The Best Low Calorie Beers to Drink in 2023
Or in 2023, we don't judge. How about the best low-cal beers to drink today? Or, the best low calorie light beers to lavishly enjoy at your slopeside ski condo?
Written by CraftJack | Updated | 6 min read
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Don't mind us, we try not to take things too seriously. What we do take seriously is trying to provide insight and info into where you can find certain types of beer styles, breweries, or in this case, low-cal beers. We're big fans of low cal, low abv beer options on Football Sundays, as it helps get us from the 1pm kickoff to and through the Sunday Night game.
Here are some of the lowest-calorie beers available today - should you be counting the calories you're drinking. In general, we strive to cover craft beers such as Lagunitas Daytime, Harpoon Rec League, and Session IPAs like Bell's Lightheard Ale. That said, we can't just turn a blind eye to the Busch Lights, Coors Lights, Heineken Lights, Miller Lites, Natural Lights and other Big Bev, popular American beers. You know, it's just hard not to include those "easy drinking" pilsners (see Michelob Ultra) on a list like this given their popularity and low calorie count.
The best part here is how many of these lower calorie, low alcohol brews are available for purchase on Drizly - a great way to buy beer online. Whether you're talking Amstel Light, Beck's, Bud Light, or Corona Light, they got it. Heck, they might even have gluten-free pale ales that are brewed in New England and magically shipped to New York overnight, we don't know.
Anyway, here are some low calorie, low alcohol content alcoholic beverages that you should try, ranging from Anheuser-Busch to Samuel Adams. On occasion, we'll even include the carbohydrates involved.
Slightly Mighty Lo-Cal IPA (Dogfish Head)
Dogfish Head's Slightly Mighty is a well balanced lo-cal IPA that is brewed with monk fruit. According to Dogfish Head founder, Sam Calagione, Slightly Mighty has a, "muscular hop character".
We've had it and we can say that the advertising of Slightly Mighty seems to add up to our experience of the low-cal beer. At 30 on the IBU scale, it skipped over watery puddle and delivered on Sam's hop character comment, if not quite muscular. And, with an ABV of 4%, it is/was quite sessionable, as most of the beers on this list are. We don't know much about monk fruit, but it seems to add enough sweetness whilst keeping the beer fairly light-bodied and unsaturated.
Released in 2018, Slightly Mighty is a year round offering from the Delaware brewery. A hazy gold brew with some tropical and citrus aromas, Slightly Mighty can be found on draft at bars and restaurants, sold in six pack and twelve pack format in beer stores, and, mixed into The Box That Goes BOOOOM!, a craft beer variety pack that Dogfish offers.
Slightly Mighty Calories & Facts (per 12oz)
- Calories: 95
- Carbs: 3.6g
- Fat: 0g
- Protein: 1g
Slim Hazy
A 4.1% ABV is respectable for this premium organic low calorie beverage. Brewed with Calypso, Citra, and Simcoe hops, Slim Hazy enjoys a solid hop bouquet. As a Maine craft beer, you can rest assured that the brewing ingredients are first rate, since many Maine breweries utilize local Maine farms for most, if not all of their brewing supplies.
If you're looking for another reason to go with Slim Hazy over a mass-produced Low-Cal Light Beer, it's this, according to Peak Organic Brewing themselves, "The acreage of organic grain being grown is expanding at an equally exciting rate, and we're proud to say that annually we (Peak Organic) help keep 205,775 lbs (93.45 TONS) of toxic persistent pesticides and chemicals off the soil."
So that makes two reasons to enjoy a Slim Hazy, low cal and heavily sustainable.
Slim Hazy Calories & Facts (per 12oz)
- Calories: 95
- Carbs: 3g
- Fat: 0g
- Protein: 1g
Kona Light
How many times can a beer bottle tell you how few calories the beer has? Two! (ah ah ah)
Anyway, Kona Light, a blonde ale, is among the more casual of beers that we've tried recently. A golden yellow bodied beer with a rapidly dissolving head, Kong Light is a crisp, somewhat grainy beer that possesses medium carbonation and a light mouthfeel. The invitation of the beer is evident, but the memory fades as fast as the head.
Would we drink it again? Sure. Are we clamoring to do so? Not really.
Kona Light Calories & Facts (per 12oz)
- Calories: 99
- Carbs: 4g
- Fat: 0g
- Protein: 1g
New Belgium Brewing The Purist
The Purist is a 3.8 Percent ABV offering from Colorado brewery, New Belgium Brewing. According to the brewery, The Purist brewing process, "begins with pristine, first-use mountain water from the Poudre River in Colorado." We can sign off on that, as Budweiser Select it is not.
Rocking a thin beer can, is The Purist, and New Belgium by default, throwing some shade on Coors Light? We'll never know. What we do know is that we're happy to count it, along with it's respectable alcohol content, among the best low-calorie beers in the market. Did we mention that it's certified USDA Organic?
New Belgium Brewing The Purist Calories & Facts (per 12oz)
- Calories: 95
- Carbs: 3g
Yuengling Flight
Moving beyond their Yuengling Light Lager is Yuengling Flight, a super-duper low-carb beer that only has 95 calories. It's good to see the oldest brewery in the U.S. still innovating after brewing beer for well over a century outta Pennsylvania.
Flight gives this long-standing American brewery two solid low-calorie beer options, even if their calorie count is different. Plus, it's a clever play on words, which should resonate well with the general public.
Yuengling Flight Calories & Facts (per 12oz)
- Calories: 95
- Carbs: 2.6g
Light Hearted Ale
Big name brewery with a small, light beer. Bell's Light Hearted is quite the drinker. A 3.7% ABV will do that for you.
As for this list of lo-cal beer options, it weighs in on the heavy side with 110 calories. But be honest with yourself, would you rather drink a 95 calorie Mic Ultra, or, add the extra 15 calories and enjoy a cold Bell's Light Hearted? We're going to assume your answer is the latter and say, right?!
Light Hearted Ale Calories & Facts (per 12oz)
- Calories 110
- Carbs 8.7g
- Fat 0g
- Protein 1.3g
Night Lite
Night Shift head brewer, Joe Mashburn (can't make this up), has this to say about Night Lite, a 4.3% ABV light lager brewed with flaked corn. Gotta love how well he handles the one negative review comparing Night Lite's taste and aromatics to that of a root canal. The other 4 reviews that Joe reads are how we feel about the beer. It's a much, much better beer than what Big Bev puts out in the same categories.
Plus, this Boston brewery is a great visit, especially when taking a Boston brewery tour. All in all, Night Lite is 120 calories well spent.
Night Lite Calories & Facts (per 12oz)
- Calories 120
- Carbs 8g
- Fat 0.7g
- Protein 1g
Jack's Abby Radler Series
Their Radler series comes in many flavors. But the zest is in the low ABV (4%) and the 100 calorie per can rating. Well done, Jack's, well done.
Jack's Abby Radlers
- Calories 100
Bud Light Next
It has zero carbs. And yet at 4% ABV, it still has alcohol in it. Is it mass produced? Yes. Will it be the best beer you've ever had? No. But once again, zero carbs.
Heck, even the boozy Bud Light Seltzer Popsicles have more carbs than Bud Light Next.
Bud Light Next Calories & Facts (per 12oz)
- Calories 80
- Carbs 0g
Stone Brewing Features + Benefits
Part of the Stone Pilot Series Program, Features & Benefits is a gluten-reduced beer that contains 4% ABV and 30 IBU. Released in 2020, F+B is chock full of Azacca, Cashmere, Mosaic and Vic Secret hops.
It's the type of beer that goes well with a Pear Salad or Taco Night. F+B has heaps of flavor, despite the sub-100 calorie rating.
What does it taste like? Citrus, black pepper, and the West Coast itself.
Features + Benefits Calories & Facts (per 12oz)
- Calories 95
- Carbs 2.9g
Puppers Beer
Who's a good beer?!
Puppers Beer is a fictional beer made real by first Stack Brewing of Ontario, and then Labatt Breweries. It is considered the Official Beer of Letterkenny, as enjoyed by characters on the hit TV show of the same name. Puppers Beer ranges in ABV from 4-5% depending on the brewer, but shares commonality as a light lager. Word on the street has Puppers Premium Golden Lager clocking in at ~120 calories.
Mass Produced Low Calorie Beers
You'll notice that many of the beers below are light beers. That should come as no surprise, as there is no way to go low-cal without reducing some of the body of the beer.
- Miller 64 (64 calories)
- Corona Premier (90 calories)
- Michelob Ultra (95 calories)
- Amstel Light (95 calories)
- Busch Light (95 calories)
- Natural Light (95 calories)
- Miller Lite (96 calories)
- Milwaukees Best Light (98 calories)
- Heineken Light (99 calories)
- Corona Light (99 calories)
- Budweiser Select (99 calories)
- Coors Light (102 calories)
- Keystone Light (104 calories)
- Bud Light (110 calories)
- Miller Genuine Draft Light (110 calories)
- Michelob Ultra Pure Gold (114 calories)
- Busch (114 calories)
- Bud Light Lime (116 calories)
- Sam Adams Light (119 calories)
- Michelob Light (123 calories)
- Guinness Draught (128 calories)
Low Calorie Drink Ideas
Check out this video on low calorie drinks that you can enjoy. Sure, there are still calories in alcohol, but you won't find any TGI Friday's Ultimate Mudlsides on this list.
Wrapping Up
It's unlikely that you'll ever sit down to enjoy a flight of these beers. Just as unlikely would be finding a Triple IPA on this list, as they are notorious sugar bombs.
Hopefully we've given you some decent beers to consider when you're looking for your next cold bevvie after a summertime pickup game of hoops.