A refreshing beer at the end of the day or during a football game is a tradition. Bud Light and Budweiser are well-known beverages and are found almost everywhere. While known for their two beers, they have other diverse products.
No, Bud Light beer is not gluten-free. It’s made with barley, which contains gluten. Most traditional beers are made from wheat, rye, or barley, which all contain gluten. Bud Light makes a seltzer that is gluten-free. The best gluten-free beers that are also great alternatives to Bud Light are Anheuseur-Busch Redbridge Lager, Bierly Beers, and Stone Delicious IPA.
In this article, we’ll talk about the humble beginnings of Anheuser-Busch and the evolution of Bud Light. We’ll also outline the ingredients in Bud Light products, touch on Budweiser’s gluten-free status, and present several gluten-free, gluten-removed beers to consider. Let’s dig in!
Contents
History
Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association has a rich and storied history dating back to 1879. After Aldophus Busch came to American in 1857, he fought in the Civil War and then joined his father-in-law’s business and started to transform the company. He took over in 1880, and soon after, Budweiser beer was introduced to fill a market gap.
Today Budweiser is one of the most well-known beverage companies in the world. Even those that don’t drink beer are familiar with the Budweiser Clydesdales, dalmatian, and their catchy commercials.
Bud Light came into the picture with the health craze of the 1980s. It became more popular than its parent beer. As craft beers became more popular, Budweiser and Bud Light have expanded their product lines to include seltzers and fruity beers.
Today, Anheuser-Busch is owned by InBev, the largest brewing company in the United States and poised worldwide to open up new markets for the company.
Labeling of Gluten-Free Beers
Beers can be labeled gluten-free, gluten-reduced, or gluten-removed.
Gluten-free beers
These replace barley or wheat with other grains such as sorghum, millet, and rice. They are produced the same way as traditional beers.
While these grains can be labeled as gluten-free, they still contain types of gluten protein. Depending on your sensitivity, you may want to avoid these ingredients as well.
Some breweries tout that they are manufactured in a 100% gluten-free facility, cutting down contaminants.
Gluten-removed or gluten-reduced beers
These are produced with wheat, barley, or rye. An enzyme is then added during fermentation that acts as a filtration agent to remove some of the gluten from the final product. Gluten levels must drop below the 20 parts per million limits, the threshold required by the FDA. Since gluten was in an original ingredient (usually barley or wheat), they cannot be labeled gluten-free, and there will still be some gluten in the beer.
Is Budweiser Gluten-Free?
No, Budweiser beers are not gluten-free. Like Bud Light, Budweiser is made from barley, and there is no mention of using enzymes to clarify the beers. The ingredients are the same as Bud Light, but the calories and alcohol by volume are higher. Keep reading to the end of this article to find out the difference between regular and light beers.
Ingredients:
- Barley
- Rice
- Hops
- Water
Nutrition Facts (per 12 fl oz):
- 5% Alcohol by Volume
- 145 Calories
- 0g Fat
- 6g Carbohydrates
What is the difference between Regular and Light Beer?
The obvious difference is the number of calories and the alcohol content. Light beers are just as flavorful and bodied as regular beer. Brewers can use several methods to make light beers.
- They can dilute regular beer with water.
- They can prolong the mashing process, which results in further fermentation, which breaks the grains down into simple sugars, resulting in a lower calorie count.
- They can use external enzymes in the mashing or fermenting stages to break down the carbohydrates.
- They can package beer in smaller servings.
Bud Light Nutritional Information
Bud Light has a variety of products, from the original light beer to beer mixed with fruit juices or Clamato. They also have seltzers. The beers build on these few ingredients. The FDA does not regulate alcohol, and therefore, companies such as Bud Light are not required to disclose ingredients, so some ingredient lists on Bud Light products and the alternatives are vague.
Bud Light Ingredients:
- Water
- Barley
- Rice
- Hops
Nutrition Facts (per 12 fl oz):
- 2% Alcohol by Volume
- 110 Calories
- 6g Carbohydrates
- 0g Fat
- .9g Protein
Bud Light Peels
Bud Light Peels are lagers made with natural juices.
Varieties:
- Lime
- Lemonade
- Orange
- Grapefruit
Bud Light Lemonade
Ingredients:
- Bud Light
- Real Lemonade
- Natural Flavors
Nutrition in Bud Light Lemonade (per 12 fl oz):
- 2% Alcohol by Volume
- 149 Calories
- 0g Fat
- 16g Carbohydrates
- .7g Protein
Bud Light Chelada
Bud Light Chelada is Bud Light combined with Clamato tomato cocktail and other flavors.
Varieties:
- Original
- Extra Lime
- Mango
- Fuego
Bud Light Chelada Mango
Ingredients:
- Bud Light
- Clamato Tomato Cocktail
- Mango Flavor
Nutrition Facts (per 12 fl oz):
- 2% Alcohol by Volume
- 151 Calories
- 0g Fat
- 6g Carbohydrates
- .9g Protein
Bud Light Platinum
This beer has a higher alcohol content but is lower in calories. It comes in a blue glass bottle instead of the traditional cans.
Ingredients:
- Not listed, but similar to Bud Light
Nutrition Facts (per 12 fl oz):
- 6% Alcohol by Volume
- 139 Calories
- 0g Fat
- 1g Carbohydrates
- .9g Protein
Bud Light Seltzer
Bud Light Seltzer is gluten-free and contains no artificial flavors.
Varieties:
- Grapefruit
- Cranberry
- Pineapple
- Strawberry
Ingredients:
- Sparkling Water
- Real Cane Sugar
- Natural Fruit Flavor
Nutrition (per 12 fl oz):
- 5% Alcohol by Volume
- 100 Calories
- 2g Carbohydrates (Less than 1g Sugar)
- 0g Protein
Alternatives to Bud Light
Here are some certified gluten-free beers, but keep in mind that labeled gluten-free beers may still contain gluten proteins that can cause issues.
While these are not beers, and thus not a one-to-one substitute, truly gluten-free alcohol beverages include:
- Gluten-free Cider
- Gluten-free Spirits such as tequila made with agave, potato vodka, cognac from grapes, brandy from fruit, rum from sugarcane.
- Gluten-free Wines
If you are searching for a gluten-free beer, you might want to check out local breweries as well.
Anheuser-Busch Redbridge Lager
Bud Light’s parent company has created a gluten-free beer. It is not manufactured in a dedicated gluten-free facility, so there might be contaminants.
Ingredients:
- Water
- Fermented Sorghum
- Sorghum
- Corn Syrup
- Hops
- Yeast
Nutrition Facts (per 12 fl oz):
- 8% Alcohol by Volume
- 130 Calories
- 0g Fat
- 50mg Sodium
- 12g Carbohydrates (1g Sugar)
- 0g Protein
Bierly Beers
They are dedicated to gluten-free, using grains such as millet, rice, buckwheat, and sorghum. They ensure all other ingredients are gluten-free as well. Their beer is also free from oats.
Varieties:
- Felix Pilsner
- Lucky IPA
- Blackbird Stout
- Baker Street Porter
- Rendezvous Double IPA
Ingredients in Felix Pilsner:
- Sorghum
- Brown Rice
- Belgian-style Candi sugar
- Czech Saaz Hops
- Oregon Magnum Hops
- Yeast
- Water
Nutrition Facts (per 12 fl oz):
- 3% Alcohol by Volume
- No other information provided
Stone Delicious IPA
Stone Brewing has a lot of information on gluten levels in their beer. They clean their equipment thoroughly between batches to reduce contaminants. They also go through the difference between gluten-free and gluten-reduced. They use an innovative fermenting process that removes the gluten and gets it below the FDA requirements of 20 parts per million. Depending on your sensitivity, this beer may be an option.
Ingredients:
- Barley
- Hops
- Yeast
- Water
Clarex “separates and eliminates the potentially inflammatory nature of the gluten protein chains.” This is a widely used enzyme that many brewers use to reduce gluten. It has no impact on the taste of the beer.
Nutrition Facts (per 16 fl oz):
- 7% Alcohol by Volume
- 0g Fat
- 35mg Sodium
- 29g Carbohydrates
- 3g Protein
Omission Beers Ultimate Light Golden Ale
Another company that removes gluten from their beers. They use an independent lab to test the levels of gluten and keep it below the 20ppm level. They have a full line of beers and seltzers.
Ingredients:
- Barley
- Hops
- Yeast
- Water
Nutrition Facts (per 12 fl oz):
- 2% Alcohol by Volume
- 99 Calories
- 3g Carbohydrates
- 0g Fat
- 5g Protein
Non-Beer Alternatives
Here are a couple of naturally gluten-free choices that are not beer but you might consider to satisfy your cravings.
Angry Orchard Hard Cider
Naturally gluten-free, made with Bittersweet and Culinary apple varieties. They test their cider-making equipment regularly to be sure there is no cross-contamination. All Angry Orchard products have sulfites, and three of them are not vegan as they contain honey as a sweetener.
Varieties:
- Rose
- Green Apple
- Pear
- Crisp Apple
- Peach Mango
- Strawberry
Crisp Apple Cider
Ingredients in Crisp Apple Cider:
- Hard Cider
- Water
- Cane Sugar
- Apple Juice Concentrate from 9 apple varieties:
- Braeburn
- Fuji
- Granny Smith
- Gala
- Amere de Berthecourt
- Bedan
- Medaille d’Or
- Michelin
- Binet Rouge
- Honey
- Natural Flavor
- Carbon Dioxide
- Malic Acid
- Sulfites
Nutrition Facts (per 12 fl oz):
- 5% Alcohol by Volume
- 221 Calories
- 0g Fat
- 9g Carbohydrates
- 0g Protein
Fruit Smash Hard Seltzer
Gluten-free, from New Belgium Brewing.
There are three varieties in a multipack:
- Berry Blast
- Tropical Punch
- Pink Lemonade
Berry Blast
Ingredients in Berry Blast:
- Carbonated Water
- Fermented Cane Sugar
- Natural Flavors
- Raspberry Juice
- Natural Strawberry Flavor
- Citric Acid.
Tropical Punch
Ingredients in Tropical Punch:
- Carbonated Water
- Fermented Cane Sugar
- Natural Flavors
- Mango Juice
- Natural Mango Flavor
- Natural Guava Flavor
- Natural Passionfruit Flavor
- Citric Acid
- Color Added.
Pink Lemonade
Ingredients in Pink Lemonade:
- Carbonated Water
- Fermented Cane Sugar
- Natural Flavors
- Raspberry Juice
- Lemon Juice
- Citric Acid.
Nutrition Facts (per can):
- 100 Calories
- 0g Fat
- 1-2g Carbohydrates (depending on flavor) (Less than 1g Sugar)
- 0g Protein
- 0g Sodium
- 1-2% Juice (depending on flavor)
- 7% Alcohol by Volume
Related Questions
How Long has Light Beer been around?
As early as the 1940s, Coors produced a lower-calorie beer. Miller Lite appeared on the market in 1973, and Bud Light came around in 1982.
Is Light Beer Healthy?
Alcohol has very little nutritional value. If you keep to similar serving sizes, light beer will have fewer calories than regular beer.