Once dismissed as a bland adjunct used to lighten lagers, rice is making a bold comeback in the beer world.

Around the advent of the craft beer’s second emergence, rice was considered a mere filler. But now brewers are rediscovering rice’s potential to enhance texture, showcase delicate flavors, and connect to centuries-old brewing traditions from Asia to the American South.

A Global Grain with Deep Roots

Rice has been used in brewing for centuries, particularly in Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Southeast Asian traditions. Sake, while technically a rice wine, set the stage for rice’s nuanced fermentation potential.

In the early 20th century, American brewers began incorporating rice into lagers to create lighter-bodied beers suited to mass-market tastes—a trend that led to its undeserved reputation as a shortcut to blandness.

And now, a new generation of brewers is returning to rice as a high-quality, versatile ingredient. From crispy dry lagers to the more occasional Hazy IPA, rice is showing up in surprising styles with impressive results.

Modern Craft Applications

Craft breweries around the world are exploring rice for its unique brewing benefits. When used properly, rice can lighten a beer’s body without sacrificing strength, and provide a smooth, crisp finish.

It also helps emphasize different hops or yeast character, rather than overwhelming them.

Some notable examples include:

• Japanese-style rice lagers, often brewed with jasmine or sushi rice, offering clean drinkability with floral notes.
• Rice IPAs, where the grain reduces malt heaviness, allowing hop aromas to shine.
• Rice Saisons and Sours, where a dry profile supports bright, funky or fruity yeast expressions.

Even gluten-sensitive drinkers are taking notice, because rice is naturally gluten-free and can form the base of gluten-reduced or alternative grain brews.

Examples of popular rice beers today include:

• American Mass-Market Lagers: Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra
• Japanese Rice Lagers: Asahi Super Dry, Sapporo Premium Beer, Kirin Lager Beer.
• Craft Rice Lagers and Ales: Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale, Hitachino Nest Yuzu Lager, Crux Bochi Japanese Rice Lager, Threes Brewing Gowanus Gold Rice Lager, Dokkaebier Rice Kolsch.
• Other Rice Beers: Makgeolli (Korean rice beer)

Bottom Line

As tastes shift toward drinkable, sessionable, and lower-ABV beers, rice offers a compelling canvas for creativity. Whether in a crisp lager, a dry-hopped pale ale, or a mixed-fermentation wild ale, this humble grain is finally getting the respect it deserves.

The return of rice beer isn’t just a nostalgic nod to the past—it’s a forward-looking celebration of what beer can become when tradition and innovation meet in the glass.

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