Low Carb beer explosion

[dicko]

At least in Oz (maybe our overseas brothers can shed some light on the situation in their countries) there has been a MASSIVE trend towards either low carb alternatives of established beers, or the introduction of new lines of these low carb beers. I'm talking, at the bottle shop where I work, I would estimate that of the last dozen beers we have started stocking, maybe ten have been low carb. Some are more popular than others but it seems every brewery wants a piece of the marketing action...

What do you all think?

I'm not really convinced on the 'dietary' benefits of low carb beers (just drink less if you want less carbs haha) and I think they might be a little blander in taste. However, I've enjoyed a few and if it's helped people keep a bit of the beer gut off then why not.

So, a healthy and tasty alternative to what's already out there? Or a Gen Y marketing fad trying to dress up watered down flavour and questionable dietary beneifts??

[aavkk]

People don't seem to understand that it's not the "carbs" in a beer that puts the weight on. It's the fact that your body simply metabolizes the alcohol first leaving the burrito you just ate to be stored as fat instead of used for energy.

Low carb beer is IMO watered down crap. If I'm gonna drink beer give me a good stout or dopplebock. Here in the States there is a big push as well and watching the michelob Ultra commercials with people exercising is comedy to me.

[maalouly]

People don't seem to understand that it's not the "carbs" in a beer that puts the weight on. It's the fact that your body simply metabolizes the alcohol first leaving the burrito you just ate to be stored as fat instead of used for energy.

Low carb beer is IMO watered down crap. If I'm gonna drink beer give me a good stout or dopplebock. Here in the States there is a big push as well and watching the michelob Ultra commercials with people exercising is comedy to me.

Believ it or not the low car beer that is on the market today taste better thn full strength beer. It is not a watered down version as some might think and if it's less in carbs but still has the same amount of alchol and taste I dont see the harm in that.

[Ellery]

Ive tried the low cal beers, and the ultra low cal beers, and for the most part they aren't too bad. I personally like full bodied, dark,amber type beers. If you are too worried about weight gain, and you are a real calorie counter, then you should not be drinking beer at all.

[cvm4]

Takes too many of them to start feeling good.

I'm not a fan

[aavkk]

I guess the exception to the rule is Amstel Light, its the one I do like. I drink it though because I like it not because it will keep the lbs off. Interestingly, Guiness is one of the lowest calorie beers and only slightly more than most of the light beers on the market yet it tastes great IMO.

[bassman]

Guiness is also pretty low alcohol- at under 5%. I'd rather drink a full flavored, high alcohol beer than several low ones.

[Taino]

what's next?! diet big mac? kmon!

[Ethernut]

Id rather drink water than low-carb or lite beers. I'm a dark beer man myself. If I walk in somewhere and all they have are bud/mich/coors or any of their light variants, I just pass.

[samb]

I do not drink any beer with the word light in it. When I'm drinking beer, its to enjoy the flavor of the beer, not to get drunk. When I do get drunk, its on full flavored beer. I have a hard enough time drinking macro-brews as it is, let alone a low carb macro-brew. I generally stick to dark micro-brews.

[Guest rob]

I'm addicted to Kilkenny Irish Draught beer.

Quite low alcohol... but the flavour is unbelievable.

[frenchkiwi]

Never tasted a good low-carb or "low alcohol" beer in me life. that includes amstel light and most industrially brewed light lagers.

but then again i avoid them so what would i know ;-)

i'm sure if it was really hot and i was thirsty a lite beer would taste ok. Beer tastes better when you've earnt it.

the key is to do the healthy thing and drink beer after (and during??;-) exercise/stress.

there is a beer for every occasion i guess and as my grandfather always says: All Beer is Good Beer.