Lowest calorie beer
A beer's calories come from two places: its alcohol, and the carbohydrate the yeast left behind. Light lagers win on both counts, with less alcohol and only 2 to 7 grams of carbs per can, while a full-strength wheat beer like Blue Moon carries 14. Every figure below comes from the brewer's published label.
The lowest calorie beers are Corona Premier (89), Busch Light (93), Michelob Ultra (93) calories per 12oz. The fewest carbs: Corona Premier (2.6g), Michelob Ultra (2.6g), Busch Light (3.2g). At the other end, Blue Moon Belgian White is 162.
All 15 beers, lowest calories first
- 1 Corona Premier 4% · 12oz can · 2.6g carbs 89 111
- 2 Busch Light 4.1% · 12oz can · 3.2g carbs 93 113
- 3 Michelob Ultra 4.2% · 12oz can · 2.6g carbs 93 110
- 4 Miller Lite 4.2% · 12oz can · 3.2g carbs 95 113
- 5 Natural Light 4.2% · 12oz can · 3.2g carbs 95 113
- 6 Coors Light 4.2% · 12oz can · 5g carbs 102 121
- 7 Bud Light 4.2% · 12oz can · 6.6g carbs 109 129
- 8 Guinness Draught 4.2% · 12oz can · 10.6g carbs 125 148
- 9 Yuengling Traditional Lager 4.5% · 12oz can · 12g carbs 136 151
- 10 Budweiser 5% · 12oz can · 10.6g carbs 140 140
- 11 Modelo Especial 4.4% · 12oz can · 13.6g carbs 141 160
- 12 Heineken 5% · 12oz can · 11g carbs 142 142
- 13 Corona Extra 4.6% · 12oz can · 14g carbs 146 158
- 14 Stella Artois 5% · 12oz can · 12g carbs 146 146
- 15 Blue Moon Belgian White 5.4% · 12oz can · 14g carbs 162 150
Calories per serving use a standard pour: 1.5oz for spirits and liqueurs, 12oz for beer and cans. Per standard drink scales each one to 14g of alcohol, the US standard drink, so a shot and a beer can be compared directly. Drinks whose producers publish no sugar or carbohydrate figure are not ranked.
FAQ
What is the lowest calorie beer? ▾
The lowest calorie beers are Corona Premier (89), Busch Light (93), Michelob Ultra (93) calories per 12oz. The fewest carbs: Corona Premier (2.6g), Michelob Ultra (2.6g), Busch Light (3.2g). At the other end, Blue Moon Belgian White is 162.
What beer has the fewest carbs? ▾
Corona Premier (2.6g), Michelob Ultra (2.6g), Busch Light (3.2g), Miller Lite (3.2g) per 12oz. The light lagers get there by brewing with more fermentable sugar, so the yeast leaves less behind.
Is light beer really lower in calories? ▾
Yes. The light lagers here run 89 to 109 calories per 12oz against 125 for the median beer. Most of the saving comes from carbohydrate; the rest from slightly lower alcohol.
Which beer has the fewest calories per drink of alcohol? ▾
Michelob Ultra, at 110 calories per standard drink (14g of alcohol). That figure strips out the alcohol difference and shows how much carbohydrate comes along with it.
Is there a low calorie gluten-free beer? ▾
Glutenberg and Ghostfish brew without barley or wheat, but neither publishes calorie or carb figures, so they are not ranked here. See the beer pages for their ingredients.