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10 tasty beers that won’t expand your waistline

10 March 2022 By Jessica Mason

Ever wanted a go-to list of 10 flavoursome beers that won’t affect your fitness and weight loss goals? Here it is.

If you are getting back to fitness prior to the summer and yet you want to enjoy beer without wrecking all of the hard work you’ve put in, then seeking out beers with low alcohol or lighter session counterparts could be the answer. But how do you find these? And do any of them actually taste any good? This is where db can help.

Lower alcohol means there is reduced sugar in beer, and if there is less sugar then there will be fewer calories by volume. Always look at the ABV of an alcoholic drink and consider each letter of the acronym – Alcohol By Volume – how much you drink in quantity per pour in millilitres is as important as the ABV too. This is where so many people go wrong when they think that beer is extremely unhealthy. It isn’t. So long as we enjoy it in moderation while staying fit and healthy. Beer is made with natural ingredients. How your body reacts to different drinks has a lot to do with how it digests these ingredients and, also, what you eat during and after imbibing. Beer can make us crave carbohydrates. But, really, so long as we are disciplined enough to enjoy our drinks without overindulging, we can still maintain most fitness goals. Is it that simple? It really is.

Defining ‘low’ also doesn’t have to mean low ABV, but can include beers purporting to be ‘light’ or even beers that are relatively low abv and sold as sessionable, meaning you could have a few. Historically, across the ‘lo & no’ category as well as the light and gluten free category, beers have been disappointingly thin. This is because, often, they can lack the depth of flavour and body that alcohol can give them. Instead, beers that effectively remove an element often feel a little lacking unless this is a carefully balanced construction of tricking our brain into thinking that it is back in there. Luckily for us, brewers are getting better and better the more they experiment. Even just a few years ago, such was the paucity of variety upon shop shelves that we would have been lucky to find anything other than the big macro brands, but now there are heaps of indie brewers getting noticed.

Post-craft beer revolution, we are in a very different place. Many smaller brewers have become much more interested in flavour and have continually pushed themselves to create an offer that appeals to our ever-evolving tastes. As consumers, we are becoming increasingly conscientious about our lifestyle choices – we want vegan friendly options, gluten-free brews and low-alcohol options. But we expect things to also taste marvellous. There is intense competition and the calibre of choice for those buying beer has risen which can only be a good thing.

Anyway, here – in alphabetical order – are 10 delicious brews to seek out should you want to kick back with a beer – with no guilt, whatsoever. Interestingly – because we tasted beer from all over – this selection hails from both the UK and the US, which in itself tells us something in terms of rising quality, brewer skillset and geolocation right now within the beer scene’s low and no sub category. But another commonality remains: All of these beers deliver on exactly what any discerning beer lover would want – all while staying on target with those all-important health, wellness and fitness goals. Enjoy!

Adnams Ghost Ship 0.5% | Southwold, UK

0.5% ABV

The original Ghost Ship was already a triumph, however, this beer is an absolute stroke of genius. Worth every penny, Adnams invested in a de-alcoholiser which essential means Fergus Fitzgerald and Dan Gooderham can brew Ghost Ship at 4.5% and then, by reverse osmosis, remove the alcohol. This is such a great balance of Citra that peeks through and gives this light and bright beer some lovely citrus top notes. Available in 500ml bottles or 330ml cans and vegan too, this beer is just 21 calories per 100ml and is available from Adnams’ webshop as well as all Adnams’ pubs.

Athletic Free Wave Double Hop IPA | Stratford, US

0.4% ABV

Bready on the nose and pours a little cloudy, this IPA is packed with flavour and a lovely citrus edge to it that chases you back in with each sip. It has a clean and delicate pine aroma with a medium body that helps you think you’re drinking a higher ABV beer. A thirst slacker that is packed with Citra and Mosaic and Amarillo that gives it lots of tropical dankness that tastes hugely satisfying. When Bill Shufelt teamed up with craft brewer John Walker who was previously working at Second Street in Santa Fae, their mission was to brew beers for health-conscious beer lovers that didn’t compromise on flavour. And this is exactly what they are doing. Buy directly from their webshop.

Big Drop Pine Trail Pale Ale | London, UK

0.5% ABV

A lovely zing hit of floral aromatics lead on the nose and on the palate you get citrus and a slight hop bitterness on the finish that is in no way out of balance with this zesty pale ale. One of the most rewarding, hydrating and refreshing beers going. Gluten-free and available in 330ml cans or bottles. You can buy this beer singularly or in packs of 12 or 24 from the Big Drop webshop.

Brooklyn Special Effects Hoppy Amber | New York, US

0.4% ABV

Pours a golden amber with a dense head that bursts with aromas of citrus, pine and a gentle lacing of honeyed sweetness that draws you in. On the palate, the interplay of toasty malts and grapefruit zestiness give this beer a clean and well-balanced flavour. Excellently-crafted and highly rewarding with a long smooth finish. Find it in their webshop.

Firestone Walker Easy Jack | California, US

4% ABV

Essentially, a session IPA that has been dry-hopped with a whole host of zesty resinous and relatively new varieties that give this beer a bright piney aroma with plenty of promise that delivers as much on the palate. A smooth dry finish with malty bready notes that interplay well with the lively punch of citrus. The attenuation is spot on. It’s an impressive and also easy-drinking beer that could please even the fussiest of palates. Lots of places sell it online and are happy to deliver it by the case.

Harvey’s Old Ale | Sussex, UK

0.5% ABV

Harvey’s Old Ale, the original, was a 4.3% ABV dark mild, but this is its low-alcohol twin and it’s just as sumptuous. Copper on the pour, with a rich biscuity nose laced with sweetness and toffee and fruitcake. It has a medium body and a long finish with hints of bitterness. You can get it in individual bottles or in a case of 12.

The Kernel Table Beer | London, UK

3% ABV

Depth of flavour is important stuff when you’re really trying to consider which beer will make the cut while you’re keeping fit. The Kernel Table Beer fits the bill time and time again though because it has a low ABV and yet a whole lot of flavour packed into each bottle. You get huge sweeps of citrus and orange pith on the nose and yet this isn’t cloying, but crisp, refreshing and easy drinking. It’s a memorable beer and you’ll keep coming back to it time and time again. Buy direct from the brewery store, although most reputable bottle shops will stock this already.

Powderkeg Green Light | Devon, UK

1.2% ABV

A tropical, dry-hopped low-alcohol IPA that is bursting with pine notes from big hits of Cascade. This beer is both gluten-free and vegetarian, but does contain lactose and a grain bill that includes oats, which gives it a soft velvet smooth mouthfeel and some body to it too. A beer that is all about balance and flavour. Really impressive. Available in cases of 12.

Saltaire Northern Light Pale Ale | Yorkshire, UK

0.5% ABV

Crisp, citrus aroma is at play here in this single-hopped Citra beer. It is both refreshing and has a bite of bitterness on the backbone. Brewed by Rob Cooke, this is a superbly crushable beer with a hint of passionfruit on the nose and a malty finish with moderate carbonation that gives it a creamier, more rounded body even with such low alcohol. Available in packs of 12 from the Saltaire webshop.

Wiper & True Small Beer | Bristol, UK

2.7% ABV

A big hop hit in a small table beer style. Full bodied and with a nuanced fruitiness with a more friendly bitter finish than so many on the market today. Pours a pleasing vibrant golden hue with a dense head of foam that offers up a whole heap of sit-up-straight hop notes. A gentle and smooth dry finish keeps you thinking about it long after the last sip. Worth a try if you haven’t as yet. Grab it from Waitrose.