Since the dawn of the Atkins Diet (and the many low-carb diets that gained popularity in its wake), there’s been a higher demand for low-carb beers. For a while there, it seemed like dieters’ options began and ended with Michelob Ultra. But, as it turns out, a lot of light beers are fairly low carb. That means the best low carb beer just might be the beer you’re already drinking.
So what did we look for in the best low-carb beer? Well, first of all, we checked the carb count. All the beers on this list have fewer than five grams of carbs per serving (for context, most beers are way carbier than that; our favorite IPA has 24 grams of carbs per serving, while Michelob Ultra has 2.6 grams per serving). We also made sure the low-carb beers we were sipping actually tasted like beer, not beer-flavored seltzer. There are some genuinely flavorful brews on this low-carb beer list! And for full transparency, we’re also including the alcohol content in the blurbs, too—a lot of low-carb beers have a low, low ABV, but that’s not the case with all of them! You can drink low-carb beer and still catch a buzz. Give one of these a shot.
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- Blue Moon Light Sky Citrus Wheat
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Blue Moon reminds me of the early 2000s, and I kind of love that. When I was in college, it seemed so chic to order a beer that came in a 20-ounce pilsner glass with an orange slice perched on the lip. I’ll be honest, it’s not a beer I’ve revisited much over the past couple of decades—we have so many options now!—but this light version is the best low-carb beer option if you want to sip something that’s sweet and won’t challenge your palate. Light Sky is so juicy, it reminded me of a radler. It’s a treat for Sunday brunch.
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- Budweiser Select 55
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Okay, I know I said I was eliminating beers that taste like beer-flavored seltzer, but I made an exception for Budweiser Select 55. Why? It’s sooooo low carb. How low carb? Only 1.9 grams per bottle, making it the lowest low carb beer on this list. And, honestly, its whispery flavor isn’t at all unpleasant, especially if you don’t mind light domestic lagers. I noted that it “tastes like nothing in a pleasant way” and reminded me of “the LaCroix of beers.” But if you’re looking for something to slam from kickoff through the end of the fourth quarter, Bud Select will do the trick.
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- Miller Lite
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We tried both Miller Lite and Miller 64. The latter has fewer calories (64, duh) and fewer carbs per serving (2.4), but in terms of taste, Miller Lite is the much better low-carb beer, with a modest 96 calories and 3.2 grams of carbs. Miller Lite isn’t exactly bursting with flavor as it is, but it’s dramatically tastier than Miller 64—I swear you can actually taste fermented malt and barley when you take a sip, while Miller 64 is like beer-tinged carbonated water. It also has a normal alcohol content: 4.2 ABV to Miller 64’s wildly low 2.8. Personally, I’ll take the extra carbs if I can actually enjoy the beer.
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- Kona Light Blonde Ale
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This was the best light beer we tasted during our light beer taste test, and it also happens to qualify as low carb—huzzah! According to Sporked’s Justine Sterling, it’s “downright tropical with notes of pineapple balanced with herbaceous hops. It doesn’t taste like you’re sacrificing anything.” And you’re not! Except fullness and a beer gut. This beer has just 99 calories a bottle and 4 grams of carbs. It’s the best light beer and it just also happens to be one of the best low-carb beers, too.
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- Omission Ultimate Golden Ale
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I really, really like Omission beers. We got these in for our best gluten-free beer ranking (sadly, they’re gluten reduced rather than totally gluten free), and I ended up hanging on to a few cans because they’re also low carb! This golden ale has just 3 grams of carbs per serving, but still packs so much flavor. It’s simultaneously warm and bright; in fact, in my ranking of the best gluten-free beers, I referred to it as “light, lovely, and quaffable.” If you hate heavy beers but still want flavor, this one of the best low-carb beers you can buy.
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- Omission Ultimate Wheat Ale
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Both of the Omission beers on this list are excellent, but the Wheat Ale gets the top spot on our list of the best low-carb beers because it’s slightly less carby (just 2.3 grams per serving!) and has a nice, citrusy tang that’s extremely appealing. It’s a summery sip that’ll help you get through the doldrums of winter without ruining your beach bod (okay, but also allow me to say, ALL BODIES ARE BEACH BODIES). This is the best low-carb beer you can buy.
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Best Citrusy
Best Super Low Carb
Best if You Want a Buzz
Best Blonde
Best Golden Ale
Best of the Best
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!