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How Much Sugar Is in Alcohol-Free Beer? UK Brands Compared

How Much Sugar Is in Alcohol-Free Beer? UK Brands Compared

Updated 2 November 2026

Quick answer

Most UK alcohol-free beers contain between 0g and 3.6g of sugar per 100ml. Regular beer contains almost none, because yeast turns the sugar into alcohol. The lowest in our comparison is IMPOSSIBREW Pro Grapefruit IPA, with 0g. IMPOSSIBREW Enhanced Lager has 0.7g per 100ml, or 3.1g in a 440ml can.

Trustpilot

Ratings compared

Checked 5 Nov 2026

1 IMPOSSIBREW 4.4 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot 4.4 1,036 reviews
2 Lucky Saint 4.3 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot 4.3 3,734 reviews
3 BrewDog 4.0 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot 4.0 2,600 reviews
Not ranked: fewer than 1,000 reviews
Peroni 3.1 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot 3.1 4 reviews
Guinness 2.4 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot 2.4 9 reviews
Heineken 2.0 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot 2.0 102 reviews
No Trustpilot page found: Erdinger

Brands with 1,000+ Trustpilot reviews are ranked. TrustScores and review counts from each brand's Trustpilot page, checked 5 Nov 2026.

Sugar in alcohol-free beer: UK brands compared

Sorted from least to most sugar per 100ml. The last column is the whole bottle or can, which is what you actually drink.

Beer Sugar /100ml kcal /100ml Sugar per serving
IMPOSSIBREW Pro Grapefruit IPA 0g 17.5 0g (440ml)
IMPOSSIBREW Sicilian Lemon Lager under 0.1g 17.5 under 0.5g (440ml)
Lucky Saint Unfiltered Lager 0.1g 16 0.3g (330ml)
IMPOSSIBREW Enhanced Hazy Pale 0.6g 16 2.6g (440ml)
IMPOSSIBREW Enhanced Lager 0.7g 17 3.1g (440ml)
Guinness 0.0 0.7g 17 3.1g (440ml)
Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% 0.8g 23 2.6g (330ml)
Heineken 0.0 1.3g 21 4.3g (330ml)
BrewDog Punk AF 1.8g 15 5.9g (330ml)
Erdinger Alkoholfrei 3.6g 25 18g (500ml)
For comparison: Heineken Original, 5% 0g 42 0g (330ml)

The spread is wide. A can of Pro Grapefruit IPA has no sugar at all; a 500ml Erdinger Alkoholfrei has 18g.

Does regular beer have sugar?

Hardly any. Brewers start with sugar from malted barley, then yeast eats it and makes alcohol and gas. A fully fermented lager such as Heineken Original lists 0g of sugar per 100ml. Its calories come from the alcohol instead: 42 per 100ml, twice the 21 in Heineken 0.0.

Why alcohol-free beer has more sugar

Alcohol-free beer is made in one of two ways, and both can leave sugar behind.

  • Short fermentation. The brewer stops the yeast early, or uses yeast that cannot eat every sugar. The beer stays under 0.5% ABV, and some malt sugar stays in the glass.
  • Removing the alcohol. The brewer makes full-strength beer and then takes the alcohol out. Some brewers then add flavour back. Heineken says it blends Heineken 0.0 with natural flavours after removing the alcohol, and BrewDog Punk AF lists lactose, a milk sugar, in its ingredients.

Without alcohol a beer can taste thin, and sugar is one way to fill it out. That is why two alcohol-free lagers can taste alike and carry very different amounts of sugar.

How to read the label

Find the line Carbohydrate, of which sugars. It is given per 100ml, so multiply by the size of the can: a 440ml can is 4.4 times the figure, a 500ml bottle is 5 times.

The NHS advises adults to keep free sugars, which include added sugars, below 30g a day. One 500ml bottle at 3.6g per 100ml holds 18g of sugar, more than half that figure.

Sugar in each IMPOSSIBREW beer

IMPOSSIBREW beer Sugar /100ml kcal /100ml
Pro Grapefruit IPA 0g 17.5
Sicilian Lemon Lager under 0.1g 17.5
Enhanced Hazy Pale 0.6g 16
Enhanced Lager 0.7g 17
Triple Hopped IPA 1.1g 12

Pro Grapefruit IPA and Sicilian Lemon Lager are our lowest-sugar beers. Enhanced Lager is gluten-free (under 20ppm) and vegan. Every beer is 0.5% ABV and brewed with Social Blend™.

Frequently asked questions

Does alcohol-free beer have sugar?

Yes, usually a little. Most UK alcohol-free beers carry between 0.1g and 3.6g of sugar per 100ml. Regular beer has almost none, because yeast turns the sugar into alcohol.

Does regular beer have sugar?

Very little. Heineken Original lists 0g of sugar per 100ml. Its 42 calories per 100ml come mostly from alcohol, which carries about 7 calories per gram.

Which alcohol-free beer has the least sugar?

In our comparison, IMPOSSIBREW Pro Grapefruit IPA, with 0g per 100ml, followed by IMPOSSIBREW Sicilian Lemon Lager at under 0.1g. Among the big-brand lagers, Lucky Saint is lowest at 0.1g.

How much sugar is in IMPOSSIBREW?

Enhanced Lager has 0.7g per 100ml, 3.1g per 440ml can. Enhanced Hazy Pale has 0.6g per 100ml, 2.6g per can.

Is alcohol-free beer OK on a low-sugar diet?

A low-sugar one can be. A 440ml can at 0.7g per 100ml holds about 3g of sugar, against about 35g in a 330ml can of cola. A 500ml bottle at 3.6g per 100ml holds 18g, so read the label first.

Sources

Figures are per 100ml from brand pages and UK retailer labels, checked 2 November 2026. Recipes change, so check the can. Heineken 0.0 · Heineken Original · Lucky Saint · Guinness 0.0 label · Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% · BrewDog Punk AF label · Erdinger Alkoholfrei · NHS: cutting down on sugar · NHS: calories in alcohol

About IMPOSSIBREW

IMPOSSIBREW makes alcohol-free beer brewed with Social Blend™ (L‑theanine, ashwagandha, magnesium and vitamin B1), developed with pharmacologists at Durham University, for the calm, relaxed feeling of a drink without the alcohol.

Dr Paul Chazot, Chair of Pharmacology at Durham University, who developed Social Blend with IMPOSSIBREW
2
91/100from the judges

Gold Medal for our Lager at the London Beer Competition, the first alcohol‑free beer to win Gold there. Judges noted citrus, light lemon and tropical aromas with a crisp finish.

3
GoldWorld Beer Awards

Voted the UK's best-tasting alcohol‑free lager at the World Beer Awards (Gold and Country Winner). Enhanced Lager and Enhanced Hazy Pale also each hold a Great Taste Award.

4
17kcalper 100ml

60% fewer calories than a standard 5% lager. Enhanced Lager is gluten-free (below 20ppm) and vegan.

As seen on BBC's Dragons' Den, with more than 100,000 customers.

*Highest TrustScore among alcohol‑free beer brands with over 1,000 Trustpilot reviews, checked 28 October 2026. See the scores.

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