Beating Beer Calories

Let's just cut to the chase... It can't be done.  Not easily at least.  Not without limiting your beer consumption.  Not without switching to light beers.  Not without dieting and exercising doubly.  Like I said... can't be done.

As the old saying goes, "don't judge a book by it's cover" but this time it applies to the darkness of a beer.  You may be surprised to know that a dark, rich stout like Guinness has far less calories than your typical IPA.  A Guinness draft is only 125 calories per 12-oz bottle compared to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale's 175.  A 40% difference.

Of course, light beer drops to around 100 or less.  Like the 64 calories of MGD's flavored water.  But, this blog isn't about light beer.  So... moving on.

This blog really isn't about mass produced safe beers from the BMCs of the world either, but I feel the following must be brought to attention:

Budweiser - 145 calories - 5% ABV
Coors - 149 calories - 4.91% ABV
Corona - 148 calories - 4.6% ABV
Heineken - 166 calories - 5.4% ABV
Labatt - 153 calories - 5% ABV
MGD - 143 calories - 4.7%
Stella Atrois 165 calories - 5% ABV

On average, your shitty BMC mass produced lagers are 153 calories and 4.94% alcohol.

How many of these do you drink on your average drinking night?  Four?  Six?  Nine?

Let's say five, because honestly, you don't actually drink as much as you tell your friends.  It's not college anymore.

So that's five 12-ounce servings of some terrible liquid BMC calls beer.  750 calories.  None of which will be burnt of in the act of blowing chunks.  Not at 4.94% alcohol.  Now, I like the sound of not puking, but it's still a ruined night wasted on BMC with multiple trips to the urinal followed by a morning of feeling bloated.

Now, how about this?

You drink just two beers.  They are both the same, extremely tasty, satisfying, sip-able, NOT CHUG-ABLE double IPA's from Flying Dog.  This is one of my favorite brews called Double Dog.  Now, the numbers.

Flying Dog Double Dog (Double IPA)

313 calories per 12 ounces
11.5% ABV

Sure, that's a lot of calories per beer but that's like consuming the same amount of alcohol as nearly 5 BMCs in just 24 ounces and in less time.  That's pretty good.  Less drinking, less bloating and no bathroom breaks.  Plus, you get the obvious satisfaction of drinking a great beer.

Resorting to the calculations of a double IPA is pretty extreme on the calorie side, so now just think of the countless craft berws in between that you could be enjoying for far less calories and packing an alcohol punch that none of the BMCs can.

Blogging and drinking shouldn't be about math, but today it was and I apologize.  This is one of the first I've written without a beer in my hand.  Good thing.

Today's Brewline:
Drinking beer means lots of calories but being conscious of counting your calories shouldn't steer you away from great beer.  Two safe beers carry the same calories as a single double IPA, but also bring substantially less alcohol, satisfaction, and overall deliciousness.