Third among San Miguel Brewery’s big three flagship brews is San Mig Light. This beer is hugely popular among younger Filipinos and expats who prefer a lighter, easy to drink brew. It is marketed as a fun, youthful and playful drink as compared to the extra strong Red Horse which has a more macho style in it’s advertisement.
It is in many ways the Filipino equivalent of an american style light beer. San Mig light not only has a shortened name, it also does away with the brown stubby bottle of the Pilsen, instead going for a sleek transparent bottle.
San Mig light contains 100 calories per 33 cl bottle and has the same alcohol content as regular Pilsen at 5% abv.
Taste and appearance
San Mig Light pours much like San Miguel Brewery’s other brands with a pale golden golden color a fast disappearing foamy head and lively carbonation.
The smell is fairly reminiscent of its big brother Pale Pilsen. A slight malty note can be smelled but it certainly doesn’t overwhelm the senses.
Flavor is, as to be expected, very mild. It has a slight mouthfeel of grains but next to no aftertaste. Overall this beer comes and goes without leaving much of a lasting impression which is what you can expect of a light beer.
Availability
San Mig light is just like the two other flagship brews widely available all over the country. When visiting stores or Sari Saris out in more rural areas though they may have opted not to stock this one since it is more popular in an urban environment.
San Mig Light is offered in a more limited choice of sizes
- 330 ml Bottle
- 330 ml Can
That’s it, San Mig Light does not come in the big glass liter bottle like Pale Pilsen and Red Horse. I’m assuming that the reason for this is that San Mig light is not meant to appeal to the rural crowd that favors the big bottles for drinking tagay style.
Price
A 330 ml San mig bottle will set you back around 30-38 Peso while the can usually is around 40-45. Pricing of San Mig Light can be wildly inconsistent. Sometimes it’s cheaper than Pilsen, sometimes more expensive. It’s hard to discern the reason for this but usually the price difference is not too big, so just go with the one you like the best.
The Verdict
San Mig Light is not a beer that caters to the beer drinker that favors a full bodied or flavorful beer. It delivers a mild flavor but when drunk cold it does not have any particularly bad flavors either.
For those that favors drinkability over all other things with a beer San Mig Light is the drink of choice in the Philippines. Personally I prefer a drink with a bit more flavor to it.
Other reviews and resources
San Mig Light (Official Homepage)
This beer review was published earlier on my blog The Vagrant One and the Video Review was uploaded to my Youtube channel. If you enjoyed it consider also giving me a visit and subscription on other platforms!
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