No more excuses for beer gut.
The Beer Institute — the national trade association that regulates the $252 billion brewing industry — announced this week that it will encourage its member companies to display carbohydrates, protein, fat, alcohol by volume (ABV) and, most importantly, calories on its brews.
Now, they’re leaving the display up to the companies. You’ll either find it on the label, secondary packaging, through a website or via QR code. And the measure is voluntary, though most companies seem willing to cooperate (compliance is expected by 2020). On board so far: Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors and Heineken USA, among others, which together produce 81% of the beer in the U.S.
So is this, as MillerCoors spokesman Jon Stern put it, “a great day for beer”?
Maybe if you’re the company behind Miller 64.
For others, though, this might be a punch in the gut. Ignoring the true outliers (Snake Venom from Scotland has a 67.5% ABV and 2,025 calories; good luck finding it), here are some calorie counts for beers that you might now think twice about before imbibing.
Dogfish 120 Minute IPA: 450 calories
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot: 330
Sam Adams Imperial White: 328
Budweiser American Ale: 182
Sam Adams Boston Lager: 175
Guinness Extra Stout: 176
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale: 175
Pete’s Wicked Ale: 172
Magic Hat #9: 165
Blue Moon Belgian White: 164
Good news, though: “weak” beers are the next big thing.
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