There’s no better feeling than enjoying a cold pint of lager, especially at the end of a hard day. Unfortunately, most beers are high in calories, as many of us know from the commonly used term ‘beer belly’. So how do you know which lager is higher in calories compared to another especially when most of them don’t contain a nutritional table? Our lager experts at SkinnyBrands are here to give you the ultimate guide on how many calories are in some of the nation’s favourite lagers and how to choose the perfect lager for you.
So, how many calories are in a pint of lager? On average, a pint of lager has 230 calories. This number can fluctuate from brand to brand depending on the lager’s carbohydrate and alcohol content.
Read on to find out more about how many calories are in a pint of lager in some of the most popular brands and what factors affect these.
How Many Calories Are in a Pint of Lager?
Based on our own research using independent 3rd party testing, we have compared some of the most popular brands of lager available on the market. On average a pint of lager, has around 230 calories. According to Live Strong, you would have to do over 30 minutes of intense tennis just to burn off that one pint. But how does this average compare to popular brands of lager?
See the table below to compare how many calories and carbohydrates there are in a pint of different lager brands, including Heineken, San Miguel and Skinny Lager:
| Lager | Calories per pint | Carbohydrates per pint |
|---|---|---|
| Heineken (5.0% ABV) | 236 | 17.6 |
| Corona Extra (4.5% ABV) | 232 | 22.7 |
| Peroni (5.1% ABV) | 234 | 15.3 |
| San Miguel (5.0% ABV) | 236 | 20.5 |
| Budweiser (4.5% ABV) | 219 | 14.8 |
| Kronenberg (5.0% ABV) | 248 | 17.6 |
| Asahi (5.0% ABV) | 225 | 16.5 |
| Cobra (4.8% ABV) | 236 | 19.3 |
| Stella Artois (4.8% ABV) | 219 | 14.8 |
| Becks (4.8% ABV) | 219 | 14.8 |
| Estrella Damm (4.6% ABV) | 224 | 18.8 |
| Sol (4.5% ABV) | 227 | 20.0 |
| Desperados (5.9% ABV) | 317 | 31.8 |
| Skinny Lager (4.0% ABV) | 149 | 5.2 |
Calories in Lager vs. Other Alcohol
When you compare lager to other alcoholic beverages such as wine, cream liquor or even an alcopop beer, lager is commonly the highest-calorie drink that you can choose. According to NHS Data, a standard glass of 12% wine (175ml) has 133 cals, which is a staggering 100 calories lower than an average pint of beer (230 cals).
The lowest calorie choice out of this selection typically is a double measure of gin (50ml) at just 95 calories a serving. However, this doesn’t take into account the calories from a mixer should you add one.
Where Do The Calories in Lager Come From?
Despite there being lower-calorie lager options available, such as Skinny Lager, on average lager is a higher-calorie alcoholic beverage.
But what is it that causes these higher calorie numbers? The calories in lager come from both the carbohydrates present and the alcohol present. So to reduce the calories in lager, you must either reduce the alcohol content or the carbohydrate content.
Typically during the brewing process, unfermented grains are added to beer which increases the number of carbohydrates and in turn, increases the calorie content.
Alcohol is made by fermenting and distilling natural sugars and starches, so any drink that contains alcohol will contain a certain amount of calories. This is why alcoholic beverages with a lower ABV will contain fewer calories. However, beware that lower ABV lagers have to add extra carbohydrates to compensate for the loss of flavour due to the reduced alcohol. Therefore, lower ABV lagers are still not low in calories
Not only is it the ABV value that contributes to the calories in lager but also the carbohydrates. So as a rule of thumb, the higher the ABV and carbs in a drink, the higher the number of calories.
What Lager Has The Lowest Number of Calories?
Skinny Lager has the lowest number of calories when compared with other popular premium lagers on the market such as Budweiser, Stella Artois and Peroni; see our comparison tool. It has 35% fewer calories than other prominent brands available which on average can save you 48 calories for every bottle that you choose to consume. We do this by reducing the carbohydrate content and not the ABV. Not only is Skinny Lager lower calorie but is also full of flavour, vegan, gluten-free and kosher.
Are Lower-Calorie Lagers Low Alcohol?
No, lower calorie content doesn’t equal low alcohol. Skinny Lager for example has an ABV of 4.0% while still having only 149 calories per pint.
Fewer Calories, Full Flavour
At SkinnyBrands, we’re committed to providing a delicious lower-calorie lager that is gluten-free, vegan, and kosher and is only 89 calories per bottle. We’ve created a lager that is not only full of flavour but brewed using the finest ingredients and techniques, so you can have a lower-calorie lager without compromising on flavour.
If you want to try our lager, check out our Skinny Lager selection or have a look at our FAQs.
