Alcohol-free drinks · Explainer
How many calories are in alcohol-free beer?
European rules calculate with 7 kilocalories per gram of alcohol and 4 per gram of carbohydrate. The Voedingscentrum puts a small glass of alcohol-free beer of 340 grams at 88 kilocalories, with 20.7 grams of carbohydrates of which 10.9 grams sugar. A small glass of regular beer of 330 grams comes to 145 kilocalories with 9.9 grams of carbohydrates. Per 100 milliliters that is 26 versus 44 kilocalories.
In brief
The key figures
| Alcohol | 7 kilocalories per gram, 29 kilojoules per gram |
|---|---|
| Carbohydrates | 4 kilocalories per gram, 17 kilojoules per gram |
| Egg white | 4 kilocalories per gram |
| Fat | 9 kilocalories per gram |
| Alcohol-free beer, vase glass of 340 grams | 88 kilocalories, 20.7 grams of carbohydrates, 10.9 grams of sugar |
| Regular beer, portion of 330 grams | 145 kilocalories, 9.9 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugar |
| Alcohol-free beer per 100 millilitres | about 26 kilocalories |
| Regular beer per 100 milliliters | about 44 kilocalories |
Which numbers does the legislator use?
European labelling rules count alcohol at 7 kilocalories per gram and carbohydrates at 4 kilocalories per gram.
In kilojoules that is 29 per gram of alcohol and 17 per gram of carbohydrate. Protein also counts for 4 kilocalories per gram, fat for 9 and fibre for 2.
Those factors are in Annex XIV of Regulation (EU) 1169/2011. Every energy value on a label is calculated with these figures, not measured.
How many kilocalories are in a small glass of alcohol-free beer?
The Voedingscentrum gives, for a vaasje of alcohol-free beer of 340 grams, 88 kilocalories, 20.7 grams of carbohydrates and 10.9 grams of sugar.
Check that with the factor of 4: 20.7 grams of carbohydrate yields 83 kilocalories. The rest comes from 1 gram of protein and from the trace of alcohol that remains after rounding.
Per 100 millilitres the energy value comes to about 26 kilocalories, and the carbohydrates to about 6 grams.
How does that compare with regular beer?
A portion of regular beer of 330 grams is listed by the Voedingscentrum at 145 kilocalories, with 9.9 grams of carbohydrates and 0 grams of sugar.
Per 100 milliliters that is about 44 kilocalories against about 26 for alcohol-free beer, and about 3 grams of carbohydrate against about 6 grams.
The energy in ordinary beer therefore comes largely from a substance that is almost absent in alcohol-free beer, whereas the carbohydrates go the other way.
Why does alcohol-free beer sometimes contain more sugar?
Sugar that is not converted into alcohol during brewing remains in the glass as a carbohydrate and counts there for 4 kilocalories per gram.
The figures from the Voedingscentrum show that difference: 20.7 grams of carbohydrates per small glass of alcohol-free beer versus 9.9 grams per serving of regular beer, and 10.9 grams of sugar versus 0 grams.
Converted, that is a difference of almost 11 grams of carbohydrate, good for about 43 kilocalories. At the same time the alcohol falls away, which weighs most heavily in regular beer.
How do you calculate it yourself for a 33 centiliter bottle?
Multiply the grams of carbohydrate on the label by 4, the grams of alcohol by 7, and add the results together.
A bottle of 33 centilitres at 5 percent by volume contains 16.5 millilitres of pure alcohol. Alcohol weighs about 0.79 grams per millilitre, so that is about 13 grams, good for about 91 kilocalories.
If the same small bottle states 3 grams of carbohydrate per 100 millilitres, that is 9.9 grams per bottle and so about 40 kilocalories. Together about 131 kilocalories.
From the shop in Bathmen
Which alcohol-free 33 centilitre bottles are there in Bathmen?
The shop in Bathmen stocks 22 small bottles and cans from 17 different brands from 5 countries. Prices range from € 0.85 to € 2.75. The alcohol percentage ranges from 0.2% to 0.5%.
- Affligem Belgisch Wit 0.0 33 cl · Belgium
- Affligem Blond 0.0 Alcoholvrij Bier 33 cl · Belgium
- Brasserie d'Achouffe Chouffe 0.4% 0.4% · 33 cl · Belgium
- Brouwerij 't Ij Free IPA alcoholvrij bier 0.5% · 33 cl · Netherlands
- Brouwerij 't Uiltje Bird of Prey 0.2% 0.2% · 33 cl · Netherlands
- Brouwerij Huyghe Paranoia Hazy Hoppy 0.0% 0.3% · 33 cl · Belgium
- Brouwerij ’t IJ Vrijwit 0.5% · 33 cl · Netherlands
- Budels Malt 0.0 33 cl · Netherlands
- Carlsberg Kronenbourg- 1664 blanc 0.0% 33 cl · Denmark
- Clausthaler Alcoholvrij 33 cl · Germany
Filter all alcohol-free drinks
Related questions
May you drive after drinking alcohol-free beer?Why is alcohol-free beer often more expensive than regular beer?Why can alcohol-free champagne not be called champagne?
Short answer
Short answers to related questions
- How many kilocalories are in 100 millilitres of alcohol-free beer?
- About 26, calculated from 88 kilocalories per 340 grams.
- How many carbohydrates are in alcohol-free beer?
- The Voedingscentrum names 20.7 grams per small glass of 340 grams, of which 10.9 grams is sugar.
- Does alcohol provide more energy than sugar?
- Per gram it does: 7 kilocalories against 4 for a carbohydrate.
- Is the energy value always on the label?
- Above 1.2 percent by volume an exemption applies. Below that limit the usual rules for nutrition labelling apply.
Further
Read more
Everything about alcohol-free drinks at 't Bockjefilter alcohol-free drinks by country, taste and priceHow is alcohol-free wine made?What is alcohol-free gin?What is Dry January and how did it start?May you buy alcohol-free beer if you are under eighteen?All questions about alcohol-free drinks
The reasoning
Sources
- Verordening (EU) nr. 1169/2011, omrekeningsfactoren voor de energiewaarde, EUR-Lex (accessed 5 September 2026)
- Hoeveel calorieën zitten er in bier, alcoholvrij?, Voedingscentrum (accessed 2026-09-05)
- Wat is de voedingswaarde van bier, alcoholvrij, Voedingscentrum (accessed 2026-09-05)
- Hoeveel koolhydraten zitten er in bier, alcoholvrij?, Voedingscentrum (accessed 5 September 2026)
- Hoeveel calorieën zitten er in bier?, Voedingscentrum (accessed 2026-09-05)
This page was written and checked by ’t Bockje Bathmen, wine and spirits shop at Brink 2 in Bathmen. Last updated on 7 September 2026.
Verkoop van alcohol onder de 18 jaar is verboden. NIX18.