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Calories · American & British

Calories in a pint of beer

A typical restaurant serving of a pint of beer (one 16 oz US pint of regular beer, about 480 g) is about 210 calories, usually 100–280.

Restaurant portions vary; this is a typical estimate, not a label. Also called beer, bottle of beer, draft beer, IPA, light beer.

~210
Pint of beer

The usual range

Drawn on one 0–2,000 scale shared by every dish page, so plates compare at a glance.

Protein, carbs and fat

  • Protein2 g
  • Carbs17 g
  • Fat0 g

One serving

Serving
one 16 oz US pint of regular beer
Weight
~480 g
Per 100 g
~43

The dish

About a pint of beer

A 16 oz pint of regular beer is about 210 by USDA's numbers, and a 12 oz bottle or can about 150. Light beer is about 140 a pint; stronger, higher-alcohol craft beers about 280. The alcohol supplies most of it, the carbohydrates the rest.

Ways it comes

One dish, a few numbers

Pint of beer · rough numbers

  • 12 oz bottle or can~150
  • 12 oz light beer~100
  • Pint of light beer~140
  • Pint of regular beer~210
  • Pint of higher-alcohol craft beer~280

What moves the number

Why one plate is 100 and another 280

  • Alcohol strength (ABV)
  • A pint versus a 12 oz bottle or can
  • Light, regular or higher-alcohol craft beer

Ordering lighter

If you want a lighter plate

  • Order a 12 oz bottle or a half pint
  • Pick a light beer
  • Choose a lower-ABV beer

Side by side

Next to other American & British dishes

American & British · typical restaurant servingAll about American & British food →

  • Mimosa~120one 6 oz mimosa: sparkling wine and orange juice · usually 80–150
  • Glass of red wine~130one standard 5 oz pour · usually 100–230
  • Green bean casserole~130one cup of green bean casserole · usually 60–190
  • Yorkshire pudding~130one large pub-style Yorkshire pudding (about 60 g) · usually 60–350
  • Pint of beer~210one 16 oz US pint of regular beer · usually 100–280
  • Scotch egg~270one standard Scotch egg (113 g) · usually 220–450
  • Hot dog~300one beef hot dog in a white bun with mustard · usually 250–650
  • Mashed potatoes and gravy~300one cup of restaurant mashed potatoes with gravy · usually 150–450
  • Gumbo~330one restaurant bowl, about 1½ cups, with rice · usually 220–430
  • Mac and cheese~340one restaurant side, roughly a heaped cup · usually 250–1,000
  • Clam chowder~350one bowl of New England chowder, about 1½ cups · usually 200–900
  • Sausage roll~350one bakery sausage roll in flaky pastry · usually 250–550

In PlateDiary

A rough number for the dishes you save — only if you want one.

Off unless you turn them on

Calories in PlateDiary are off unless you turn them on. Switch them on and, when PlateDiary AI reads your photo of the table, each dish gets one rough “~” number. Accept it or change it; a number you correct is remembered for that dish. With Calories off, the app looks exactly as it did before.

A read sends small pictures of the cut-out dishes, with the place's name as a hint — never the table photo, faces or your location. Calorie numbers never go to analytics, and nothing is written to a health app. PlateDiary AI starts with free tries; here is how it works.

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How these numbers were made

Method and sources

Last reviewed

Restaurant portions and cooking vary, so these are typical estimates for one serving, built from the sources below. Treat it as a rough number: your plate may land anywhere in the range.

If you manage a health condition, ask a doctor or registered dietitian.

AI helped draft this page; every number was checked against the sources.

  1. USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS 2021–2023) — Beer (12 fl oz 360 g; 16 fl oz 480 g), FDC 2710616
  2. USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) — Alcoholic beverage, beer, regular, all, FDC 168746
  3. USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS 2021–2023) — Beer, light, FDC 2710617
  4. USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS 2021–2023) — Beer, higher alcohol, FDC 2710618

Questions

Questions people ask.

How many calories are in a pint of beer?

A typical restaurant serving of a pint of beer (one 16 oz US pint of regular beer, about 480 g) is about 210 calories, usually 100–280. The number depends mostly on the portion and how it is cooked.

How many calories are in a pint of beer?

About 210 for a 16 oz pint of regular beer, and about 140 for a pint of light beer.

How many calories are in a 12 oz beer?

About 150 for a regular beer and about 100 for a light beer.

Does IPA have more calories?

Stronger beers do: USDA lists higher-alcohol beer at 58 per 100 g against 43 for regular, so a pint is about 280.

Is beer higher in calories than wine?

A pint (about 210) is more than a 5 oz glass of red wine (about 130) and less than a margarita (about 270).

What changes the calories in a pint of beer?

Alcohol strength (ABV). A pint versus a 12 oz bottle or can.

How can I order a pint of beer lighter?

Order a 12 oz bottle or a half pint. Pick a light beer.

Can PlateDiary show calories for the dishes I eat out?

Yes, if you want it to: calories in PlateDiary are off unless you turn them on. Switch them on and each dish you save from a photo of the table gets one rough “~” number you can accept or change.