Miller Lite
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The original American light lager, at 4.2% ABV. Labels list 96 calories and 3.2g of carbohydrate per 12oz, brewed from barley malt, corn syrup, hops and yeast.
- 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
- 95
- Carbs
- 3.2g
11.8g ethanol at 4.2% ABV. 82 from alcohol, 13 from carbohydrate.
In its favor
- ✓About 96 calories and 3.2g of carbs per 12oz
- ✓4.2% ABV
- ✓Short ingredient list, no flavorings
What to watch
- !Contains gluten from barley malt
- !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.
Miller Lite is the template for the category and still the benchmark for what a light lager costs in calories: 96 per 12oz on the label, with 3.2g of carbohydrate. That is about 14 calories less than Bud Light.
Its ingredients are listed plainly as water, barley malt, corn syrup, yeast and hops. The corn syrup is fully fermentable, which thins the body and lowers residual carbohydrate, but the barley malt still brings gluten. Molson Coors does not publish a sugar figure, so the calorie and carb numbers are given in text only.
Miller Lite questions
How many calories are in a bottle of Miller Lite? ▾
About 95 calories in a 12oz bottle at 4.2% ABV. 82 come from the alcohol and 13 from carbohydrate.
How many carbs are in Miller Lite? ▾
3.2g 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 Miller Lite gluten-free? ▾
No. Miller Lite 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 Miller Lite give you a bad hangover? ▾
Miller Lite 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.