Consumer Reports puts beer to the test

Football action heats up this time of year. And where there's football, there's often beer. Beer makers spend millions hoping to put their brand front and center.  But which ones really score on flavor?

Experts at Consumer Reports conducted blind taste tests on 10 regular and light beers, including Coors, Miller Lite, and Budweiser.

They tasted three samples of each beer in random order. The beer came in cans, which keeps out sunlight. Light can react with beer and ruin the taste.

Light beers have the benefit of saving you 20 to 50 calories per can, but none of those tested scored high enough to be rated very good.

The worst? Corona Light, the most expensive light beer tested. Miller Lite was the best of the bunch. It had more flavor than most.

As for regular beers, Coors beat out the competition and scored well ahead of Budweiser. It tastes clean and has good balance. And Coors is also a Best Buy at around $6.50 for a six-pack. So you’ll have more money to spend on snacks for your guests.

And when it comes to snacks, Consumer Reports has advice on how to make healthier choices. Instead of chips, try air-popped or low-fat popcorn. And skip cheese dips. Good alternatives are salsa, which has little or no fat, and hummus, which is nutritious.