The Best Beers for Beer Batter: Our Top Picks
For beer batter you do not want to waste your best bottle. The carbonation is what makes the batter light and crisp, so a cheap, cold, fizzy lager is exactly the right call. These four all fry up a cracking crust.
| Beer | Style | Our rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heineken | Euro Pale Lager | 3.5/5 | A reliable all-rounder |
| Coors Banquet | American Lager | 3.8/5 | A smooth, light batter |
| Budweiser | American Adjunct Lager | 3.5/5 | Cheap and crisp |
| Beck’s | German Pilsner | 3.5/5 | Extra crispness |
For beer batter you want a cold, fizzy lager. The carbonation is what makes the coating light and crisp, not the flavour.
The Best Beers for Beer Batter, Reviewed
Heineken
A reliable lager with plenty of fizz. It gives you a light, crisp batter without any heavy flavour getting in the way. Read the full Heineken review.
- Crisp and consistent
- Available everywhere
- A mild hop note
- Can skunk in the green bottle
- Fairly plain
Coors Banquet
Cold and highly carbonated, which is all a good batter really needs. Cheap enough that you will not mind using half the can. Read the full Coors Banquet review.
- Smooth and easy
- More body than the light lagers
- A dependable classic
- Still fairly plain
- Not for hop seekers
Budweiser
Clean and neutral, it lets the fish or the onion rings taste of themselves while keeping the coating airy. Read the full Budweiser review.
- Light and crisp
- Cheap and everywhere
- Reliable crowd-pleaser
- Very mild
- Low on character
Beck’s
A crisp German lager with a touch more bite, handy if you want a batter with a bit of character. Read the full Beck’s review.
- Crisp pilsner bite
- Widely available
- Clean, dry finish
- Unremarkable on its own
- Slight tinny note from the bottle
The tool that saves your batter
Batter lives or dies by oil temperature. Too cool and it goes greasy, too hot and it burns. A clip-on thermometer takes the guesswork out.
Beer Batter and Beer: FAQs
What is the best beer for beer batter?
A cold, highly carbonated lager. Heineken or Budweiser both work because the bubbles keep the batter light and crisp. Save your craft beer for drinking.
Does the type of beer really matter in batter?
Carbonation matters more than flavour, so a cheap lager is fine. If you are frying fish, line up something crisp from our fish and chips picks to drink alongside.
Related pairings: beer with fish and chips, beer with fish, beer with seafood.
