Epic Pfeifferhorn Lager & Coors Light

Pfeifferhorn Lager: The Pfeifferhorn is one of the most iconic peaks in  the Wasatch range. It’s such a landmark that any beer named for it is worth trying on that basis alone. And while producing a beer, especially an American lager, as distinctive as the peak is pretty much an impossible task, this beer is still awesome for what it is.

It’s a straightforward lager, perfect for sitting on the porch on summer nights, which is how I enjoyed mine. DC from Epic told me when I bought it that “it’s a pretty basic beer.” Nothing wrong with that, provided that basic means good-quality and delicious without being fancy and creative. This one is basic in that sense but still way less boring than Budweiser.

Like all Epic beers, it comes in a 22 ounce bottle. At first I wasn’t sure about this bottle size, but I have come to love it. 22 ounces of 5-6% abv beer, which is most of Epic’s range, is just about perfect. I found myself daydreaming about popping open another one of these brown bombers on my way to work today.

Coors Light: Curiosity seems to be my most common reason for sampling a particular beer. And since I didn’t spend my college years drinking macrobrews on the weekends (my wasted youth), my interest extends even to stuff beer connoisseurs have little or no interest in. And since I hadn’t yet tried Coors Light, I grabbed one on my way home the other night.

With the exception of Sam Adams Light, which is frankly more of an in-between beer than a true “light” beer, I haven’t found a light beer worth getting excited about. And while excited would exaggerate the way I feel about Coors Light, it’s the best of the lot of mass-produced light beers available at the grocery store. Rarified company, right?

At 102 calories per 12 ounce serving, the calorie difference between this and Michelob Ultra is negligible. But the difference in taste is significant. Whereas Bud Light tastes like someone poured water in perfectly good Budweiser, and Michelob Ultra tastes like someone poured Budweiser in perfectly good water, Coors Light almost tastes like normal beer. Close enough that I’d drink it again.