Do Hops Add Calories? Separating Brewing Fact from Fiction

November 25, 2025 •

2 min read

A study found that a 12-ounce standard beer (4.9% ABV) contains around 175 calories, with most of that energy coming from alcohol and carbohydrates. So, do hops add calories to beer? The answer is effectively no, as their contribution is minimal.

Quick Summary

Hops add a negligible number of calories to beer, as the primary calorie sources are alcohol and residual carbohydrates from fermented malts. Higher-alcohol beers and sweeter beers contain significantly more calories than the bittering agent itself.

Key Points

Negligible Calorie Contribution: Hops add virtually no calories to finished beer.
Main Calorie Sources: Alcohol and residual carbohydrates are the primary calorie sources in beer.
Alcohol's Caloric Density: Alcohol contains about 7 calories per gram.
Higher ABV, More Calories: Beers with higher alcohol content have more calories.
Residual Sugars Impact: Unfermented sugars (residual carbohydrates) also contribute to calorie count.
Brewing for Lower Calories: Reducing malt, using alternative grains, or high-attenuating yeast can lower beer calories.
Hop Extracts and Weight Management: Concentrated hop extracts are being studied for potential appetite suppression.

The Calorie Contribution of Hops: A Negligible Factor

While hops (Humulus lupulus) contain some inherent nutritional value, their caloric impact on the final brewed product is virtually zero. The amount of hops used is small compared to malted grains. The compounds extracted for bitterness and aroma during boiling do not contribute significant calories. Although hop pellets contain protein, fiber, and fatty acids, very little is transferred to the finished beer, making the raw nutritional data misleading for the final product's calorie content.

The Real Culprits: Alcohol and Residual Carbohydrates

Beer's calories primarily come from alcohol and carbohydrates.

The Power of Fermentation

Malted grains provide sugars converted by yeast into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Alcohol has about 7 calories per gram. Higher ABV beers have more calories.

The Impact of Residual Sugars

Unfermented sugars (residual carbohydrates) remain, contributing to body, sweetness, and calories. Sweeter beers have more calories from carbohydrates.

Brewing for Calorie-Conscious Consumers

To reduce beer calories, focus on alcohol and residual carbohydrates, not hops. Brewers can:

Use Less Malt: Reduces potential for alcohol and residual carbohydrates.
Use Alternative Grains: Results in fewer unfermentable sugars.
Choose a High-Attenuating Yeast: Leads to a drier beer with fewer residual carbohydrates and calories.
Brewing Low-ABV or Non-Alcoholic Options: Provides hoppy flavor with minimal calories from alcohol and carbohydrates.

Nutritional Comparison: Hops vs. Other Beer Ingredients


Ingredient	Primary Contribution to Beer	Caloric Impact on Final Product
Hops	Bitterness, aroma, flavor	Negligible; compounds are extracted, not full nutritional value
Malted Grains	Sugar source for fermentation, body, color	Significant; provides fermentable and residual carbohydrates
Yeast	Converts sugar into alcohol and CO2	Creates the main source of calories (alcohol) from grain sugars
Alcohol (by fermentation)	Inebriating effects, body, flavor	The most significant contributor to beer's total calories

The Surprising Flipside: Hops and Weight Management

Research explores hop extracts for weight management, suggesting potential for appetite suppression.

How Hop Extracts May Help with Appetite

Proprietary hop extracts like Amarasate® may trigger the body's satiety response, stimulating the release of appetite-suppressing gut hormones. This research uses concentrated extracts, not the small amount of hops in beer. A study also examined how matured hop extract might affect body fat in overweight individuals. For more information, see {Link: PubMed Central pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4784395/}.

Conclusion: Do Hops Add Calories? The Final Verdict

Hops contribute negligible calories to beer; most come from alcohol and residual carbohydrates. Hops are crucial for taste but not calorie concerns. For calorie awareness, focus on ABV and sweetness over hop content.

Source for Further Information: American Homebrewers Association

Frequently Asked Questions

All types of hops contribute a negligible amount of calories to the finished beer, regardless of whether they are used for bittering, aroma, or flavor.

No, dry hopping, which adds hops after the boiling process, does not add significant calories to the beer. It primarily imparts aroma and flavor compounds.

The concentrated hop extracts being studied for weight management are not present in significant amounts in regular beer. These are specialized extracts.

No, the bitterness of a beer comes from alpha acids in hops, which are extracted during brewing but do not contribute significant calories. A bitter beer doesn't necessarily mean it's high in calories.

IPAs, especially those with higher alcohol content (higher ABV) and potentially more residual sugars for balance, have high calorie counts primarily due to the alcohol and carbohydrates derived from the malt, not the hops themselves.

Sparkling hop water is typically calorie-free as it contains hop flavor and aroma without the alcohol or fermentable sugars found in beer.

A good estimate of beer calories primarily involves considering the alcohol by volume (ABV) and, to some extent, the beer style which can indicate potential residual sugar levels. Higher ABV usually means more calories.

Minor ingredients like adjuncts or fining agents generally contribute negligible calories compared to the malt and the alcohol produced during fermentation.

Excessive consumption of any calorie-rich beverage, including beer, can contribute to weight gain. The calories in beer come mainly from alcohol and carbohydrates.