We tap into the amount of booze found in your favourite brews.
As one of the world’s oldest and most popular drinks, cracking open a cold, frothy beer on a hot day is hard to beat. The golden bubbly drink is a fast friend to food and the perfect bev for dinner parties and sunny picnics alike. Plus, with an almost endless choice when it comes to styles and flavours, there’s truly something for everyone. Bars overflow with an eye-popping array of options, from fruity beers to funky sour ales, classic lagers to bold IPAs, each style with its own growing subcategories to boot.
But, how much do we really know about the alcohol levels in the brews we choose? Whether you're a seasoned beer connoisseur or a casual dabbler, understanding the alcohol content of your favourite coldies can seem a wee bit confusing. But fear not – we’re here to keep you in the know.
Beer can be divided into two main categories: ales and lagers, with subcategories trickling down within the two. The key difference lies in the type of yeast used and the fermentation process, but some beers can be classified as hybrids, containing both lager and ale characteristics. Now, while we won’t deep-dive into all that scientific stuff here, knowing a little about the most popular froths is never a bad thing. Why wouldn't you wanna be the one in the know at the bar or bottle-o? Lagers can be pale, amber or dark, including pilsners, German lichts or helles, and the darker American or European lagers.
In the ale category, we’re talking pale ales, Indian pale ales (IPA), sour ales, brown ales, extra pale ales (XPA), Kolsch, stouts and porters. Then you have your zero% or non-alcoholic beers, along with low-carb, gluten-free and ginger brews. Feeling crafty? Check out our simple guide to craft beer styles.
For a comparison of the different key beer styles and their ABVs, we have some numbers below:
- Non-alcoholic beer: 0.0% ABV
- Zero% alcohol beer: up to 0.5% ABV
- Full-strength beer: 4.8% ABV
- Mid-strength beer: 3.5% ABV
- Low-strength beer: 2.7% ABV
