Michelob Ultra
St. Louis, Missouri
Ultra-light American lager at 4.2% ABV, published at 95 calories and 2.6g of carbohydrate per 12oz. The lowest carbohydrate count of the major domestic lights.
- Ingredients / botanicals
- water, barley malt, rice, hops, lager yeast
- Congeners
- Very Low
- Histamines
- Low
- Polyphenols
- Very Low
- Sulfites
- Low
- Tannins
- Very Low
- Sugar
- Very Low
- Additives
- Low
- Calories
- 93
- Carbs
- 2.6g
11.8g ethanol at 4.2% ABV. 82 from alcohol, 10 from carbohydrate.
In its favor
- ✓95 calories and 2.6g of carbs per 12oz
- ✓4.2% ABV
- ✓Cold lager fermentation and heavy filtration keep congeners and amines low
What to watch
- !Contains gluten from barley malt
- !Low flavor invites volume drinking
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.
Michelob Ultra is where the light-beer formula goes furthest. Anheuser-Busch publishes 95 calories and 2.6g of carbohydrate per 12oz, and at 4.2% alcohol most of those calories are ethanol, not carbohydrate.
Compared with Bud Light’s 6.6g, Ultra ferments out almost all of the malt sugar, which is why it leads the low-carb beer lists. It is still brewed from barley, so it contains gluten.
Michelob Ultra questions
How many calories are in a bottle of Michelob Ultra? ▾
About 93 calories in a 12oz bottle at 4.2% ABV. 82 come from the alcohol and 10 from carbohydrate.
How many carbs are in Michelob Ultra? ▾
2.6g 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 Michelob Ultra gluten-free? ▾
No. Michelob Ultra 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 Michelob Ultra give you a bad hangover? ▾
Michelob Ultra 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.