This is a list of 50 of the lowest calorie, non alcoholic beers on the market. 48 of them are non alcoholic beers i have personally drank and reviewed on this site and 2 which i have not. However, I was unable to leave them out as they are the joint lowest calorie beers in the world!
The 50 Lowest Calorie Non Alcoholic Beers
I would say, right after the fact there is no alcohol, the next biggest reason someone may try or switch to non alcoholic beers is for the huge calorie saving on offer.
I have written a very detailed overview of how much lower non alcoholic beers are in calories versus alcoholic beers, you can read it all here
The executive summary is that the average non alcoholic beer contains 22.6kcal per 100ml and 80.1kcal per 12fl oz.
The average alcoholic beer has 153kcal per 12fl oz and the average non alcoholic beer has 80.1kcal per 12fl oz, that means the average non alcoholic beer has 72.9kcal less overall.
This equates to the average non alcoholic beer having just 52.24% of the calories of an average alcoholic beer and you save 47.76% of the calories.
Ok, so now you know what the average number of calories a non alcoholic beer has, what are all the ones below average, right?!
The 5 lowest calorie non alcoholic beers in the world
There is a big range between even the top 5 and the 50th lowest calorie beer i can find. The top 5 are in a league of their own having under 25kcal per 12fl oz serving.
The full list of 50 beers is below but i will expand on the top 5 in a bit more detail…
1. Partake Pale
Partake Pale is one of a pair of Partake beers, along with their IPA, that has the frankly crazy low calorie total of just 2.8kcal per 100ml and 10kcal per 12fl oz.
It manages this by having 0g of carbs. Yes, you read that right, 0g of carbs. It is the only beer in the world, to my knowledge, that has managed this feat.
Whilst i have not been able to review it myself so far, the online and social media reviews are very positive.
2. Partake IPA
The other side of the matching pair of Partake beers, their IPA also have a mental 2.8kcal per 100ml and 10kcal per 12fl oz. That is quite extraordinary, isn’t it.
Their IPA has just 2g of carbs, which is still probably the 2nd lowest out there but they have got the total calorie count to equal the Pale.
Similarly with their Pale, i have not managed to review it yet (geographical issues) but it was impossible to leave out of this list due to its world leading calorie count. Internet and social media reviews are more that positive so if you like low calorie beers, this is a must try if you can get it.
3. UNLTD. IPA
Finally that lowest calorie non alcoholic beer which i have personally reviewed.
UNLTD. IPA weighs in with 4kcal per 100ml and 14.2kcal per 12fl oz. Whilst this is still mind-blowing, it is somehow 40% higher in calories than the Partake pair.
UNLTD. have gone the route of adding maltodextrin to the beer. Maltodextrin is a white powder made from corn, rice, potato starch, or wheat. It has been added here as it is flavourless and doesn’t contain calories but will add to the body and mouthfeel of the beer.
They thought their beer needs some bulking as there are only 1g of carbs per 100ml or 3.55g per 12fl oz. I thought it tasted fantastically and it made it into number 14 of my best beers list
4. BrewDog Nanny State
This is probably the most widely available low calorie non alcoholic beer in the world and one of the originals.
With 6kcal per 100ml and 21.3kcal per 12fl oz, it is still hugely low in calories. It has only 3.55g of carbs per 12fl oz, just like UNLTD but instead of going for maltodextrin, they have gone crazy on the flavour with 8 malts and 5 hops combining to a special brew.
It snuck in at 11th on my overall list of best non alcoholic beers
5. Drop Bear Tropical IPA
Rounding out the top 5 is this tropical IPA from Drop Bear.
This has 6.5kcal per 100ml and 23.1kcal per 12fl oz. It also only has 0.5g of carbs per 100ml and 1.8g carbs per 12fl oz.
Unfortunately, and unlike Nanny State and UNLTD. i did not think Drop Bear got this right. It was certainly hoppy and bitter but i didn’t think it was in balance and felt quite thin.
| Beer | Type of beer | ABV | Calories (kcal)/100ml | Calories (kcal)/12fl oz | % of average alcoholic beer |
| Partake Pale | Pale Ale | 0.30% | 2.8 | 10 | 6.5% |
| Partake IPA | IPA | 0.30% | 2.8 | 10 | 6.5% |
| UNLTD. | IPA | 0.50% | 4 | 14.2 | 9.3% |
| Nanny State | Ale | 0.50% | 6 | 21.3 | 14% |
| Drop Bear Tropical IPA | IPA | 0.50% | 6.5 | 23.075 | 15.1% |
The 50 lowest non alcoholic beers table
The table below has the 50 lowest calorie non alcoholic beers that i can find. I have reviewed all but 2 of them. Happy drinking!
| Beer | Type of beer | ABV | Calories (kcal)/100ml | Calories (kcal)/12fl oz |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partake Pale | Pale Ale | 0.3 | 2.8 | 10 |
| Partake IPA | IPA | 0.3 | 2.8 | 10 |
| UNLTD. | IPA | 0.5 | 4 | 14.2 |
| Nanny State | Ale | 0.5 | 6 | 21.3 |
| Drop Bear Tropical IPA | IPA | 0.5 | 6.5 | 23.075 |
| Drop Bear Yuzu Pale Ale | Pale Ale | 0.5 | 8 | 28.4 |
| Nirvanan Hoppy Pale Ale | Pale Ale | 0.5 | 9 | 31.95 |
| Infinite Session IPA | IPA | 0.5 | 10 | 35.5 |
| Minus | IPA | 0.5 | 10 | 35.5 |
| Infinite Session Lager | Helles Lager | 0.5 | 10 | 35.5 |
| NEIPA The Cosmic Turtle | NEIPA | 0.5 | 10 | 35.5 |
| Lost AF | Lager | 0.5 | 10 | 35.5 |
| Flensburger | Radler | 0.5 | 10 | 35.5 |
| Infinite Session Best | Best Bitter | 0.5 | 10 | 35.5 |
| Are Wheat There Yet | Wheat | 0.5 | 10 | 35.5 |
| Furstenberg Pils 0.0% | Pilsner | 0 | 11 | 39.05 |
| Infinite Session Pale | America Pale Ale | 0.5 | 11 | 39.05 |
| Coba Maya | Lager | 0.5 | 11 | 39.05 |
| Uptime | Lager | 0.5 | 11.8 | 41.89 |
| Fieldhopper | Golden Ale | 0.5 | 12.4 | 44.02 |
| Doom Bar Zero | Ale | 0 | 13 | 46.15 |
| Southwold Pale Ale | Pale Ale | 0.5 | 13 | 46.15 |
| Carlsberg 0.0 | Pilsner | 0 | 14 | 49.7 |
| Becks Blue | Pilsner | 0 | 14 | 49.7 |
| Budweiser Zero | Lager | 0 | 14 | 49.7 |
| Upside Dawn | Golden Ale | 0.5 | 14 | 49.7 |
| Drop Bear New World Lager | India Pale Lager | 0.5 | 14 | 49.7 |
| Punk AF | IPA | 0.5 | 15 | 53.25 |
| Budvar Nealko | Lager | 0.5 | 15.5 | 55.025 |
| Guinness 0.0 | Stout | 0 | 16 | 56.8 |
| Fruh | Kolsch | 0 | 16 | 56.8 |
| Drink’in in the sun | Wheat | 0.3 | 16 | 56.8 |
| Pica Nova | West Coast IPA | 0.3 | 16 | 56.8 |
| Lucky Saint 0.5% | Lager | 0.5 | 16 | 56.8 |
| Wildtrack | APA | 0.5 | 16 | 56.8 |
| Double Strike | Sour | 0.5 | 16 | 56.8 |
| Corona Cero | Lager | 0 | 17 | 60.35 |
| Drop Bear Bonfire Stout | Stout | 0.5 | 17 | 60.35 |
| Stella Artois Alcohol Free | Lager | 0 | 18 | 63.9 |
| Rothaus Tannenzäpfle 0.4% | Pilsner | 0.4 | 18 | 63.9 |
| Pine Trail | Pale Ale | 0.5 | 18.5 | 65.675 |
| Paradiso | Citra IPA | 0.5 | 18.5 | 65.675 |
| Ambar | Pilsner | 0 | 19 | 67.45 |
| Free Star | Lager | 0 | 19 | 67.45 |
| Run Wild | IPA | 0.5 | 19 | 67.45 |
| A Ship Full Of IPA | IPA | 0 | 20 | 71 |
| Nirvana Stout | Stout | 0 | 20 | 71 |
| Free Damm | Lager | 0 | 20 | 71 |
| Birra Moretti Zero | Lager | 0 | 20 | 71 |
| Nirvana Porter | Porter | 0.5 | 20 | 71 |
| Estrella Galicia | Pilsner | 0 | 21 | 74.55 |
| Heineken 0.0 | Lager | 0 | 21 | 74.55 |
| Sam's Brown Ale | Brown Ale | 0.4 | 21 | 74.55 |
Why are there no 0.0% beers in the top 15 lowest calorie beers?
This comes down to how and why beers are either brewed with 0.0% alcohol or 0.5% alcohol.
It tends to be the big beer brands that maybe have an alcoholic equivalent which brew 0.0% beers. They do this by dealcoholizing an alcoholic beer. This means the beers tend to have similar or slightly higher carbs and sugar than the original beer would have had, which is never that low usually.
The craft brewers use entirely different techniques to brew a 0.5% beer from the outset which doesn’t then need dealcoholized at the end. They can then control more closely the carb and therefore calorie count from the outset.
You read much more about why some beers are 0.0% and others are 0.5%, you can read it in my specific article here
Why are the lowest calorie non alcoholic beers hoppy ales?
It might be surprising to you to see that there are no “plain” lagers in the top 10. It might seem counterintuitive that the most abundant beer can’t be made with the fewest calories.
The answer is usually flavour. To elevate a non alcoholic beer from flavoured fizzy water you need either good body or bags of flavour.
To create body, you need alcohol (not an option in a non alcoholic beer), carbs and sugar (which increase the calories) or sometimes a no calorie bulking agent like maltodextrin. so to be really low calorie, it is difficult to have big body to the beer.
That leaves flavour, to elevate the beer above fizzy water. Lagers are malt heavy and not particularly hoppy, apart from a pilsner which can be a bit more hop heavy. It is difficult to have a really malty lager which how they are brewed. However, some pale ales and in particular IPAs, can be made with lots of hops and feel full of hoppy bitterness which makes them very beer like despite hardly any calories in the for of carbs.
Take Nanny State for an example, they use 8 different malts and 5 different hops to create a hugely flavourful beer on a shoestring calorie budget. This type of brewing is very very difficult for a lager.
