For those of you who count calories or if you’re just looking for a lower alcohol content beer, here is some helpful information to help you understand how having a few beers may affect your waistline!

Calories in alcohol are a product of two things…the percentage of alcohol and amount of sugar in the product. On average, a light beer has about 100 calories per 12 ounce serving and regular beer is about 150 calories per 12 ounce serving. Microbrews, especially stouts and porters can average between 150-200 calories per 12 ounce serving.

Over the past couple years, a new line of beers have hit the shelves that are brewed to be low calorie and low alcohol. Many people have been looking for these styles because they are diet conscious or like the flavor of beer, but don’t want as much alcohol. I guess you could classify these beers as “extra light.”

There are three beers in particular that are on the market that have had some success and are worth a try:

beer-suds_webBUDWEISER SELECT 55: Brewed by Anheuser Busch, this is the lightest beer available on the market. At only 55 calories per 12 ounces, it has almost half as many calories as the typical light beer and almost 4 times less calories than the typical microbrew. Alcohol content is only 2.4% which is also about half the alcohol of a typical beer. The flavor is very light with a very clean, beer taste.

MILLER GENUINE DRAFT 64: Brewed by Miller/Coors MGD 64 has only 64 calories per 12 ounces serving and 2.8% alcohol. A little more flavor when compared to Budweiser Select 55, but overall there is not a huge difference.

BECK’S PREMIER LIGHT: Beck’s Premier Light from Germany was actually the first extra light on the shelves a few years ago! Beck’s Premier Light has 64 calories and 2.3% alcohol per 12 ounces. Beck’s Premier Light has more flavor than the previous two beers mentioned.

For those of you who prefer wine or distilled spirits….

On average distilled spirits like whiskey, gin, and vodka that are 80 proof, will have about 100 calories per 1.5 ounces. Of course, if you buy flavored spirits or mix in any juice or soda, the calorie count will go up.

Red wine and white wine will vary depending on varietal and alcohol content, but on average you can estimate wine to be about 20 calories per ounce.

Below you will find a chart with most major breweries and styles for you to compare how your favorite brew stacks up against the “extra light” beers!

 

BRANDALCOHOLCALORIES/12 ozCARBS
Anchor Porter5.60%209*
Anchor Steam4.90%15316.0g
Bard’s Gold (Gluten-Free)4.60%15514.2g
Big Sky I.P.A.6.20%195*
Big Sky Moose Drool5.20%17715.6g
Big Sky Scape Goat4.70%16313.9g
Big Sky Trout Slayer Ale4.70%16313.9g
Blue Moon5.40%17113.7g
Bud Ice5.50%1238.9g
Bud Light4.20%1106.6g
Bud Light Lime4.20%1168.0g
Budweiser5.00%14510.6g
Budweiser Select4.30%993.1g
Budweiser Select 552.40%551.9g
Busch Beer4.60%13310.2g
Busch Light4.10%953.2g
Carta Blanca4.00%128
Coors Light4.15%1045.3g
Coors4.91%14912.2g
Corona Extra Beer4.60%14813.99g
Dos Equis XX Imported Beer4.70%149
Dos Equis XX Special Lager4.90%156
Foster’s Lager5.10%15611.0g
George Killian’s Irish Red4.98%16214.8g
Grolsch5.00%1459.5g
Guiness Draught – Bottle*1269.9g
Guinness Extra Stout4.27%15317.4g
Hamm’s Beer4.70%14412.1g
Hamm’s Special Light3.90%1108.3g
Harp4.55%142
Heineken Lager Beer5.00%15011.5g
Heineken Special Dark Beer5.10%170
Heineken Special Light3.80%996.8g
Icehouse5%1328.7g
Keystone Light4.13%1035.0g
Keystone Premium4.43%1115.8g
Kirin Beer6.80%188
Kronenbourg Beer5.10%153
Leinenkugel Amber Light4.14%1107.4g
Leinenkugel Honey Weiss4.92%14912.0g
Leinenkugel Red4.94%16616.2g
Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat4.90%16516g
Michelob Amber Bock5.20%16615.0g
Michelob Golden Draft4.70%15214.1g
Michelob Golden Light4.10%1107.0g
Michelob Honey Lager4.90%17517.9g
Michelob Lager5.00%15513.3g
Michelob Light4.30%1136.7g
Michelob Ultra4.10%952.6g
Mickey’s Fine Malt Liquor5.60%15711.2g
Miller Chill4.20%1106.5g
Miller Genuine Draft4.70%14313.1g
Miller Genuine Draft “64”2.80%642.4g
Miller Genuine Draft Light4.20%1107g
Miller High Life4.70%14313.1g
Miller High Life Light4.20%1107g
Miller Lite4.20%963.2g
Milwaukee’s Best4.30%12811.4g
Milwaukee’s Best Ice5.90%1447.3g
Milwaukee’s Best Light4.20%983.5g
Milwaukee’s Best Premium4.30%12811.4g
Molson Canadian Beer5.10%153
Molson Light2.41%82
Moosehead5.00%153
Natural Ice5.90%1578.9g
Natural Light4.20%953.2g
New Belgium 15545.60%20525g
New Belgium Abbey7.00%20018g
New Belgium Fat Tire5.20%16015g
New Belgium Mothership4.80%15515g
New Belgium Trippel7.80%21520g
O’Doul’s non-alcohol0.40%7013.3g
Old Milwaukee Beer4.50%14612.9g
Old Milwaukee Light3.80%1148.3g
Olde English 8005.90%16010.5g
Olde English High Gravity8.00%22014.6g
Pabst Blue Ribbon4.65%14412.01g
Pilsener Urquell4.20%16014.7g
Red Dog5.00%14714.1g
Red Hook ESB5.77%17914.15g
Red Hook IPA6.50%18812.66g
Red Strlpe Lager Beer5.00%153
Rolling Rock Extra Pale4.60%142
Sam Adams Boston Ale4.94%16019.9g
Sam Adams Boston Lager4.75%16018.0g
Sam Adams Cherry Wheat5.20%16616.86g
Sam Adams Cream Stout4.69%19523.94g
Sam Adams IPA5.93%175
Sam Adams Light4.05%1249.7g
Sam Adams Pale Ale5.25%145
Sierra Nevada Porter5.60%19418.4g
Sierra Nevada Stout5.80%22522.3g
Sierra Nevada Summerfest5.00%15813.7g
Sierra Nevada Wheat4.40%15313.1g
Spaten Munich Special Dark6.60%185
St. Pauli Girl Beer4.90%1488.7g
St. Pauli Girl Dark Beer4.80%150
Steel Reserve Six6.00%16011.0g
Stella Artois5.20%12.78g
Stroh’s Beer4.60%14912.0g
Stroh’s Light4.40%1137g
Tecate4.40%146
Tsingtao Beer4.79%153

 

Pin It on Pinterest