Long gone are the days when Michelob Ultra and Bud Select were the only safe havens for beer drinkers looking to shave an inch or two off their waistline. A new crop of low-calorie and low-carbohydrate beers are flooding the market and flying off shelves—and they taste great.
Julia Herz, Craft Beer Program Director for the Brewers Association, has seen it firsthand and notes that “different brewing methods and approaches have opened up serious new doors for breweries. Dogfish Head, for instance, just released a low-carb IPA brewed with monk fruit—an advanced fermentable—allowing them to use less malt (sugar), generally needed to balance the pronounced hop build in this style of beer.”
“Beer lovers are clearly looking for a more healthful approach to drinking that supports popular low-carb diets like keto and paleo,” Herz continued, “but some beer brands, like Sufferfest (San Francisco) are going a step further, adding herbal botanical components like bee pollen and to ‘healthify’ their beer.”
Any way you slice it, it’s a mighty fine time to be a beer drinker on a diet. If you’re looking to track down some of the best low-carb, low-calorie beers for summer, here are few of our favorites.
Lagunitas Daytime IPA
- ABV: 4%
- Carbs: 3 grams
- Calories: 98
One of my favorites on the list. A very light, bright “fractional IPA” as the West Coast brewery, Lagunitas, refers to it. This one is easy to find in most major cities and good beer shops, and don’t be fooled by its light appearance; the beer has beautiful tropical fruit notes and nice balanced hoppiness.
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Ommegang Brut IPA
- ABV: 6.3%
- Carbs: 5 grams
- Calories: 153
There’s almost nothing Ommegang does that I don’t like, including this Brut IPA. Most of their beers are done in the Belgian style, and this hop-driven IPA, using high attenuation and bottle conditioning, achieves a bright, dry, Champagne-like profile.
Dogfish Head Slightly Mighty IPA
- ABV: 4%
- Carbs: 3.6 grams
- Calories: 95
This IPA is just rolling out from Delaware brewery Dogfish Head. The brewery was recently purchased by Samuel Adams but it hasn’t stopped them from making highly innovative beers, and Slightly Mighty is as good an example as any. The beer has all the trappings of a good, light IPA. Its secret weapon is jackfruit which allows for a malt-like balance to all those hops.
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Ballast Point Lager
- ABV: 4.2%
- Carbs: 3.5 grams
- Calories: 99
This is a solid, easy-drinking, low-cal lager. Great for any big party or day at the beach (or flip cup tournament). Ballast doesn’t have a ton of nuance like some of the others but I’ll take it over a Bud Select any day. Plus, don’t ya just love the can?
Four Peaks Brut IPA
- ABV: 6.7%
- Carbs: 5 grams
- Calories: 152
It seems to defy science that Four Peaks could get so much booze into a low-cal, low-carb beer but by George they’ve done it! This brut IPA is almost like dry Champagne. But hoppier. With an apricot, honeydew, and white wine nose, this is one of the more fun and playful beers on the list, and an absolute must try if you’re on a low-carb or low-calorie diet.
Sufferfest Repeat Kolsch
- ABV: 3.5%
- Carbs: 5 grams
- Calories: 95
Sufferfest bills this beer as inspired by athletes. And while I don’t know that any booze is going to amplify your athletic prowess, some may slow you down more than others. Repeat stands up to a taste test and if you like light, slightly malty German Kolsch beer, like Schlafly or Reissdorf, you’re bound to like this one too.
North Coast Scrimshaw
- ABV: 4.7%
- Carbs: 2 grams
- Calories: 100
North Coast’s Scrimshaw has a relatively high ABV (or certainly not low) and only 100 calories and 2 net carbs. A perfect keto beer, and a bright, fresh, easy-drinking pilsner besides.
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New Belgium Mural
- ABV: 4%
- Carbs: 9 grams
- Calories: 110
Although it’s got a slightly higher carb count than some of the others, this lager has lovely flavors of watermelon, hibiscus, and lime against a sweet, slightly tart taste, light mouthfeel, and crisp finish. The Mural Agua Fresca Cerveza is the perfect low-cal option for those who covet a fruitier, sweet beer but don’t covet all the calories they often come with.
Devils Backbone Tangerine Ale
- ABV: 4%
- Carbs: 2 grams
- Calories: 90
Devils Backbone refers to this bright, tart tangerine beer as a “sparkling ale.” One of the lowest carb beers on the list and another good one for those who like fruit-forward beers like Blue Moon or watermelon ales.
Boulevard Brewing Easy Sport
- ABV: 4.1%
- Carbs: 4.5 grams
- Calories: 99
A bright, sour tangerine flavor is balanced by airy sweetness in the Easy Sport, another beer billed for and marketed to athletes. The brewers add electrolytes and magnesium to this beer which, in theory, could help you recover from a game or race.
Jack’s Abbey Blood Orange Wheat
- ABV: 4%
- Carbs: 8 grams
- Calories: 130
A German-style wheat beer, this radler (a lot like a shandy) is only available in the northeast, as of now. It’s on the sweet side but at just 130 calories has far fewer than most others in its category.
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Omission Ultimate Light Golden Ale (Gluten Free)
- ABV: 4.2%
- Carbs: 5 grams
- Calories: 99
This is the beer you’ve been waiting for if you’re both watching your carbs/calories and also trying to avoid gluten. For my money Omission has been the most consistent gluten-free brewery and the trend continues with this tasty and easy-drinking, super light golden ale.
Heineken Premium Light
One of the latest from Heineken, this premium light is competitive with the others on calories at just 99 and slightly higher in carbs with 6.8, but if you’re a Heineken drinker looking to downsize your waistline this summer, it could be just the one for you.
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Calidad Beer
- ABV: 4%
- Carbs: 13 grams
- Calories: 140
For the Tecate or Modelo lover, this lager is done in the Mexican style but made in California. This, of course, means it takes well to a lime, cutting into all the lager-y maltiness. When it’s all said and done Calidad clocks in at a substantially higher calorie and carb count than most on this list, it’s still less than Corona.
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