Busch Light lists 95 calories per 12 fluid ounces.
Americans love drinking lighter beers. Light beer appeals to beer drinkers who want to enjoy these popular brews without worrying about gaining extra pounds around the waist.
To many, the fear of a beer belly is real, even if your wife says she likes your dad bod.
Calories in these brews come from the alcohol content and residual carbohydrates. When we’re young and enjoying a college Fraternity Party, Bud Light’s caloric content does not weigh heavy on us, nor does the sleek silver bullet, Coors Light, or hunter’s orange camouflage cans of Busch Light.
As we mature, we take more notice of things like alcohol content and carbs of these popular brews. Luckily, the refreshing light lager, Busch Light, clocks in at a low alcohol content and markets itself as an outdoorsman’s beer, so you can get out and burn those calories for a few more beers are okay.
How Many Calories In Busch Light (4.1% ABV)? Explained
There are 95 calories in a 12 fl oz serving of Busch Light. On average, beer has 150 calories. Light beers, however, further reduce beer’s carbohydrates, often with enzymes.
The primary sources of calories in beer come from alcohol and carbohydrates. Light beers have traditionally reduced alcohol content and carbohydrates to offer a low-cal beer option.
The first marketed light beer was Coors Light in the 1940s, advertised as a beer with a lighter body and lower calories. Coors discontinued Coors Light during World War II but revived it after its regional competitor, Miller, released Miller Lite.
Miller Lite was the first commercially available beer in America that utilized enzymes to further break down the carbohydrates in beer. The result was a beer with a low body and a reduction in calories.
Light beer quickly caught on in an American market increasingly interested in diet trends and exercise programs. Soon, Anheuser Busch and other beer makers followed suit by releasing their light beer option.
Today, the light beer category is almost one-fifth of the overall US market, dominated by some of the world’s best-selling and most popular brews, like Bud Light (5.45B), Coors Light (2.02B), and Miller Lite (1.72B in 2020).
Alcohol Percentage and Calories
While light beer cuts calories primarily by reducing the number of carbohydrates in beer, alcohol contributes to calories in beer. One gram of alcohol is equivalent to 7 calories.
Further, if Busch Light calories are 95 calories at 4.1 percent abv, alcohol represents nearly one-third of the calories.
When it comes to the heaviest brew on the market, alcohol and residual sugars play an even greater role. One of the heaviest brews, an imperial stout, can have more than 300 calories per 12 fl oz serving.
These beers have double the amount of alcohol as a regular Busch beer and the use of darkly roasted malts leaves residual sugars unfermented in the final product.
How Many Calories Compared To Other Light Beers?
Light beers have been commercially popular since their introduction in the 1970s and 80s. Regular beer options average around 150 calories per 12-ounce serving. The heaviest beer can top 300 calories or more.
But light brews (here are 10 low calories beer options) can offer a refreshing beer experience at more than 50 calories less than that beer like Bud heavy. Compared to a fairly boozy offering, the difference can be even more.
For the award for lowest caloric brew, this chart shows a three way tie between light lagers, Busch Light, Michelob Ultra, and Natural Light has 95 calories. Each is produced by Anheuser Busch InBev, makers of Bud Light. Miller Lite has just one calorie more at 96.
| Low Calorie Beer (Producer) | Calories/ 12 fl oz | Alcohol Content |
| Busch Light (Anheuser Busch InBev) | 95 | 4.1 |
| Coors Light (MillerCoors Beer) | 102 | 4.2 |
| Miller Lite (MillerCoors Beer) | 96 | 4.2 |
| Heineken Light (Heineken Holding NV) | 99 | 4.2 |
| Bud Light (AB InBev) | 110 | 4.2 |
| Natural Light (Natty Light) (AB InBev) | 95 | 4.2 |
| Michelob Ultra (AB InBev) | 95 | 4.2 |
How Many Calories In Busch Light Apple (4.1% ABV)?
Today, many brands spin off fruit-flavored variations. Busch Light is no different and has found success with the introduction of Busch Light Apple in 2020.
Light beer consumers need to keep in mind that adding additional ingredients, including fruit, will increase the caloric content of beers even if they are marketed as light beers.
For instance, Busch Light Apple lists 130 calories per 12 ounces – a 35 calories difference compared to Busch Light – and that’s with the same abv. It is worth noting, however, that AB InBev discontinued Busch Light Apple just two years later.
How Much Sugar Is In Busch Light?
While Busch Light does not have additional sugar added, your body breaks down the remaining 3.2 grams of carbohydrates that aren’t broken down in the brewing process and is consumed by your body as glucose.
“When you drink beer or eat foods that have carbohydrates—also known as carbs—your body breaks those carbs down into glucose (a type of sugar), explains diabetes.org, a website of the American Diabetes Association, which raises the level of glucose in your blood. Your body uses that glucose for fuel to keep you going throughout the day.”
Is There Fat In Busch Light?
Busch Light does not have any fat. Historically, people believed no beer had fat in it, but today’s race to the bottom with craft beers may have changed that as brewers aim to cram more and more hops into beer. Now, you may be wondering what hops have to do with fat.
Aren’t hops plants?
True. Hops are the bittering component of beer from the bine-growing hop plant. One of the prized components of hops is the plant’s essential oils. Hop oils enhance hop aroma and flavor without bitterness. However, with the trend in low bitterness and strong hop flavor in beer, it is conceivable that the residual oils in beer may register as fats.
Is Busch Light Keto-Friendly / Low Carb?
A Keto diet consists of consuming low-carb, high-fat foods, with only 3.2 grams of carbs; Busch Light could fit into a Keto-friendly diet.
“The ketogenic diet typically reduces total carbohydrate intake to less than 50 grams a day—less than the amount found in a medium plain bagel—and can be as low as 20 grams a day,” explains Harvard.edu. “Generally, popular ketogenic resources suggest an average of 70-80% fat from total daily calories, 5-10% carbohydrate, and 10-20% protein.”
This would put Busch Light around 15 percent of the daily keto diet. But are you really going to have just one? And without the additional fat to provide you energy, will you be able to make it through the day? A better question: is a Keto diet worth it, anyway?
Is Busch Light A Healthier Beer?
Here’s the deal: tons of studies on the positive and negative aspects of drinking beer. If you have read this far, we both agree that beer can be part of a healthy lifestyle, but beer alone is probably not very healthy. Moderation is key.
Busch Light has less alcohol than other beers, which is a plus, but it has little to no protein, and any healthful vitamins and minerals have been filtered out. Beer isn’t healthy. And that’s okay!
Drink Busch Light for taste, to relax, and to be social. Busch Light may not be a superfood, but it’s an undeniably drinkable beer. If you’re unwilling to make other efforts to be healthy, don’t blame beer for making you fat. You’re probably okay to have one or two natties a week.
Busch Light is no healthier than a glass of wine, darker brews from a craft brewer, or the heaviest brew made with snowmelt from the Rocky Mountains!
The idea that light beer, diet coke, or a fad diet will make you healthy is nonsense. So drink beer for taste and to have a good time, don’t constantly expect it to make it skinny unless you’re willing to put in the effort.
