Why Alcohol-Free Beer Has Fewer Calories
Most people assume alcohol-free beer is lighter because something has been taken away. They're right, but rarely for the reason they think. The difference comes down to one molecule, and the math is simple once you see it.
The Chemistry
Ethanol · Calories · Removal
Ethanol is the second most calorie-dense nutrient after fat, carrying 7 calories per gram. In a standard 5% beer, it accounts for roughly 60% of total calories. A 330ml can contains about 13 grams of ethanol, which translates to 91 calories from alcohol alone. The malt, the hops, the brewing itself contribute another 50 or so.
| Nutrient | Calories per gram |
|---|---|
| Fat | 9 kcal |
| Alcohol | 7 kcal |
| Carbohydrates (incl. sugar) | 4 kcal |
| Protein | 4 kcal |
Remove the ethanol, and the arithmetic shifts dramatically. What remains is mostly carbohydrates and trace protein, bringing a typical craft alcohol-free beer down to around 20 calories per 100ml. The reduction isn't a formulation trick. It's the absence of the most calorie-dense ingredient.
The Sugar Paradox
Fermentation · Yeast · Residual Sugar
There is a counterintuitive detail in the table above: regular beer contains less sugar than alcohol-free beer. This is not an error. During fermentation, yeast consumes sugar and converts it into ethanol and carbon dioxide. The more complete the fermentation, the less sugar remains, and the more alcohol the beer contains.
Alcohol-free brewing reverses this equation. Fermentation is either stopped early or the alcohol is removed afterward. In both cases, more residual sugar tends to stay behind. The calories shift from ethanol to carbohydrates.
| Per 100ml | Calories | Sugar |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol-free beer (craft avg.) | ~20 kcal | ~2.5g |
| Regular beer (5% ABV) | ~43 kcal | ~1.0g |
| Orange juice | ~45 kcal | ~9.0g |
| Coca-Cola | ~42 kcal | ~10.5g |
Well-made alcohol-free beer keeps this residual sugar low. Across our range of 20 craft beers, the average sits at 2.5 grams per 100ml. Orange juice contains roughly 9 grams. Coca-Cola, about 10.5. In a comparison few people think to make, alcohol-free craft beer comes out well ahead.
The Caveat
Quality · Shortcuts · Difference
Not all producers manage this trade-off equally. Some compensate for the loss of alcohol's body and mouthfeel by adding sugar back in, resulting in an alcohol-free beer with double the carbohydrates of its full-strength equivalent. Technically alcohol-free. Nutritionally, a step sideways.
The breweries we work with approach it differently: specialty yeasts, controlled fermentation, considered malt bills. The calories drop by more than half without sweetness filling the gap.
Beyond the Can
Metabolism · Appetite · Compounding
Alcohol also influences what happens after you drink it. The body prioritizes metabolizing ethanol over other energy sources, temporarily pausing fat oxidation. Ethanol stimulates appetite as well, a phenomenon known in research as the aperitif effect. The post-beer pizza is not a lack of willpower. It is a predictable metabolic response.
Remove the alcohol, and both mechanisms disappear. The calorie savings extend beyond what the label reflects.
In Short
Alcohol is the ingredient you don't taste but your body counts. Sugar is the one you do. Well-brewed alcohol-free beer reduces both, not through reformulation, but through the simple consequence of removing the most calorie-dense molecule in the glass.
Sources & Links
1. Traversy, G. and Chaput, J.P. "Alcohol Consumption and Obesity: An Update." Current Obesity Reports, vol. 4, no. 1, 2015, pp. 122–130.
2. Shelmet, J.J. et al. "Ethanol Causes Acute Inhibition of Carbohydrate, Fat, and Protein Oxidation and Insulin Resistance." The Journal of Clinical Investigation, vol. 81, no. 4, 1988, pp. 1137–1145.
3. Yeomans, M.R. "Alcohol, Appetite and Energy Balance: Is Alcohol Intake a Risk Factor for Obesity?" Physiology & Behavior, vol. 100, no. 1, 2010, pp. 82–89.
4. Suter, P.M. et al. "The Effect of Ethanol on Fat Storage in Healthy Subjects." The New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 326, no. 15, 1992, pp. 983–987.
5. USDA FoodData Central. "Nutritional Values for Beer, Orange Juice, and Carbonated Beverages." U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2024.
6. Bamforth, C.W. "Nutritional Aspects of Beer — A Review." Nutrition Research, vol. 22, no. 1-2, 2002, pp. 227–237.
Note: Calorie values for alcohol-free beer are based on our own product range of 20 craft beers from European breweries. Values for regular beer, orange juice, and Coca-Cola are based on standard reference data. Individual products vary.