The above mentioned FAQ maintiner *does not* know or have any relationship whatsoever with either Mr. Hankin or any Connecticut State Department. This FAQ results from the saving of a post to Usenet's alt.beer in late 1993.
Special thanks to Mike Feustel
A request for updated informaton is being prepared and will be sent to the proper authorities. (1/95: still pending)
Copyright Info: I know of none, but assume that this data is copyrighted by the above mentioned parties. If an update can be secured, or even an original copy of the study be obtained, copyright information will be added at that time.
Generally three types of beer are sold: regular, light, and non-alcoholic. The term light intends to signify a product with less alcohol and fewer calories than regular beer. About 2-3 percent of beer sales are now of the light type (4). Non-alcoholic beer usually claims less than a half percent of alcohol and is intended for people who desire a product with little or no alcohol.
In all, 202 samples of beer were tested. The alcohol and calorie content for each sample are reported. In comparison to regular beer which averaged 5 percent alcohol and 43 calories per 100 ml, light and non-alcoholic beer averaged 16 and 94 percent less alcohol and 27 and 60 percent fewer calories, respectively.
TABLE I--ALCOHOL AND CALORIE CONTENT OF BEER Brand/Brewer (Country) % Alcohol Calories per 100 ml ------------------------------------------------------- Anchor Porter Anchor (USA) 5.66 59 Anchor Steam Beer Anchor (USA) 4.63 43 Asahi Draft Beer Asahi (Japan) 5.21 41 Ballantine Prlvate Stock Malt Liquor Narragansett (USA) 6.01 47 Ballantine Indla Pale Ale 6.17 53 Falstaff (USA) 6.61 55 Ballantine Premium Lager Beer Falstaff (USA) 4.82 43 Ballantine XXX Ale 5.68 49 Falstaff (USA) 5.08 46 Bass & Co's Bale Ale 4.02 37 Bass (England) 5.51 45 4.95 41 Beamish Irish Cream Stout Beamish - Crawford (Ireland) 3.73 37 Beck's Beer 5.13 43 Brauerei Beck (Germany) 5.13 42 Big Barrel Australian Lager 3.98 31 Cooper & Sons (Australia) 4.66 39 Black Horse Premium Draft Beer Black Horse (USA) 4.74 45 Blatz Beer G. Heileman (USA) 4.86 43 Blatz Milwaukee 1851 Beer Blatz (USA) 4.48 38 Boulder Porter Boulder (USA) 6.07 53 Budwelser King of Beers 4.82 40 Anheuser Busch (USA) 4.47 39 Busch Beer 4.98 42 Anheuser Busch (USA) 5.19 43 Carling Black Label Canadian 4.71 45 Style Beer G. Heileman (USA) 4.38 39 Cerveza Carta Blanca Cerveceria Cauhtemoc (Mexlco) 4.02 36 Cerveza Tecate Beer 4.10 37 Cervecerla Cauhtemoc (Mexico) 4.49 41 Chester Golden A]e Greenall Whitley (England) 5.43 44 Colt 45 Malt Liquor 5.53 45 G. Heileman (USA) 6.11 49 Coors Banquet Beer 4.81 39 Adolph Coors (USA) 5.03 41 Corona Extra Beer Cereveria Modela SA (Mexico) 4.84 45 Dos Equis XX Imported Beer Cauhtemoc (Mexico) 4.79 42 Dos Equis XX Special Lager Cerveceria Montezuma (Mexico) 4.96 44 Dragon Stout Desnoes - Goeddes (Jamaica) 6.79 62 Foster's Lager 5.25 42 Garlton & United (Australia) 5.06 44 Furstenberg German Beer Fustlich Ferstenbergische 4.43 39 (Germany) Genesee 12 Horse Ale 4.76 46 Genesee (USA) 4.98 44 Genesee Beer Genesee (USA) 5.03 43 Genesee Cream Ale 4.9B 44 Genesee (USA) 4.70 42 George Killian's Irish Red Ale Adolph Coors (USA) 5.79 50 George Killian's Irish Red Brand Beer Adolph Coors (USA) 5.54 49 Great Wall Imported Chinese Beer Green Bamboo (China) 4.63 45 Greenall's Cheshire English Pub Beer Grecnall Whitley PLC (England) 5.00 40 Grizzly Canadian Lager 5.4B 43 Hamilton (Canada) 4.45 36 Grolsch Lager Beer 5.11 44 Grolsch Bierbrouweri (Holland) 5.17 44 5.16 43 5.37 44 Guinness Extra Stout Gulnness (Ireland) 4.27 43 Harfenrefrer Private Stock Malt Llquor Narragansett (USA) 6.87 50 Hamm's Beer Pabst (USA) 4.53 40 Harp (mported Lager Beer 4.55 40 Harp (Ireland) 4.71 42 4.96 43 Heineken Lager Beer 5.41 47 Heineken (Holland) 5.41 45 Heineken Special Dark Beer Heineken (Holland) 5.17 48 Hofenperle Special Feldschlosschen Bier Feldsohlosschen Rheinfelden (Switzerland) 5.28 45 Kaiserdom Rauchbier-Smoked Bavarlan Dark Beer Bamberg Worner OHG (Germany) 5.88 49 Kirin Beer 6.85 53 Kirin (Japan) 5.27 43 Knickerbocker Natural Beer Ruppert (USA) 4.16 38 Kronenbourg Beer 5.11 43 Kronenbourg (France) 4.83 42 Kronenbourg Imported Dark Beer 5.08 46 Kronenbourg (France) Kuppers Kolsch Kuppers (Germany) 5.38 45 LA Anheuser Busch Premlum Pilsner Beer 2.29(a) 26 Anheuser Busch (USA) 2.00(a) 29 Labatt's 50 Canadian Ale 5.34 43 Labatt (Canada) Liberty Ale Anchor (USA) 6.12 53 Lord Chesterrfeld Ale 5.40 30 D.G. Yuengling & Son (USA) 5.57 44 Lowenbrau Dark Special Beer Miller (USA) 5.00 45 Lowenbrau Special Beer 5.12 45 Miller (USA) 5.03 44 McEwans Scotch Ale Scottish & Newcastle (Scotland) 9.50 83 Michelob Beer 4.90 44 Anheuser Busch (USA) 4.99 45 Michelob Classic Dark Beer Anheuser Busch (USA) 4.76 45 Michelob Classic Dark Beer Anheuser Busch (USA) 4.93 45 Mickeys Fine Malt Liquor G. Heileman (USA) 5.70 45 Miller High Life Beer 4.78 44 Miller (USA) 4.80 43 Miller High Life Genuine 4.68 42 Draft Beer, Miller (USA) 5.02 43 Molson Canadian Beer Molson (Canada) 5.19 43 Molson Golden Beer 6.04 48 Molson (Canada) 5.22 43 Moosehead Canadian Lager Beer 5.08 43 Moosehead (Canada) 4.84 40 4.92 40 O'Keefe Canadian Beer 4.96 40 O'Reefe (Canada) 5.03 41 Olde English Brand 800 Malt Liquor 6.13 48 pabst (USA) 5.78 45 Old Milwaukee Beer 4.95 44 Stroh (USA) 4.51 41 Olympia Premium Lager Beer Pabst (USA) 4.78 41 Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer 4.50 39 Pabst (USA) 5.01 43 5.00 43 Piels Premium Draft Style Beer 4.84 43 Stroh (USA) 4.23 39 Pilsener Urquell Beer Pilsener Urquell Pilzen 4.25 45 (Czechoslovakia) Red Strlpe Lager Beer 5.04 43 Desnoes & Geddes (Jamaica) 4.82 42 Red White & Blue Special Lager Beer G. Heileman (USA) 5.15 43 Rheingold Premium Beer Rheingold (USA) 4.78 42 Rolllng Rock Extra Pale Premium Beer Latrobe (USA) 4.64 40 Rolling Rock Premlum Beer 4.51 34 Latrobe (USA) 4.27 38 Samuel Adams Boston Lager 4.67 50 Boston Beer (USA) 4.88 48 4.74 44 Schaefer Beer 4.66 40 Stroh (USA) 4.60 40 4.48 40 Schlitz Beer 4.70 41 Stroh (USA) 4.41 40 4.60 42 Schlitz Malt Liquor Stroh (USA) 6.29 52 Sheaf Stout Carlton & United (Australia) 5.28 49 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Sierra Nevada (USA 4.82 45 Sierra Nevada Porter Sierra Nevada (USA) 5.34 48 Sierra Nevada Stout Sierra Nevada (USA) 5.10 56 Signature Stroh Beer Stroh (USA) 4.84 43 Sol Cerveza Especial 3.94 36 Cerveceria Montezuma (Mexico) 4.13 37 Spaten Munich Special Dark Beer Spaten-Brau (Germany) 6.63 52 St. Pauli Girl Beer 5.00 39 St. Pauli (Germany) 4.79 41 St. Pauli Girl Dark Beer 5.02 45 St. Pauli (Germany) 4.93 44 Stroh's Beer 4.64 41 Stroh (USA) 4.68 42 Suntory Draft Beer Suntory (Japan) 4.64 39 Superior Imported Beer Cerveceria Moctezuma (Mexico) 4.34 43 Thos Cooper & Sons Adelaide Lager Cooper & Sons (Australia) 4.27 36 Thos Cooper & Sons Naturally Brewed Real Ale Cooper & Sons (Australia) 6.77 45 Thos Cooper & Sons Naturally Brewed Stout Cooper & Sons (Australla) 7.10 58 Tolly Origlnal Premium Ale Tollei-ache & Cobbold 4.85 41 (England) Tsingtao Beer Tsingtao (China) 4.79 43 Tuborg Deluxe Dark Export Quality Beer G. Heileman (USA) 5.11 46 Tuborg Export Quality Beer 5.02 45 G. Heileman (USA) 5.02 44 Tusker Malt Lager Bia Ni Bora (Kenya) 5.24 42 Utica Club Pilsener Lager Beer West End (USA) 4.82 27 Watney's Red Barrel Beer Stag (England) 3.92 40 Wurzburger Hofbrau Pilsner Beer Wurtzburger Hofbrauag 5.42 45 (Germany) Yuengling Porter D.G. Yuengllng & Son (USA) 4.13 40 Yuengllng Premium Beer D.G. Yuengling & Son (USA) 4.65 39 4.11 39 ------------------------------------------------ (a) claims half the alcohol of regular beer TABLE 2--ALCOHOL AND CALORIE CONTENT OF LIGHT BEER Brand BreHer (Country) % Alcohol Calorles . per 100 ml -------------------------------------------------------- Amstel Light Bier 3.74 29 Amstel Brouwerij B.V. 3.96 28 (Holland) Anheuser Busch Natural Light Beer 4.40 33 Anheuser Busch (USA) 4.12 31 Bud Light Beer 3.56 30 Anheuser Busch (USA) 3.88 33 Coors Llght Beer Adolph Coors (USA) 4.36 30 Dribeck's Light Low Calorie Beer Brauerei Beck (Germany) 3.39 28 Genesee Light Beer Genesee (USA) 3.55 27 Michelob Light Beer 4.53 41 Anheuser Busch (USA) 4.52 39 Miller Lite Pilsner Beer 4.61 31 Mlller (USA) 4.40 29 Molson Light Beer Molson (Canada) 2.41 23 Nordik Wolf Light Imported Beer 4.81 32 A.B. Pripps Bryggerier 4.70 31 (Sweden) Old Milwaukee Premium Light Beer Stroh (USA) 3.82 32 Pabst Extra Light Low Alaohol Beer Pabst (USA) 2.50(a) 19 Piels Naturally Light Beer Stroh (USA) 4.49 40 Rheingold Extra Light Beer Rheingold (USA) 4.32 27 Schaeler Light Lager Beer Stroh (USA) 4.07 34 Schlitz Light Pilsner Beer Stroh (USA) 4.28 31 Stroh Light Beer 4.91 42 Stroh (USA) 4.45 35 Watney's London Light Beer Whatney Combe Reid (England) 3.56 29 Wurtzburger Hofbrau Pure Bavarian Light Beer Wurtzburger Hofbrau Ag 5.44 43 (Germany) --------------------------------------------------- (a) claims 50% less alcohol than regular beer TABLE 3--ALC0H0L AND CALORIE CONTEHT OF NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER Brand Brewer (Country) % Alcohol Calories . per 1OO ml -------------------------------------------------------- Bass Barbican Non-Alooholic Malt Beverage Bass (England) 0.10 15 Clausthaler Non-Alcoholic Herbfrisches Schankbier Bindlng Brauerei (Germany) 0.44 13 Clausthaler Hon-Alcoholic Herbfrlsches Schankbier Bindlng Brauerel (Germany) 0.48 14 Elan Swiss Brew Non-Alcoholic Malt Beverage Feldschloschen (Switzerland) 0.50 25 Kallber All Natural Non-Alcoholic Brew Light Malt Beverage Guinness (England) 0.10 14 Kingsbury Non-Alcoholic Malt Bev. 0.20 15 G. Heileman (USA) 0.10 14 0.10 13 Metbrau All Natural Draft Non-Alcoholic Malt Beverage Metropolls (USA) 0.50 21 Moussy Non-Alcohollc Malt Beverage 0.05 15 Cardlnal Filbourg (Switzerland) 0.10 16 Saint Michael's Non-Alcoholic Malt Beverage St. Michael's (USA) 0.73 17 Wurtzburger Hofbrau Non-Alcoholic Light Malt Beverage Wurzberger Hofbrau Ag (Germany) 0.10 30 ------------------------------------------------------------ TABLE 4--AVERAGE ALCOHOL AND CALORIE CONTENT OF REGULAR, LIGHT, AND NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER Product No. % AlcoholCalories samples per 100 ml ---------------------------------------------------------------- Regular 163 5.0 [2.0-9.5] 43 [26-83] Light 26 4.1 [2.4-5.4] 32 [19-43] (-16%) (-27%) Non-alcohollc 13 0.3 [0.1-0.7] 17 [13-30] (-94%) (-60%) ----------------------------------------------------------------The number in parenthesls ( ) indicates average difference from regular beer and numbers in brackets [] is the range of % alcohol and calories per 100 ml, respectlvely.
Beer is defined in Connecticut Statutes (2) as any beverage obtained by the alcoholic fermentation of an infusion or decoction of barley, malt and hops in drinking water and containing more than one-half of one percent of absolute alcohol. Taxes on beer sold in Connecticut are collected by the Excise Tax Division of the Department of Revenue Services at the rate of $3 per barrel (not less than 28 nor more than 31 gallons per barrel).
Alcohol in regular, light, and non-alcoholic beer averaged 5.0, 4.1, and 0.3 percent, respectively (Table 4). Calories in regular, light and non-alcoholic beer averaged 43, 32, and 17 per 100 ml, respectively. The range in values for alcohol and calories was wide. Alcohol in regular beer ranged from 1.0 to 9.5 percent, while light beer ranged from 2.4 to 5.4 percent and non-alcoholic beer from 0.1 to 0.7 percent. Similarly, calories varied among all types of beer. Some variation was noted in alcohol content among different containers of the same type of beer. A dilference of 1.5 percent was found in one type of regular beer and 1.6 percent in another. Although the labels showed no code numbers, each container of beer is likely from a different manufacturing batch.
A comparison of alcohol and calorie content between regular and light beer from the same manufacturer can be made by examining Tables 1 and 2. For example, eight regular beers made by Anheuser Busch (does not include beer claiming half the amount of alcohol as regular beer) averaged 5.11 percent alcohol. Four light beers from the same manufacturer averaged 4.17 percent, 15 percent less than found in the regular beer. Calories in the same Anheuser Busch regular beer averaged 44 per 100 ml and 35 in light beer, or 20 percent lower calories. Similar comparisons may be made for other manufacturers.
2. General Statutes of the State of Connecticut. revised January 1, 1987, sections 12-433 and 435.
3. Hankin, L. 1986. Analysis of wine and beer coolers. Bulletin 840, CT Agricultural Experiment Station.
4, Messenger, B. 1988. Coors Target: Beer across America. Prepared Foods 157:58-61.
5. Official Methods of Analysis. 1984. 14th edition, S. Williams (ed.). Assoc. Official Analytical Chemists, Arlington, VA.
6. Statistical Abstracts ol the United States. 1985 105th edition, Washington, DC.
7. Statistical release Dept. of the Treasury, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. ATF R A:I 5130-2.
8. The Chemistry and Technology of Food and Food Products edition. M.B. Jacobs (ed.). 1951. Interscience Publishers, Analysis of Beer.