences were barely distinguishable. Now, perhaps due to the infrequency of instances where I find myself drinking light beer -- weddings, shows at The Rave, the occasional kegger party -- I simply am not able to discern the specific nuances that mark these light beers as something special. But then again, I like beer -- of all kinds -- and I have a fairly favorable history, so I called my taste buds to attention and really tried to dissect the flavors.
 
It’s easy to see how Miller Lite has become one of the quintessential beers of the masses. Whether in a bottle, can or on draught, it tastes clean, crisp and smooth and, truly living up to one of the most referenced ad campaigns of our time, really is less filling. Sure, it comes off as a bit plain -- although not watered-down -- but in a city and state obsessed with shoving berries, honey or limes in our brews, the beauty of this beer lies in its simplicity. In this taste test, Lite won me over.
 
Leinenkugel’s Light, in contrast, came off as a tad bitter -- although it does score points for being one-third of the calorie load as an Original Leinie Lager. It seemed over-carbonated and sharp on the tongue -- not nearly as smooth as Miller’s light suds. Is it drinkable? Absolutely -- if it’s the only choice. But when paired with its peers, it’s not hard to figure out why Miller Lite is on tap just about everywhere and Leinie’s Light is not.

Bobby Tanzilo
Managing editor
Pick: Leinenkugel's Light
I’m hard pressed to pick a winner in this competition. I’m not much of a light beer drinker, although I’ve enjoyed Amstel and even Heineken Light on occasion. And I’ve never been a fan of Miller Lite, which never agrees with me and always provides more of an instant headache than anything else.

These two very thin, very light beers are different; it’s not hard to tell them apart. The Miller Lite is the more innocuous of the two, with barely any discernable flavor. The Leinie’s has a bit of bite, but not much. Frankly, I wouldn’t voluntarily opt for either, but if forced to choose, I’d go with the Leinie’s and its hint of taste.

Andy Tarnoff
Publisher
Pick: Miller Lite
Considering my "go to" light beer has always been Miller Lite, I found myself surprised that I could barely tell the difference between Lite and Leinenkugel's Light.  Maybe it's because they're brewed at the same factory.  Maybe it's because light beer just isn't all that flavorful to begin with.  Maybe it's like the scene from the Duff Beer tour on "The Simpsons," in which one huge vat has a bunch of different spigots leading to the "different" brews.

Sadly, I only can provide a few meaningful observations about these two very similar beers: Miller Lite had a smoother, yeastier flavor, while the Leinie's product tasted slightly skunky and bitter.  Even though I've drank my share of both of the years, when it came down to analyzing taste, neither moved me much in either direction. On a scale of one to 10, where five is indifferent, I'd rate Lite a six and Leinie's a four.