Non-alcoholic beer is not only for those wanting to reduce their alcohol intake, or for those that want to cut it out altogether. NA beers also tend to be a lower calorie drink when we compare to a full-strength beer. Alcoholic beverages are often known for having 'empty calories', meaning that there is little to no nutritional value in them. A typical 5% ABV lager will have around 150 calories per 330ml can or bottle, which quickly adds up on a night out. In comparison, that is similar to drinking the same amount of semi-skimmed cow's milk.
AF beers on the other hand average out at about 70 calories per can based on our review data, less than half that of a full-strength beer. We've also reviewed non-alcoholic beers that are much lower in calorie content, with the lowest being Unltd IPA, which contains a mere 13.2 calories per bottle. You'd have to drink about 12 of these to consume the same number of calories contained in a typical 5% ABV lager.
Below we have provided data on the difference in calories between many popular full strength beers, along with calorie data on their alcohol-free alternatives. You'll see the difference tends to be pretty big.
| Beers(Alcohol-Free vs Full-Strength) | Calories(100ml AF) | Calories(100ml Full) | CalorieDifference | Sugar (g)(AF) | Sugar (g)(Full) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beck's Blue (0.03% ABV) vs Beck's (4.8% ABV) |
14 | 38 | 36% | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Peroni Libera (0.0% ABV) vs Peroni Nastro Azzurro (5.1% ABV) |
22 | 41.5 | 53% | 3.0 | 0 |
| Heineken 0.0 (0.05% ABV) vs Heineken (5.0% ABV) |
21 | 42 | 50% | 1.3 | 0 |
| Adnams Ghost Ship Alcohol Free (0.5% ABV) vs Adnams Ghost Ship (4.5% ABV) |
23 | 39 | 59% | 0.1 | 0 |
| Birra Moretti Zero (0.05% ABV) vs Birra Moretti L'Autentica (4.6% ABV) |
20 | 56 | 36% | 1.2 | 0.5 |
| Morland Old Speckled Hen Low Alcohol (0.5% ABV) vs Morland Old Speckled Hen (5% ABV) |
22 | 52 | 42% | 2.0 | 0 |
| BrewDog Punk AF (0.5% ABV) vs BrewDog Punk IPA (5.6% ABV) |
15 | 52 | 28% | 1.8 | 0 |
| Free Damm (0.0% ABV) vs Estrella Damm (4.6% ABV) |
20 | 50 | 40% | 1.7 | 0.5 |
| Franziskaner Weissbier Alkoholfrei (0.5% ABV) vs Franziskaner Royal (6% ABV) |
21 | 47 | 45% | 1.84 | 0.2 |
| Budweiser Zero (0.0% ABV) vs Budweiser 4.5 (4.5% ABV) |
14 | 39 | 36% | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Super Bock Black (0.5% ABV) vs Super Bock Stout (5% ABV) |
26 | 47 | 55% | 2.7 | 0.9 |
| Paulaner Weissbier (0.0% ABV) vs Paulaner Weissbier (5.5% ABV) |
24 | 42 | 57% | 3.6 | 0 |
| BrewDog Lost AF (0.5% ABV) vs BrewDog Lost Lager (4.7% ABV) |
10 | 39 | 25% | 1.8 | 0 |
| Pistonhead Flat Tyre (0.5% ABV) vs Pistonhead Flat Tyre (4.5% ABV) |
20 | 39 | 51% | 0.5 | 0 |
| Guinness 0.0 (0.05% ABV) vs Guinness Draught (4.1% ABV) |
17 | 37 | 45% | 0.7 | 0.2 |
Using the data from the above table, we find that the average calorie difference between a can of full strength and a can of non-alcoholic versions of popular beers is 44%.