Beer: how many calories?

Beer carries 43 calories per 100 grams; a typical portion (330 g) comes to 142 calories. The tables below give the same figure in cups, spoons and slices.

100 g43kcal
  • Protein0.5 g
  • Carbs3.6 g
  • Fat0.0 g
  • Fibre0.0 g
1 portion · 330 g142kcal
  • Protein1.6 g
  • Carbs11.9 g
  • Fat0.0 g
  • Fibre0.0 g

Where do the calories come from?

  • Protein 12%
  • Carbs 88%
  • Fat 0%

Each macro's grams are multiplied by its own calorie value: 4 for protein and carbohydrate, 9 for fat. Fibre sits inside the carbohydrate figure and alcohol is not in the list at all, which is why the three shares add up to exactly one hundred.

What do these numbers mean on the plate?

Beer carries 0.4 calories per gram: it takes 233 grams to reach 100 calories. In this band the portion is hard to misjudge by eye, because piling up calories means genuinely filling the plate.

A typical portion is 330 g. Because tables are written per 100 grams, counting the portion as 100 grams too is a common mistake; for Beer that means understating the calories by 70%.

In calories, one portion (330 g · 142 kcal) comes to: 346 g Carrot. Carrot page

One portion every day adds up to 51,794 calories a year — roughly a 6.7 kg difference. This is a linear estimate and an upper bound: as weight changes, daily needs change with it. Build your own timeline

Calories in a drink go down without chewing, so they turn into little sense of fullness; the same calories from solid food would have covered part of a meal.

Household measure equivalents

MeasureGramCaloriesProtein
Small glass (100 ml)101 g43 kcal0.5 g
Glass (200 ml)202 g87 kcal1.0 g
US cup (240 ml)242 g104 kcal1.2 g
Can / bottle (330 ml)333 g143 kcal1.7 g
Bowl (300 ml)303 g130 kcal1.5 g
1 serving330 g142 kcal1.6 g

Cup and spoon equivalents come from the food's bulk density, not from volume: a cup holds 200 millilitres, not 200 grams. Packing and how finely something is chopped move these numbers by 10-20%. Convert your own measure

How much of the daily reference intake?

NutrientDaily reference100 g1 portion · 330 g
Calories2,000 kcal2%7%
Fat70 g0%0%
Carbs260 g1%5%
Protein50 g1%3%
Fibre25 g0%0%

The reference values are the figures EU Regulation 1169/2011 gives for an average adult — the %RI column on labels rests on the same numbers. They are not a personal target; the fibre row is not in the regulation, the 25 grams there is EFSA's adequate intake for adults. Work out your own calorie needs

Where does it sit within its group?

It is number 9 of the 13 foods in the Drinks group by calories per 100 grams. The group averages 32 kcal; Beer is 35% above that average.

Lighter options at the same 330 grams

FoodCaloriesDifferenceProtein
Turkish coffee — unsweetenedGood swap7 kcal−135 kcal0.3 g
Almond milk — unsweetenedGood swap50 kcal−92 kcal2.0 g
Milk — skimmedGood swap112 kcal−30 kcal11.2 g

The “good swap” mark only appears when an option lowers the calories without also lowering protein and fibre per 100 calories. Unmarked rows save calories but give up nutrient density. Try it with your own portion

How long does it take to burn one portion (330 g)?

  • Walking — brisk (5.6 km/h)35 min
  • Running — 8 km/h (7:30 min/km)16 min
  • Cycling — 16-19 km/h20 min

These minutes are the NET burn for a 70 kg body: the resting calories that would have been spent sitting on the sofa anyway are already taken out of the total. A heavier body gets the same work done in less time. Calculate with your own weight

Foods with similar calories

Which claims could its label carry?

EU Regulation 1924/2006 ties every label claim to a numeric threshold. Beer meets 1 of them:

  • Fat-free100 ml → 0.0 g fat · threshold: at most 0.5 g

The thresholds apply to a product's OWN analysis; the values here come from average composition tables. So this list is not an authorisation, only an estimate of which side of the threshold a product sits on. For drinks the energy and fat thresholds are per 100 millilitres and lower. Interpret your own label

Apply these numbers to your own portion

The values are averages taken from standard composition tables; a 10-15% difference between two products with the same name is normal, and the cooking method can double that gap. This page is for information and is not medical advice.