Low-carb beer at DrinkWell: calories, macros and case buying.

Low-carb beer used to mean a thin, watery compromise. Not any more. The lighter lagers and pale ales we stock at DrinkWell are proper full-flavoured beers, brewed drier so there is less leftover grain sugar in every can. Here is exactly how each one compares on calories, carbs and strength, which ones come in under 100 calories, what “gluten free” and “keto” really mean on a beer can, and how to buy by the case.

One thing to know before the numbers. Two things put calories into beer: alcohol and carbohydrate. Alcohol carries about seven calories a gram, so even a beer with almost no carbs still has calories. In a light lager, most of the calories come from the alcohol, not the carbs. That is why a low-carb beer is not the same as a calorie-free one, and why strength (ABV) matters as much as the carb figure.

Low-carb beer options at DrinkWell

We currently stock five lighter beers. Each one earns its place for a slightly different reason:

Tennent’s Light, 3.4% ABV. The lowest in carbs and calories we stock, at 0.8g of carbs and 84 calories in a bigger 440ml can. Crisp and malty, made from Scottish-grown cereals.

Prime Time Lager, 4.2% ABV. A full-strength, full-flavoured everyday lager with 4g of carbs and 95 calories per 330ml can.

Prime Time Session IPA, 4.2% ABV. Light and zingy, brewed with Chinook, Centennial, Mosaic and Simcoe hops. 4g of carbs and 95 calories per 330ml.

Prime Time Pear Lager, 4% ABV. Crisp lager infused with British-grown nashi pears from a family farm in Kent. 4g of carbs (1.7g of which sugar) and 95 calories per can.

Roley’s Super Natural Lager, 4.4% ABV. The strongest of the five and a Gold medal winner in the Lager category at the World Beer Awards 2025. 5g of carbs and 89 calories per 330ml can.

Beer calories and macros comparison

Here is the full line-up side by side. Because Tennent’s Light comes in a 440ml can and the others in 330ml, we have added per-100ml figures so you can compare like for like. All figures are taken from our product pages.

Zero carb or low carb? None of these beers is zero carb, and we don’t currently stock one that is. Tennent’s Light comes closest at 0.8g a can, which is very low. The other four sit at 4 to 5g a can, which is still low for beer: a typical full-strength lager carries around 10 to 13g in a 330ml bottle.

Beer under 100 calories per can

All five of our lighter beers come in under 100 calories for the full can, not just per 100ml. Every one we stock is sold in cans, so there are no bottles to compare here.

Tennent’s Light: 84 calories per 440ml can

Roley’s Super Natural Lager: 89 calories per 330ml can

Prime Time Lager: 95 calories per 330ml can

Prime Time IPA: 95 calories per 330ml can

Prime Time Pear Lager: 95 calories per 330ml can

Tennent’s Light is the standout here. It has the lowest calorie count even though its can holds a third more beer than the others.

Keto, gluten-free and ingredient criteria

Carbs, gluten and ingredients are three separate questions, and a beer can tick one box without ticking the others. Here is how ours line up.

Keto and carb budgets

If you are counting carbs, the carb figure per can is the number to watch. Tennent’s Light, at 0.8g, takes up very little of a daily carb allowance. The Prime Time range at 4g and Roley’s at 5g take up more, and that adds up over a few cans. A low-carb beer can fit into a carb budget, but no beer will put you into ketosis or keep you there. If you are following keto for a medical reason, check with your GP or dietitian.

Gluten free vs gluten reduced

In the UK, a food or drink can only be labelled “gluten free” if it contains 20 parts per million of gluten or less. Products with a bit more (up to 100 parts per million) can only say “very low gluten”, and phrases like “gluten reduced” are not a legal guarantee of anything.

The Prime Time beers are brewed with barley malt and then have the gluten removed, rather than being brewed from naturally gluten-free grains. They are sold as gluten free. Tennent’s Light is also sold as gluten free. For Roley’s we don’t currently have a confirmed gluten-free status, so treat it as containing gluten. If you have coeliac disease or a gluten intolerance, always check the can itself before drinking.

What “clean ingredients” can and can’t tell you

The Prime Time range keeps its ingredient list short: water, barley malt, hops and yeast, plus pear juice in the Pear Lager. That is genuinely simple. But a short ingredient list tells you what went into the beer, not how many calories or carbs ended up in it, and it doesn’t make beer a health drink. Where a brewer hasn’t published a full ingredient list, we have said so above rather than guess.

Beer choices for social occasions

The right beer depends on the food, the company and how long the evening runs. One thing applies to all of them: the numbers on the can are per can. Two or three cans means two or three times the calories and carbs, and because alcohol carries calories of its own, even the lowest-carb beer adds up over an evening. In Tennent’s Light, almost all of the 84 calories come from the alcohol rather than the carbs.

A smoky BBQ

Smoky, charred food needs a beer with enough flavour to stand up to it. Prime Time IPA, with its four hops, cuts through grilled meat and spicy rubs. If you’d prefer a classic lager, Roley’s pairs well with grilled chicken and fish. Two cans of Prime Time IPA over a long afternoon comes to 190 calories and 8g of carbs. Two Tennent’s Light is 168 calories and 1.6g of carbs.

A girls’ night in

For something a bit different from the usual bottle of wine, Prime Time Pear Lager is light and crisp with a gentle hint of pear, without the heavy sweetness of a fruit cider. It is lovely with nibbles, cheese and a sharing board. Three cans over an evening adds up to 285 calories and 12g of carbs, so pace yourself if you’re counting.

A dinner party

At the table, a crisp, clean lager is the easiest match for most food. Roley’s Super Natural works with fish, salads and lighter mains, and Prime Time Lager is a good all-rounder. Pour into a glass and serve cold, around 4°C. Two cans of Roley’s with dinner comes to 178 calories and 10g of carbs.

Choosing a lighter beer can help you keep track of what you’re drinking, but it isn’t a guarantee of anything. What you eat alongside it, and how many you have, matter just as much.

Cases, prices and delivery

All our beers are sold by the case. Prices below are one-off purchase prices. Choose Subscribe & Save on any product page to take 10% off every order.

Mixed cases: we don’t currently offer a mixed beer case, but you can add any combination of cases to one order and pay a single delivery charge.

In stock vs on its way: a product page showing “Add to basket” means it’s in stock now. That is separate from how long delivery takes, which depends on where you live and when you order.

Delivery: Standard delivery is free on orders over £79, otherwise £5.99 per address to UK mainland, or £7.99 for Express. On average, 98% of orders arrive within 24 hours (48 hours for the Highlands and Islands and Northern Ireland), but we recommend allowing 3 to 5 working days. Orders placed between 12pm Friday and 12pm Monday are delivered from Tuesday onwards, and Saturday delivery is available for orders placed before 12pm on Friday.

Want it this week? Enter your postcode at checkout to see the delivery options and dates available to you, and order before the cut-off times above. Full details are in our delivery policy.

Prices, case sizes and stock were checked in November 2026 and may change. The product page always shows the latest.

Low-carb beer buying questions

Is zero-carb lager calorie-free?
No. Even a beer with no carbs at all still contains alcohol, and alcohol has about seven calories per gram. Most of the calories in a light lager come from the alcohol, which is why Tennent’s Light has 84 calories despite having just 0.8g of carbs.

Is low-carb beer gluten free?
Not automatically. Carbs and gluten are separate things. The Prime Time range and Tennent’s Light are sold as gluten free, but Roley’s doesn’t have a confirmed gluten-free status. If you need to avoid gluten, check the can before drinking.

How does can size affect the calories and carbs?
The figures on a can are for the whole can, so a bigger can holds more. That’s why we’ve included per-100ml figures in the table above. Tennent’s Light comes in a 440ml can, a third bigger than a 330ml can, and is still the lowest in calories and carbs per can.

Can beer fit into a keto carb budget?
It can, if you count it. One Tennent’s Light uses 0.8g of carbs, and one Prime Time uses 4g. A few cans adds up quickly, and beer won’t help you get into or stay in ketosis. If you’re following keto for medical reasons, speak to your GP or dietitian.

What should I choose if no beer ticks every box?
Decide which matters most to you. For the fewest carbs and calories, choose Tennent’s Light. For a gluten-free beer at full strength, choose a Prime Time beer. For the closest thing to a classic premium lager, choose Roley’s. Then keep an eye on how many you have, because that matters more than which one you pick.

Low-carb beer doesn’t have to mean giving up the pint you enjoy. Browse the full low calorie beer range, or go straight to our keto beers and gluten-free beers. For more on the numbers, read our guide to calories in beer or see how the UK’s most popular beers compare with their lighter matches.