Units and calories in ale and stout

Beer, including ales and stout, is the second most popular alcoholic drink consumed by UK adults.¹

And according to recent research, beer is the second most commonly purchased alcoholic drink for consuming at home (42%).²

The UK Chief Medical Officers’ (CMOs’) low risk drinking guidelines recommend drinking no more than 14 units a week, spread over three or more days, with several drink-free days, and no bingeing.³

Regularly drinking more than the low risk drinking guidelines increases your risk of developing a range of health problems including heart and liver disease, and seven types of cancer.⁴ The risk of developing these types of cancer starts to increase even at low levels of drinking – so the less you drink, the more you reduce your risk.⁵

But how much alcohol is in ale and stout, and how many calories? Get the facts here and find out how you can cut down.

How much alcohol is in ale and stout?

Checking an ale or stout's ABV (alcohol by volume) tells you what percentage of the drink is made up of alcohol. For example, a 5% ABV ale contains 5% pure alcohol.

On average, beers – including ale and stout – sold to be drunk at home in the UK are 4.6% ABV.⁶ But that’s only an average – some can be much stronger. The only way to be sure of the strength of a particular ale or stout is to check the label for the ABV.

A good way to keep track of how much you’re drinking is to know how many units of alcohol are in your drink. One unit of alcohol is 10ml of pure alcohol – and the number of units you are drinking depends on the drink’s size and strength.⁷ For example, a pint (568ml) of 5% ABV ale has 2.8 units in it.

How many calories are in ale and stout?

Alcohol is high in calories. It contains around seven calories a gram – almost as many as one gram of fat.⁸

A pint of ale or stout with 4.5% ABV can contain around 180 calories, the same amount as half a cheeseburger.⁹

Calories from alcohol are often described as 'empty calories', meaning they have no nutritional value because they are consumed in addition to the calories your body needs.¹⁰ Drinking alcohol affects the way your body processes fat for energy.¹¹ You are more likely to store fat around your middle – which is an area where men in particular tend to show weight gain, sometimes referred to as a ‘beer belly’.^12,13,14

What’s more, if you find that you eat more junk food after a drinking session, you won’t be alone. That’s because drinking affects the hormones that control your appetite,¹⁵ as well as making you less inhibited and therefore less likely to make healthy choices.¹⁶

Alcohol-free and low alcohol alternatives to ale and stout

Alcohol-free and low alcohol ales and stout are made using the same ingredients as a standard equivalent but with less alcohol:¹⁷

• Low alcohol beer contains up to 1.2% ABV
• Most alcohol-free beer contains up to 0.05% ABV

The 0.05% limit for alcohol-free drinks is based on voluntary government guidance – in practice some alcohol-free beers contain up to 0.5% ABV.¹⁸

Because they still contain some alcohol, these types of drink aren’t suitable if you want or need to avoid alcohol. But if you want to cut down without stopping completely, switching – not adding them as extra drinks – can be a good way to cut your overall alcohol consumption and help you stick to the UK Chief Medical Officers’ low risk drinking guidelines.¹⁹

Drinkaware research has found regular drinkers of alcohol-free products thought the taste had improved over recent years. Negative perceptions of taste were more common among people who hadn’t tried them, with many people pleasantly surprised with the taste when they did.²⁰ So if you’re thinking of switching to alcohol-free ale or stout to cut back on how much you drink, there’s never been a better time to try it.