List of Low Calorie Beers

Charles Bamforth, a University of California Davis researcher, claims that beer's antioxidants, B vitamins, folic acid, minerals and fiber make it a healthy addition to a balanced diet. With the introduction of light and ultra-light beer, consumers are now able to take advantage of beer's health benefits while enjoying a beverage that is low in calories.

Regular Beer

Guinness Stout is an anomaly in the regular beer calorie as it is surprisingly low in calories. A 12-oz. serving of Guinness contains 125 calories and 10 g of carbohydrates. Although Guinness is classified as a regular beer, its alcohol content of 4.27 percent is closer to that of light beer. Its distinct taste is more likely responsible for its popularity than its calorie content, however, with roughly 10 million glasses of Guinness consumed everyday throughout the world.

Light Beer

Although a brand of diet beer introduced in the late 1960s was a dismal failure, the 1970s launch of the light beer category was a resounding success. Lite beer from Miller was the first entry into this category, followed by Anheuser Busch's Natural Light and Michelob Light. By 2010, three of the country's top four beer brands were lower-calorie light beers -- Bud Light, Miller Lite and Coors Light.

Light beer is characterized by an alcohol content of roughly 4.2 percent, although the content can be as low as 3.8 percent or as high as 4.3 percent. When it comes to calories and carbs, light beers are not created equal. A 12-oz. serving of Anheuser Busch and Miller Lite contain roughly 95 calories and 3.2 g of carbohydrates. Coors Light weighs in at 104 calories with 5.3 g of carbs. Bud Light, Miller Genuine Draft Light and Michelob Light contain roughly 110 calories with between 6.6 g and 7.0 g of carbohydrates. Although Sam Adams Light has a lower alcohol content at 4.05 percent, one 12-oz. serving contains 124 calories and 9.5 g of carbohydrates.

Ultra-Light Beer

As Americans headed towards a healthier lifestyle, the beer industry responded with a new category of beer, ultra light, promising consumers a rich, full taste with even lower calories than its cousin, light beer. Although Michelob Ultra has an alcohol content and calories similar to light beer at 4.3 percent and 95 calories in one 12-oz. serving, its carbohydrate is significantly lower at 2.6 g. Pabst Extra Light, Miller Genuine Draft 64 and Budweiser Select 55 all contain 2.8 percent or less alcohol by volume, 55 to 67 calories in a 12-oz. serving and less than 2.5 g of carbohydrates.

Non-Alcoholic Beer

The term "non-alcoholic" may be misleading when it comes to beer, as it does contain trace amounts of alcohol of 0.5 percent or less. O'Douls was the first market entry in this category with 0.4 percent alcohol content, 65 calories and 13.3 g of carbohydrates in a 12-oz. serving. Coors Non-Alcohol contains 0.5 percent alcohol, 66 calories and 14.8 g. of carbohydrates.