20 Best Low Calorie Beers (That Actually Taste Great)

“Low calorie beer” used to mean “tastes like regret and wet cardboard.” Luckily, we live in a better timeline nowone
where you can sip something genuinely satisfying and keep your calorie math from spiraling into a spreadsheet
emergency.

Quick, responsible note: this guide is written for adults of legal drinking age in the U.S. (21+). To keep it
calorie-friendlyand frankly more day-after friendlythis list focuses on non-alcoholic / alcohol-free beers
(typically 0.0%–<0.5% ABV). Always follow local laws and check labels if you avoid alcohol entirely.

What “Low Calorie Beer” Actually Means (And Why NA Wins)

Beer calories come from two main places: alcohol and carbs. Alcohol is calorie-dense
(about 7 calories per gram), and many regular beers also bring extra carbohydrates from leftover sugars and starches.
When a beer is brewed to be non-alcoholic (or alcohol-free), you’re removing a big calorie driver. The best modern NA
beers then keep flavor high by leaning on smarter malt bills, hop layering, yeast choice, andsometimesgentle
dealcoholization or alternative fermentation methods.

Translation: if you want a “light beer” vibe that still tastes like real beer, low-calorie NA is often the
sweet spotespecially if your goal is mindful sipping, weekday-friendly options, or “I have stuff to do later”
energy.

How We Picked These Beers

• Calories: Generally 10–100 calories per serving (most often 12 oz; some brands list 11.2 oz bottles).
• Taste first: Crisp lagers, believable IPAs, legit dark optionsno “sad seltzer cosplay.”
• Real styles: Hoppy, malty, roasty, citrusybecause “low calorie” shouldn’t be a personality trait.
• Practical variety: Big brands and craft standouts, so you can find a fit for your palate.

At-a-Glance: 20 Low Calorie Beers That Taste Great

Note: Calories can vary by package size and market. When in doubt, trust the can/bottle label.

The 20 Best Low Calorie Beers (That Taste Great)

1) Partake IPA (10 calories)

If you’ve ever wanted “IPA energy” without “IPA calorie consequences,” this is the move. Partake’s IPA leans into
classic citrus-and-grapefruit hop notes with a light body that keeps things snappy instead of syrupy. It’s the kind of
beer you crack when you want hops to show up on time and leave before they start rearranging the furniture.

Best for: Post-walk porch hangs, game nights, “I want an IPA but I also want to function.”

2) Partake Blonde (15 calories)

The Blonde is easygoing in the best waycrisp, lightly malty, and refreshing without tasting like it was diluted in a
bathtub. It’s not trying to win a hop Olympics; it’s trying to be the beer you can hand to almost anyone and get a
grateful nod.

Best for: BBQ sides, pizza night, and anyone who says “I don’t usually like NA beer.”

3) Athletic Lite (25 calories)

Athletic Lite is proof that “light” doesn’t have to mean “flavorless.” It’s crisp and clean with a classic light-beer
structurejust enough malt to feel like beer, not enough heaviness to feel like a nap is required afterward.

Best for: Tailgate vibes, weekday dinners, “one more” moments.

4) BrewDog Punk AF (20 calories)

Punk AF brings a hop-forward punch with a bright, modern edge. It’s lively, aromatic, and surprisingly satisfying for
the calorie number. If you like your beer to feel like it listens to fast music and judges your playlist (lovingly),
this is your pick.

Best for: Hop fans who want bold flavor without a bold calorie count.

5) Coors Edge (41 calories)

Coors Edge is clean, crisp, and straightforwardlike the friend who always shows up five minutes early and never
“forgets” their wallet. It’s a classic lager profile that stays refreshing, especially ice-cold.

Best for: Yard work breaks, hot afternoons, and “I want something uncomplicated.”

6) Budweiser Zero (50 calories)

Budweiser Zero aims for that familiar American-lager lane: light malt sweetness, gentle bitterness, easy finish. It’s
not pretending to be a triple-hopped hazy galaxy IPA. It’s giving “stadium beer energy,” minus the alcohol.

Best for: Wings, burgers, and social occasions where you want a recognizable option.

7) Lagunitas Hazy IPNA (60 calories)

Juicy and hazy-leaning without getting cloying, Hazy IPNA hits a fun sweet spot: hop aroma, soft fruit impression,
and a finish that doesn’t stick around like an uninvited group chat. A great “craft” answer to the low-calorie
question.

Best for: Taco night, spicy snacks, and anyone who likes modern hazy styles.

8) Corona Non-Alcoholic (60 calories)

Bright, light, and famously lime-friendly, Corona NA scratches that beach-day itch even if you’re nowhere near sand.
It’s crisp and uncomplicatedexactly what you want when you’re pairing it with sunshine (or at least a sunny screen
saver).

Best for: Grilled fish, chips and salsa, and “vacation mode” without the vacation.

9) Stella Artois Liberté (59 calories per 11.2 oz)

Stella’s alcohol-free take is crisp with a clean lager snap that plays well with food. It’s the kind of beer that
makes a weeknight dinner feel slightly more grown-upeven if dinner is, in fact, “cheese + whatever is in the crisper
drawer.”

Best for: Salads, roast chicken, and “I want something refined but easy.”

10) Athletic Run Wild IPA (65 calories)

Run Wild is one of the most convincing “beer-person beers” in the NA world: layered hops, balanced bitterness, and
enough malt backbone to keep it from tasting like hop tea. It’s sessionable, crisp, and reliably satisfying.

Best for: IPA lovers who want balance, not sweetness.

11) Heineken 0.0 (69 calories)

Heineken 0.0 is bright, lightly malty, and pleasantly familiarlike the original’s calmer cousin who still knows how
to have fun. It’s a solid “default” NA lager that works in a lot of situations.

Best for: Parties, mixed crowds, and “grab something everyone recognizes.”

12) Athletic Free Wave (70 calories)

Free Wave leans juicy and hazy, with hop aromatics that feel modern and a body that stays smooth without getting
heavy. It’s the kind of beer that makes you forget you’re counting caloriesuntil you remember and feel smug (in a
healthy way).

Best for: Spicy food, movie nights, and hazy IPA fans.

13) Guinness 0.0 (about 17 kcal per 100 ml; ~60 calories per 12 oz equivalent)

Guinness 0.0 is the rare NA dark beer that feels like it actually understood the assignment: roasty notes, a creamy
vibe, and that unmistakable stout personalitywithout the alcohol. If you’ve missed “dessert-adjacent beer,” this is
your comeback story.

Best for: Burgers, chocolate desserts, and cozy weathereven if it’s “cozy” in your air conditioning.

14) Lagunitas IPNA (80 calories)

Lagunitas IPNA is crisp, hop-forward, and cleanly built. It’s not overly sweet, not overly anythingjust a tidy NA IPA
that tastes like a beer you’d choose on purpose, not a compromise you tolerate.

Best for: People who want “IPA, but make it streamlined.”

15) Brooklyn Special Effects IPA (roughly ~80 calories; listed as under 100)

Brooklyn’s Special Effects IPA brings bright hop aromas and crisp citrus notes in a way that feels genuinely “IPA,”
not “sparkling water that once met a hop pellet.” It’s lively, easy to drink, and great for those who like hop aroma
more than bitter punishment.

Best for: Hop aroma lovers and anyone easing into NA craft.

16) Peroni 0.0 (76 calories per 11.2 oz)

Clean, crisp, and dinner-friendly, Peroni 0.0 is the kind of beer that makes pasta night feel like a plan. It’s light
but not watery, with a refreshing finish that pairs well with salty, savory foods.

Best for: Pizza, Italian food, and “I want a lager with a little polish.”

17) Sierra Nevada Trail Pass Golden (95 calories)

Trail Pass Golden is a craft-style easy drinker with smooth malt and bright floral/citrus notes. It’s fuller than the
ultra-low-calorie options, but the flavor payoff is realespecially if you want something that reads “craft beer”
instead of “diet beverage.”

Best for: Grilled chicken, snack boards, and folks who want a more “complete” beer experience.

18) Sierra Nevada Trail Pass IPA (95 calories)

If you want classic West Coast-ish craft IPA vibescitrus, pine, and a firm hop presenceTrail Pass IPA is a strong
contender. It’s a “proper beer” option when you don’t want sweetness or fruity haze to do all the talking.

Best for: Pizza, burgers, and anyone who misses that crisp IPA bite.

19) Bitburger Drive 0.0 (about ~73 calories per 11.2 oz)

Bitburger Drive is crisp and pils-style refreshing, with a touch of bitterness that keeps it from tasting flat. It’s a
great reminder that “clean and simple” can still be interesting when the balance is right.

Best for: Pretzels, grilled sausages, and “I want something crisp with edges.”

20) Bonus “If You Want the Lowest Calories Possible”: Keep a Rotation

The secret sauce isn’t one beerit’s a rotation. Keep a super-low-calorie option (like Partake IPA or
Athletic Lite) for casual sipping, and a fuller-flavor craft option (like Trail Pass IPA or Guinness 0.0) for meals or
when you want a more classic beer experience. Your taste buds stay happy, and your calorie goals don’t feel like a
punishment.

How to Make Low-Calorie Beer Taste Even Better

• Go colder than you think (at first): Many NA beers “click” when properly chilled, then open up as they warm slightly.
• Use a glass: Aroma mattersespecially for IPAs. A quick pour wakes up hop notes.
• Pair with salt and fat: Pretzels, nuts, tacos, burgerssalt makes light beers taste fuller.
• Try citrus strategically: A wedge can brighten lagers, but skip it for beers that already lean juicy.

FAQ: Low Calorie & Non-Alcoholic Beer

Is non-alcoholic beer truly “zero” alcohol?

Some are labeled 0.0% (alcohol-free), while others are <0.5% ABV. If you must avoid
alcohol entirely, choose 0.0% products and read labels carefully.

Is NA beer always low calorie?

Not always. Some NA beers still carry more carbs or residual sugars, depending on style and brewing method. “Low/no
alcohol” doesn’t automatically mean “low calorie,” so check the nutrition info.

What’s the best “starter” low-calorie NA beer?

For a familiar lager profile: Heineken 0.0, Budweiser Zero, Coors Edge, or Peroni 0.0. For hops: Athletic Run Wild,
Athletic Free Wave, or Lagunitas IPNA/Hazy IPNA.

of Real-World Experience: How These Beers Actually Fit Into Life

Here’s what tends to happen when adults bring low-calorie NA beers into real routines (not “influencer routines,”
where someone mysteriously has time to journal at sunrise and make a chia pudding parfait the size of a birdbath).

Weeknight dinners get easier. A crisp NA lagerthink Peroni 0.0, Heineken 0.0, or Stella Libertéslots
into dinner the way a sparkling water does, but with more “meal energy.” People often say it helps them slow down
without feeling like they’re missing out, especially when dinner is salty or rich (pizza, tacos, roasted chicken).
Because the beer is lighter, it doesn’t bulldoze the food; it stays in the background doing its job: refresh, reset,
repeat.

Social events become less of a calorie negotiation. At a cookout or a watch party, it’s common for
adults to want “something in hand” while still staying sharp. That’s where low-calorie options like Athletic Lite,
Coors Edge, or Budweiser Zero shine. They’re easy to sip and easy to explainno one needs a TED Talk about why you’re
choosing what you’re choosing. In many groups, one person brings NA, someone else tries it “out of curiosity,” and
suddenly half the cooler is a judgment-free zone.

Taste preferences get surprisingly specific. People who love bitterness and hop aroma often land on
Athletic Run Wild, Lagunitas IPNA, or Sierra Nevada Trail Pass IPA. Folks who want “juicy but not sweet” tend to
prefer Hazy IPNA or Free Wave. And then there are the dark-beer loyalists who try Guinness 0.0 and do that little
pause that says, “Wait…this is actually close.” The funny part is watching someone who insisted they’d hate NA beer
become a full-time label-reader by week two.

The biggest win is flexibility. Low-calorie NA beer isn’t about being “good.” It’s about having
options that don’t derail your plansearly workout, long drive, busy morning, or just wanting better sleep. The best
experience is when the beer feels normal: good flavor, good moment, no dramatic trade-off. And if you rotate styles
(a lager, a hop-forward IPA, and one “treat” like Guinness 0.0), it stays interesting without turning into a hobby
that requires its own storage shelf.

Conclusion

The best low-calorie beers aren’t the ones that taste like punishmentthey’re the ones that make you forget you were
trying to be “responsible” in the first place. Start with a crisp lager if you want familiar, add a hop-forward IPA if
you want craft vibes, and keep one “wild card” (hello, Guinness 0.0) for when you want something richer. Your calories
can stay calm, and your taste buds can stay employed.