Taste Test: Light Beer

By Carolyn Malcoun, September/October 2009

These 4 brews sacrifice calories, not flavor.

READER'S COMMENT:

"I brew my own and dang proud of it.. If I go out it has to be a microbrewery. JHOUGH "

How Low Can You Go?

While food-labeling terms are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, those regulations do not apply to alcohol. So a beer company doesn’t have to follow the same guidelines that a food company does when labeling products. (A food labeled “light” must have significantly reduced calories, fat or sodium.) “Light” on a beer label doesn’t mean anything necessarily, although it’s safe to assume the brand’s light beer has fewer calories than its regular beer. Here are some average calorie counts for a point of reference.

Light beers: ~ 64 to 125*
Guinness Draught: 126*
Miller Genuine Draft: 143*
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale: 175*
5-ounce glass of wine: ~ 120

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