Drinks

How many calories are in beer and alcohol?

Drinks are among the most frequently forgotten items in a food diary – alcoholic ones in particular. The good news: you can calculate the calories from alcohol using the label in a few seconds.

Updated 26 October 2026 · 5 min read

In short

Alcohol has 7 kcal per gram – nearly as much as fat.
Half a litre of regular beer has roughly 215 kcal.
Grams of alcohol = ml × % alcohol × 0.789.
Mixers often add more calories than the alcohol itself.

Why alcohol is calorie-dense

When calculating the energy value of food in the EU, alcohol (ethanol) is counted at 7 kcal per gram – almost twice as much as carbohydrate or protein (4 kcal/g) and only a little less than fat (9 kcal/g). On top of that come the carbohydrates left in the drink: residual malt sugars in beer, sugar in sweet wines and liqueurs.

Beer: calories per half litre

Regular beer has about 43 kcal per 100 g according to USDA data, so half a litre is roughly 215 kcal.
Light beer has around 29 kcal per 100 g – roughly 145 kcal per half litre.
In regular beer, more than half of the energy comes from alcohol and the rest from carbohydrate.

Stronger and sweeter beers contain more; alcohol-free beers usually less. The label decides – especially the alcohol content in % vol.

A formula for any drink

You can calculate grams of alcohol from the volume and the alcohol percentage on the label (ethanol density is about 0.789 g/ml):

grams of alcohol = ml × (% alcohol ÷ 100) × 0.789
kcal from alcohol = grams of alcohol × 7

Beer 0.5 l, 5 %: 500 × 0.05 × 0.789 ≈ 19.7 g alcohol → about 138 kcal from alcohol alone (carbohydrates make up the rest to ~215 kcal).
Wine 0.2 l, 12 %: 200 × 0.12 × 0.789 ≈ 18.9 g → about 133 kcal from alcohol, plus a little sugar in dry wine.
Spirit 0.04 l, 40 %: 40 × 0.40 × 0.789 ≈ 12.6 g → about 88 kcal.

For mixed drinks, add the soft drink, juice or syrup – these often add more calories than the alcohol itself.

How not to forget drinks

Log as you go, not the next morning from memory – by the third drink, counting gets fuzzy.
Save the drinks you have most often with their exact volume (0.33 l, 0.5 l).
Scan the barcode of bottled drinks; for draught beer, the volume and type are enough.

This guide is about logging alcohol correctly, not a recommendation to drink. If you are concerned about how much you drink, talk to a doctor.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories are in half a litre of beer?

Regular beer has roughly 215 kcal per half litre (about 43 kcal per 100 g according to USDA). Light beer around 145 kcal, stronger beers more – the label decides.

How many calories are in a gram of alcohol?

Energy calculations use 7 kcal per gram of alcohol, more than carbohydrate or protein (4 kcal/g).

Do mixed drinks have more calories?

Often yes – the soft drink, juice or syrup can add more calories than the alcohol. Log the mixer as a separate item.

Sources

This guide is general information for healthy adults, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have or have had an eating disorder, or need a therapeutic diet, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian.