Beer Calories

"Beer is a living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." - Benjamin Franklin

Beer, its fizz, its aroma and its taste makes you want more of it especially on a hot sunny afternoon. But ever wondered about how many calories beer contains? Beer is a hop-flavored alcoholic drink (which I don't think I need to mention - if you're reading this!) made by brewing and fermenting starches (like barley, rice), malt, water, sugar and yeast. Hop is the flower of hop-vine and it acts as a natural preservative. It is added to beer for its bitter taste and preservative properties. Yeast is added to the beer to ferment it. Water-content in beer is about 90%. The percentage of alcohol in beer normally ranges from 4 to 6% and from 1% to 20% in rare cases.

Types of Beer

There are several varieties of beer. The types of beer usually depend on the place where they originate. The type of beer also depends on its taste, color, alcohol content and the yeast used in fermenting it. Following are the primary types of beer.

• Ale: Ale is brewed from malted barley using the top fermenting yeast, which gives it a sweet and fruity taste. Usually it is brown or dark brown in color and the alcohol percentage ranges from 3-5%. Ale comes in varieties like Brown Ale, Scotch Ale, Mild Ale, Old Ale and Belgian Ale.
• Bitter: Bitter is a British term for pale ale. Usually, the alcohol percentage ranges from 3% in mild bitter ales to 7% in the strongest ones. The color could range anywhere from golden brown to dark brown.
• Stout: Stout is a dark beer made by brewing roasted barley or malt, water, hop and yeast. Stout used to be a generic term for describing the strongest beer. Alcohol percentage: 7-8%. Stout beer comes in different varieties like Irish Stout, Imperial Stout, Porter Stout, Milk stout, Oatmeal Stout, Chocolate Tout, Coffee Stout and Oyster Stout.
• Lager:Lager comes from the German word "Lagem" which means "to store". Lager beer is a cool fermenting beer that is served chilled only after storing it for three weeks. Lager beer has its origin in Central Europe and pale lager beer is the most commonly consumed beer in the world. The alcohol content ranges between 4-6%. Lager beer comes in varieties like Pilsener, Export and Marzen.
• Wheat: Wheat beer is brewed with large quantities of wheat. Malted barley is also used in wheat beer. The flavor depends on its style and is usually available in weissbier, witbier and other sour varieties, such as lambic.
• Hybrid: Hybrid beers are the ones which are top fermented before cold conditioning. These beers are then lagered for consumption. Hybrid beers can also be bottom-fermented with a special yeast that ferments the beer at warmer temperatures.
• Draft: Draft beer is also called "tap beer". Often the term, draft beer is misunderstood. Draft beer is basically a beer that is served from a bigger container like a keg or a cask through a tap.
• Non-Alcoholic: Beers containing less than 0.5% alcohol are called non-alcoholic beers according to the now-defunct Volstead Act.

Besides these, any type of beer is available in two versions:

• Strong (Regular) Beer
• Light (Mild) Beer

Nutritional Value of Beer

You will be surprised to know that beer has some nutritional value. It contains sodium, carbohydrates, proteins and even vitamins B2 and B6. Low-alcoholic beer is also used in medicines for cancer patients.

Beer Type	Calories Per Pint (12-ounce serving)	Carbohydrates (gm)	Proteins (gm)	Fat (gm)	Alcohol Content
Regular Beer	150	13	1.5	0	5.0%
Light Beer	100	6	Less than 1	0	3.1%

Eye-opening Facts about Beer

• Beer is a fat-free and cholesterol-free alcoholic beverage.
• Beer is the most popular drink in the world after tea and coffee.
• Beer has a relaxing effect on the body thereby reducing stress and improving your sleep. But you should not forget that beer contains alcohol that may harm your liver, if consumed excessively.
• It helps prevent heart diseases and improves blood circulation, only if taken in moderate quantities.
• Beer acts as the best softening-conditioner for hair care.

Calories in Beer Comparison Chart

Beer Type	Calories (Pint-12 ounce)
Lager Beer	150
Stout Beer	195
Pale Ale Beer	147
Wheat Beer	165
Draft Beer	126
Porter Beer	200

The above chart is based on a serving of 12 ounces per serving, which is commonly served in a pint. The calories within a glass may vary depending upon the size and dimension of a beer mug. To know how many calories are contained within each bottle of beer, you should multiply the calorie count of a pint (12 ounces) by 2.

Calorie Chart of Popular Beer Brands

Brand	Alcohol Content (%)	Calories	Carbohydrates(gm)
Budweiser	5.0	145	10.6
Bud Light	4.1	110	6.5
Heineken Lager	5.0	150	11.5
Corona Extra	4.6	148	13.99
Foster's Lager	5.1	156	11.0

The above calorie chart is for a 12 ounce serving. Again, to find out how many calories are contained per bottle (750 ml) of each of these brands, multiply the calorie-count by 2.

Highest Calorie Beers

1. Sierra Nevada Bigfoot: 330 calories
2. Samuel Adams Boston Lager: 180 calories

Lowest Calorie Beers

1. Beck's Premier Light: 64 calories (Lowest!)
2. Amstel Light: 95 calories

I hope all the beer lovers who are reading this will now take care of their beer calorie intake. Beer is definitely more preferable to other alcoholic drinks since the alcohol content in beer is less. There is nothing wrong in drinking beer as long as you know the limits and hazards of excessive drinking. So the next time you have an old school reunion with clinking beer mugs in your hands, and memories being cherished, don't forget the calories you are consuming with each memory! For all those who cannot remember the calorie counts I have composed the conclusion in the following verse.

So, drink the pint;
'Cause it's one of its kind'
But don't lose your mind,
'Else your belly will unwind!

Cheers folks!