Mango Cart beer is Golden Road Brewing’s flagship fruit beer, and it has become one of America’s most popular beers since it first showed up in Los Angeles. Golden Road built it with real mango rather than mango flavoring, and the can itself doubles as a recipe card for a chili-lime michelada, which tells you exactly how this beer is meant to be enjoyed.
I have had a Mango Cart in my hand at a golf course, at a Major League Baseball game, at a concert with a slice of pizza in the other hand, and on more than one beer flight next to three or four other drafts. It shows up everywhere because it works everywhere. This Mango Cart beer review covers what it tastes like, the Golden Road story behind it, where to actually drink it in Los Angeles, and the best occasions for cracking one open.
At a Glance
| Style | American wheat ale (fruited) |
| ABV | 4.0% |
| Calories | About 150 per 12 fl oz (estimates vary since Golden Road does not print an official nutrition label) |
| Carbs | About 14g per 12 fl oz |
| Origin | Golden Road Brewing, Atwater Village, Los Angeles, California |
| Ingredients | Water, 2-row and wheat malts, Bravo hops, real mango, yeast |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Gluten free | No, brewed from barley and wheat |
| Typical price | About $11.99 for a 6-pack, roughly $2 per 12oz |
The Story Behind Mango Cart and Golden Road Brewing
Golden Road Brewing opened in 2011 in the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles, a short drive from Griffith Park. It was founded by bar owner Tony Yanow and Meg Gill, a former college swimmer who had worked as a regional sales manager for Oskar Blues, alongside brewmaster Jon Carpenter, who came over from Dogfish Head. Their pitch was simple: Los Angeles, one of the biggest beer markets in the country, did not have a brewery built around it. Golden Road went with the motto “local beer for local people” and built its identity around the city’s 400-plus neighborhoods from day one.
Mango Cart launched as the first in a series of beers inspired by the fruit cart vendors who work LA’s sidewalks and street corners, the ones selling mango, chili powder and lime out of a wheeled cart. Golden Road built that exact flavor combination into a wheat ale, and it caught on fast. Within a few years, Golden Road grew into the largest craft brewery in Los Angeles County, and in September 2015, Anheuser-Busch acquired the company, adding it to a portfolio that already included Goose Island, Elysian and 10 Barrel. The beer is still brewed and canned in Los Angeles, and Golden Road now runs brewpubs in Atwater Village, Downtown LA, Anaheim and Huntington Beach.
How It Tastes, By the Numbers
This is a beer built around fruit first, malt backbone second. The wheat base stays light so the mango does the talking.
The Full Review
Pour it and you get a hazy, pale gold wheat ale with a light, quickly fading head. The nose is almost entirely fresh mango, sweet and tropical with a little bit of wheat bread underneath.
The taste follows the nose closely. Real mango sweetness leads, backed by a soft wheat body and a clean, mildly tart finish from the Bravo hops. It is not a sour beer and it is not overly sweet either, it sits right in the middle, which is exactly why it works as a gateway beer for people who normally avoid craft beer. If you want a side by side, our wheat beer vs lager guide breaks down why a wheat ale like this drinks so differently from a standard lager.
Golden Road actually built a michelada variation into the can itself, suggesting a chili-lime rim. Try it that way once. The salt and heat cut the sweetness and turn a simple fruit wheat ale into something closer to a full cocktail, similar in spirit to the build in our michelada recipe.
“The fruit beer you hand to someone who swears they do not like beer.”
Beer Is My Life
Mango Cart Beer for Every Occasion
Part of why Mango Cart has stayed one of America’s most popular beers is that it does not ask you to plan around it. It is light enough for daytime drinking and flavorful enough to hold its own at night. Here is where it actually earns its keep.
On the Golf Course
A 4.0% ABV wheat ale is close to the ideal round-of-golf beer. It is light enough to drink over four hours without wrecking your back nine, and the mango sweetness is refreshing on a hot fairway when a heavier IPA would feel like a mistake by hole 12. Grab one at the turn or keep a few in the cart cooler, either way it is built for a long, slow afternoon outside.
At Home With Friends
This is a genuinely great beer to hand a group of mixed drinkers. Wine drinkers like the fruit, IPA fans respect that it is a real craft beer and not a shandy, and anyone who says they do not like beer usually changes their mind after one can. Keep a six-pack in the fridge for a backyard hang or a casual night in, it needs zero setup and nobody has to be talked into trying it.
With Pizza
Mango Cart and pizza work because the beer’s sweetness and light carbonation cut through cheese and grease the same way a squeeze of lime cuts through a taco. It is especially good with a spicier slice, pepperoni or a Hawaiian pie with jalapeno, since the mango echoes the sweet-heat combination. If you want more pairing ideas built around spice, our best beers to pair with tacos guide covers similar ground.
At a Concert
Venue beer selection is usually limited to a handful of domestic lagers and one or two crafts, and Mango Cart is one of the better options you will actually find on a concert menu. It is easy to drink standing in a crowd for hours, it is not going to leave you bloated, and the fruit-forward flavor holds up even when it gets a little warm waiting in your hand between songs.
At the Ballpark
Mango Cart has become a genuine favorite among MLB fans, and not just in Los Angeles. Because Golden Road is part of the Anheuser-Busch portfolio, Mango Cart shows up in craft beer stands at ballparks well outside Southern California. It pours light, drinks fast between innings, and does not compete with a hot dog or a bag of peanuts the way a hoppier beer can.
On a Beer Flight
Mango Cart is a smart pick on a sampler flight because it resets your palate between heavier, hoppier or maltier pours. Bartenders often put it last for exactly that reason, its sweetness and low bitterness make it a clean way to finish a tasting without a bitter aftertaste lingering. If you want to build your own lineup at home, our guide on how to throw a beer tasting party has a format that works well with a beer like this in the mix.
Where to Drink Mango Cart in Los Angeles
Mango Cart is sold at grocery and liquor stores nationwide, but if you want it fresh from the source, Golden Road runs its own brewpubs across the LA area, plus a bar inside Dodger Stadium itself. These are the five best places to actually drink it in Los Angeles.
1. Golden Road Atwater Village
5410 W San Fernando Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90039. This is the original Golden Road brewpub, a short walk from Griffith Park, with a dog-friendly patio, yard games and rotating taps that always include Mango Cart on draft.
2. Golden Road at Grand Central Market
317 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013. Golden Road’s Downtown LA outpost sits inside the historic Grand Central Market, so you can grab a Mango Cart draft and wander the market’s food stalls at the same time.
3. Golden Road Anaheim Brewpub
2210 E Orangewood Ave, Anaheim, CA 92806. Located directly across the street from Angel Stadium, this is the pregame stop for Angels fans, with a large dog-friendly biergarten and over 30 taps brewed onsite.
4. Golden Road Huntington Beach
16390 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 100, Huntington Beach, CA 92649. If you want to drink a Mango Cart the way it was practically designed to be enjoyed, on a patio a few minutes from the beach, this is the location for it.
5. Golden Road Bar at Dodger Stadium
1000 Vin Scully Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Golden Road has run the beer program at Dodger Stadium since 2019, and Mango Cart is poured right alongside the team’s own Brew Heaven blonde ale at the Centerfield Plaza beer garden and the bar near the Left Field Plaza.
Best Food Pairings for Mango Cart
Mango Cart’s fruit-forward sweetness and light body make it flexible at the table. Here is what actually works with it.
The chili-lime michelada build is basically built into the can, so tacos, elote and anything with a squeeze of lime are a natural match. See our best beers to pair with tacos guide for more.
Sweetness and carbonation cut through cheese and grease, especially on a spicier pie with jalapeno or pepperoni.
Real mango sweetness tames heat the same way a lassi cools down curry. Try it next to Thai, Sichuan or a hot wing basket.
The tropical fruit character mirrors citrus-cured fish, shrimp cocktail and fish tacos, all classic Southern California beach food.
- Real mango flavor, not an artificial fruit syrup taste
- Light body works for golf, ballgames, concerts and pool days alike
- Works as a straight pour or a michelada base
- Widely available in 6-pack, 12-pack, 16oz and 25oz cans, plus on tap at most MLB parks
- Sweetness can feel one-note if you drink more than one or two
- Not for hop-forward IPA fans, there is almost no bitterness, try our Sixpoint Resin review instead if that is what you want
- Fruit beers like this age poorly, drink it fresh
Who It Is For
Anyone who wants a fruit-forward beer for the pool, the beach, a backyard cookout, or any of the occasions above. If Mango Cart is your first real craft beer, our best beer for beginners guide has more approachable picks in the same lane, and our Blue Moon Brewing Company deep dive covers the closest thing to a direct competitor in the fruited wheat ale space.
Where to Buy Mango Cart Beer
Mango Cart is stocked at most grocery stores and liquor stores across the US, and you can have it delivered too. Use the button above or below to check availability near you. If you are drinking it in Southern California, see the Los Angeles brewpub list above for where to get it straight from the source.
FAQs
What does Mango Cart beer taste like?
Sweet, tropical mango up front with a light wheat body and a clean, mildly tart finish. It tastes like real mango, not an artificial fruit syrup.
What is the ABV of Mango Cart beer?
Mango Cart has an ABV of 4.0%, a light, sessionable strength.
How many calories are in Mango Cart beer?
Golden Road does not print an official nutrition label, so estimates vary by source, but most land around 150 calories per 12oz can, with roughly 14g of carbs.
What ingredients are in Mango Cart beer?
Water, 2-row and wheat malts, Bravo hops, real mango, and yeast. It is brewed as a fruited American wheat ale, not flavored with syrup.
Where can I buy Mango Cart beer?
Most grocery and liquor stores across the US carry it, and it is available for delivery through the button on this page. In Los Angeles, you can also drink it fresh on tap at any Golden Road brewpub or at Dodger Stadium.
Is Mango Cart gluten free?
No, it is brewed from barley and wheat malts and contains gluten.
What is a Mango Cart michelada?
Golden Road’s own suggested serve: rim the glass with chili-lime salt, pour Mango Cart over ice with a splash of lime, and you get a fruity, spicy michelada. Our full michelada recipe covers the classic tomato-juice build if you want to compare.
Where is Mango Cart made?
It is brewed by Golden Road Brewing in Atwater Village, Los Angeles, California, part of the Anheuser-Busch portfolio since 2015.
What sizes does Mango Cart come in?
12oz 6-pack and 12-pack cans, plus 16oz and 25oz single cans, and on draft at bars and stadiums.
Mango Cart earns its spot as one of America’s most popular beers by being flexible: golf course, ballpark, concert, backyard, beer flight, it does not miss. Browse our other best beach and summer beers and best salt and lime beers guides for more picks in the same lane, or see best beers for tailgating for more gameday options.
