Super light beers...really?

[Looneybomber]

Ok, light beers have been around for years. Typically they have a little less alcohol than their “fatter” older brother, but also have a couple less grams of carbs and protein…thus less calories making them “light”. For a while, I drank light domestics and if I’m at the bar and all they have are the typical domestics, I will still order a Miller light. Why? Because they all taste like water so I might as well save a couple calories.

So, no issue with light beers, they have their place.

But now we have these annoying super light beers out that I normally would have just ignored, but I keep getting bombarded with commercials on my radio stations. Bud Select 55 is the lightest beer in the world at only 55 calories! Awesome, now we can have just as much watery beer, but with half the taste!

Thinking of the chemistry behind beer and calories, I laugh thinking of these super light beers.

A normal beer has between 4-5% alcohol by volume, which means either .48-.60 ounces of alcohol per 12oz beer.Ethanol has a density of 23.3g/ozSo that means there’s 11.2g-14g of alcohol/12 oz beer.Ethanol has a caloric value of 7cal/gSo now we know there are 78.4-98 calories/beer in just alcohol.

You can now probably see why I laugh at these super light beers. If a beer has 55 calories, then we know it’s going to have quite a bit less alcohol than other beers.

Sure enough, I looked up the alcohol % of Select 55 and it says it’s 2.4% AbV . So a person would have to drink two of those beers to equal the same alcohol content of one normal beer. So now they’re up to 110 calories and had to drink 24oz of crappy watery tasting beer.

So seriously, why do we need these super light beers? And don’t say for women, because women can drink light beers and just get drunk off 2 or 3; Cheaper that way too.

Side note: My favorite beers have between 250-320cal/12oz depending on the beer. My most favorite has nearly 320 calories in alcohol alone...so it's likely around 400 calories per 12oz, maybe more.

[G_whizz]

We call that American beer..

[breadbox]

PBR FTW.

[Looneybomber]

We call that American beer..

I hate to sound like a snob, but that's why I buy microbrews whenever possible...and only one comes from a Canadian brewery. Guess the brewery.

*edit* Two beers, but they come from the same brewery. I'll give you a hint, Quebec.

[VRoy]

PBR FTW.

THE best cheap beer on the Planet.

I've never been a fan of light beers my self, unless they are free of course lol. I do agree with you Looney, i would much rather drink 3 or 4 good ale's or IPA's instead of drinking a 12 pack of light beer. I think alot of it has to do with the "Bitter Beer"(can we say hops) commercials of a few years back. It skewed the thoughts of the avg. American beer drinker. Away from taste and toward drinkability. A even "lighter" beer will make jimbo think he can "drink" more and lose weight all while getting buzz. The good thing is the growing trend like stated above. I think its funny as hell when people say "I hate to sound like a beer snob". Its fine with me lol, im glad you have some taste buds. Dont worry we "Snobs" will be a majority before to long if the micobrew industry keeps it up.

[breadbox]

12pk of PBR bottles is less than $7. This is the only math that makes sense, thats double the average. And other beers don't have cards on the bottom of the caps for more drinking fun.

[Isr]

Home brew FTW

[breadbox]

MY friend makes a few 5Gals of bier every so often. The brews just keep getting better.

[VRoy]

PBR's price is a big point, my beer of choice for beer pong nights. Cups go to fast

I've never tried my hand at a home brew. Although the last Festival i went to had a class about growing your own malt,barley, etc. Big push for organic ingredients to help bring out flavors. With the prices of malt and hops through the roof it would be somewhat cheaper. I think that would be more fun then growing tomatoes. Just dont have the space right now.

[breadbox]

Yeah I want to try to grow some hops for my friend next spring, I am gonna looks for two kinds and see how the biers tastes with homegrown ingredients.

[s0m3th1ngAZ]

My dad(RIP) had been growing hops for about a year. You need a lot of light and a lot of space to grow them as they spread like demon vines. I still maintain them in his memory.

[VRoy]

Thats awesome man. Plan on harvesting any? Brew a beer in the name of pops I know some of the guys around here get all into it, using local honey and the like. Most of the home brews i have tried are big full bodied browns. I need more then a friggin acre lol.

[hannibal]

PBR FTW.

Black Flag is a better cheap beer IMO.

I had a pint of Warsteiner last night. I was not impressed. Prolly a three month old keg cause I doubt many choose Warsteiner at Taco Mac...

[breadbox]

Warsteiner is a nice crisp bier. Great cold in a cold glass.

I haven't had any Black flag yet. will keep an eye out. PBR is the best deal near me, that doesn't taste like ase.

PBR almost tastes like if blue moon had a light bier.

[breadbox]

Also I have plenty of room to do some hops on the side of my house. It'll probably climb two stories if I let it and I might.

I know its related to Cannabis, but how much does it look like it? I don't want my neighbor b****ing at me and threatening to call the cops.

Not that would happen but I have heard a story like that.

[Rob.Vegan]

PBR is my favorite if I'm broke.

If not it's either pitching in for some Newcastle, or Getting a couple Stella Artois

[ThatGuyRoger]

i've yet to try PBR, but my choice cheap beer is lone star, but as for light beers, i'll drink them if they are on sale or nothing else is there, but i like a good import beer

[Jesda]

Hey, gays need beer too.

[HashiriyaS14]

I have no idea how many calories are in any beer that I drink and I don't ever want to know and I don't care.

Unless you have some genetic obesity problem and it's a life-or-death thing (in which case, drink a f**king water), no man should drink light beer.

I disagree that all mainstream American beer tastes the same. A Bud is better than a Bud Light, and an MGD is 100x better than a Miller Lite.

Ideally however, beer should be opaque and thick enough to oil engines with in a pinch.

Analyzing beer by alcohol content is silly. The fact that beer has alcohol in it is just a nice bonus, it isn't there to get you drunk. Beer is a food. If you want to get hosed, drink something stronger.

[PBfrEAk]

We call that American beer..

Actually I disagree, I call that American MACROBREW (aka gonna make money, not good beer) beer.

There are PLENTY of microbrew beers that come from the good old US. My new favorite Micro is Rogue btw, wonderful stuff.

I hate to sound like a snob, but that's why I buy microbrews whenever possible...and only one comes from a Canadian brewery. Guess the brewery.

*edit* Two beers, but they come from the same brewery. I'll give you a hint, Quebec.

Amen sir.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I totally agree light macrobrewed beer has its place, especially in the college community.

If I'm gonna got through a case and a half a night, I'm not gonna buy something for taste, I'm gonna buy something for DRUNK. Key light is my choice there.

But I can't honestly believe people when they say the LIKE THE TASTE OF MILLER LIGHT.

Oh well, I'm going to continue liking GOOD beer.



OH and my guess for the Canadian beer is either Unibroue (La Fin Du Monde is pretty good and I love Don De Dieu) or McAuslen.

[snwbrdr435]

Lol miller light tastes like bread

[HashiriyaS14]

If I'm gonna got through a case and a half a night, I'm not gonna buy something for taste, I'm gonna buy something for DRUNK.

Why drink a case and a half of anything for drunk?

If you want to get totally hosed and not have a hangover, you need some of this:

Or better yet, Stolichnaya from the freezer.

[PBfrEAk]

Why drink a case and a half of anything for drunk?

If you want to get totally hosed and not have a hangover, you need some of this:

Or better yet, Stolichnaya from the freezer.

Oh I agree, I rarely justify buying beer to get drunk, takes too much, but every once and while beer pong is needed.

Never heard of Jinro. What the hell is it??

Never heard of Stolichnaya either??

Time to google.

[PBfrEAk]

hrmm...Not a huge fan of Vodka, I'd rather go the whiskey/bourbon route.

Still haven't found much on Jinro, other than its a distillery. The search continues...

EDIT: I'm an idiot, I meant to edit my previous post, but instead I quoted myself and edited that quote.

[snwbrdr435]

Or better yet, Stolichnaya from the freezer.

This

Is

Win

[HashiriyaS14]

every once and while beer pong is needed.

^^This is a truism

Never heard of Jinro. What the hell is it??

Jinro is a brand of Soju. Google "Soju" and check it out. It's a Korean thing, and it's awesome. Soju is a cult, and I am a proud member.

I prefer whiskey/bourbon to vodka too, but I don't drink whiskey to get hosed. I sip my whiskey, and I enjoy all kinds.

I'm a big rum drinker too, but I sip those too, almost never mix anything into them.

[Red coupe]

We call that American beer..

[Looneybomber]

Analyzing beer by alcohol content is silly. The fact that beer has alcohol in it is just a nice bonus, it isn't there to get you drunk. Beer is a food. If you want to get hosed, drink something stronger.

Well I both agree and disagree. I don't drink beer to get drunk, but I'm also not going to spend $.40 or more per ounce for a 5% beer. Typically I drink beers in the 10-13% range with a few below and above that. (Tripels, Quads, Imperial stouts, double bocks, bourbon stouts, grand cru ale's, imperial IPA's and I don't know what else I have in the closet right now)

OH and my guess for the Canadian beer is either Unibroue (La Fin Du Monde is pretty good and I love Don De Dieu) or McAuslen.

Yup, Unibrow, or however it's spelled. My fiance, for Christmas, bought me a case of Don De Dieu (750mL bottles). She's the best.

There are PLENTY of microbrew beers that come from the good old US. My new favorite Micro is Rogue btw, wonderful stuff.

Heh, what's funny is that I'm negotiating with this guy that has some speakers for sale (Infinity beta50's). I have some rare microbrews that he can't get where he lives so I think I'll be able to trade some, along with some cash, for those speakers.

[Beancooker]

Why drink a case and a half of anything for drunk?

If you want to get totally hosed and not have a hangover, you need some of this:

Or better yet, Stolichnaya from the freezer.

Soju is the s**t.

My mother in law came to visit from Korea. She showed up, and I grabbed her suitcase. It weighed a friggin ton. She came in, went upstairs and unpacked. Brought me down a dozen fifth's of some damn fine soju.

She was an instant win in my book. Hell, she was here for a month, and we barely ever spoke (language barrier), but it was fun drinking with her.