Coors Light
Golden, Colorado
Corn-syrup-adjunct American light lager at 4.2% ABV. Package labels list 102 calories, 5g of carbohydrate and 1g of protein per 12oz.
- Ingredients / botanicals
- water, barley malt, corn syrup, hops, lager yeast
- Congeners
- Very Low
- Histamines
- Low
- Polyphenols
- Very Low
- Sulfites
- Low
- Tannins
- Very Low
- Sugar
- Very Low
- Additives
- Low
- Calories
- 102
- Carbs
- 5g
11.8g ethanol at 4.2% ABV. 82 from alcohol, 20 from carbohydrate.
In its favor
- ✓4.2% ABV
- ✓About 102 calories per 12oz
- ✓Cold lager fermentation and heavy filtration keep congeners and amines low
What to watch
- !Contains gluten from barley malt
- !Carbs (5g) are above Miller Lite and Michelob Ultra
- !Easy to drink in volume
Factor by factor
Congeners Very Low ▾
Byproducts of fermentation (methanol, acetaldehyde, fusel alcohols). Strongly linked to hangover severity; darker, less-distilled spirits carry more.
Histamines Low ▾
Produced by bacteria during fermentation/aging. Trigger flushing, headaches, congestion in sensitive drinkers. High in red wine, beer, aged spirits.
Polyphenols Very Low ▾
Plant compounds with antioxidant activity. Slightly protective at low doses but at high concentrations may worsen hangover via tannin/quercetin reactions.
Sulfites Low ▾
Preservatives (SO₂) added to wine and some beers. Common trigger of headaches, asthma, and allergic-type reactions.
Tannins Very Low ▾
Astringent polyphenols from skins, seeds, barrels. Bind proteins, slow alcohol clearance, and aggravate dehydration-style symptoms.
Sugar Very Low ▾
Residual sugar amplifies hangover via blood-sugar swings and dehydration. Liqueurs and cocktails are the main offenders.
Additives Low ▾
Colorants, flavorings, glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbates. Cheap spirits and ready-to-drinks often hide these in trade-secret formulas.
Coors Light is brewed in Golden, Colorado and sits between Bud Light and Miller Lite on carbohydrates. Retail package labels list 102 calories and 5g of carbohydrate per 12oz, which is consistent with 4.2% alcohol plus a small malt residue.
Molson Coors does not publish a sugar figure on the retail label, so this page lists the calorie and carb numbers in text only. The chemistry story matches the other adjunct lights: low congeners and amines because of lager yeast and filtration, with gluten still present.
Coors Light questions
How many calories are in a bottle of Coors Light? ▾
About 102 calories in a 12oz bottle at 4.2% ABV. 82 come from the alcohol and 20 from carbohydrate.
How many carbs are in Coors Light? ▾
5g of carbohydrate per 12oz bottle. The producer does not publish a sugar figure, and in beer most of that carbohydrate is unfermented starch and dextrins rather than sugar.
Is Coors Light gluten-free? ▾
No. Coors Light is brewed from barley and never distilled, so the gluten stays in the glass. It is not safe for coeliacs; look for a beer brewed from sorghum, rice or millet instead.
Does Coors Light give you a bad hangover? ▾
Coors Light scores 3/10 on the SpiritFacts Hangover Index, against 6/10 for beer overall. It is low on every hangover factor we track, so most of the morning after comes down to how much ethanol you drink.