Hard seltzers have been rocking the alcoholic drink industry for some time now. Since 2019, these alcoholic drinks have become a favorite, outdoing both beer and wine as an alternative beverage to enjoy. White Claw is no stranger to hard seltzer drinkers with its range of fruity, zesty, and fun flavors. How can you beat that combination when looking for some social enjoyment with your buddies?
The crunch comes down to deciding if hard seltzers are going to expand your waistline especially if you’re being weight conscious at the moment. Is White Claw fattening compared to a glass of wine or beer? Is White Claw calories on the high or low side?
Let’s talk about this popular hard seltzer drink and get some answers so you can decide whether your body weight can handle you drinking this alcoholic beverage!
Is White Claw a Low Calorie Drink?
One of the reasons you may have decided to switch over to White Claw as an alternative to wine or beer is because it’s being promoted as a low calorie spiked seltzer. While being punted as a healthier alcoholic drink and good for your general wellbeing, it’s also convenient. Served in cans, all you have to do is chill it in the fridge and pop the lid when ready to enjoy.
The packaging also makes it easy to grab a pack of White Claws on the go. You don’t have to worry about glasses or bottles breaking.
How Many Calories in White Claw?
White Claw, which has become one of the best compared to other spiked seltzers, has only 100 calories per 12 fl oz can. A glass of wine which is around 5 fl oz normally averages around 120 to 140 calories. Beer comes in at around 150 calories per serving. At face value, White Claw wins hands down as the low calorie alcohol beverage alternative.
Is White Claw Fattening?
It’s no wonder health-conscious drinkers wanting to avoid adding extra pounds to their girth are choosing to grab this hard seltzer beverage whenever doing their weekly shop! But, be careful! This hard seltzer may be a better alternative to wine when looking for a low calorie alcohol alternative. But, if you drink more of it you’re loading your body with empty calories which, over time, can lead to weight gain.
Do White Claws Have Sugar?
With the brand clearly stating 100 calories on every can, the next question to investigate is the sugar content of this beverage. If the calories are so low it’s only natural to wonder do White Claws have sugar?
If you look at the list of ingredients and nutrients on the can of most flavors, you’ll find the following:
- Purified carbonated water
- Alcohol
- Natural flavors
- Cane sugar
- Citric acid
- Natural fruit juice concentrate (this is dependent on the flavor of the seltzer)
- Sodium citrate
These are the ingredients listed on White Claw fruit-flavored hard seltzers such as Black Cherry, Mango, Ruby Grapefruit, Raspberry, and Natural Lime. The White Claw sugar content of these drinks equals 2 grams per 12 fl oz can. The sugar content of a glass of wine averages around 1.2 grams which is lower than one serving of White Claw.
On a 1:1 ratio per serving, if you’re wanting to watch your sugar consumption, wine is the better alternative if you stick to one glass. Most beers also have zero sugar or a minimal amount but their carbs content at around 11 grams is far higher. Keep this in mind when comparing White Claw as a healthier alternative to your favorite ale.
Quick Tip! If you want to cut down White Claw sugar content, opt for the brand’s Hard Seltzer Iced Tea range. These alcoholic drinks also contain 100 calories but only 1 gram of sugar per 12 fl oz can.
How Much Alcohol in White Claw?
If you’re buying White Claw as an alternative to either wine or beer, you’ll want to know its alcohol content. White Claw makes it pretty obvious on their packaging! White Claw Hard Seltzers and Iced Tea products all have 5% alcohol content per 12 fl oz can. If you buy the White Claw Hard Seltzer Surge range, the alcohol content is 8%.
When watching your weight, knowing the alcohol content is vital. The lower the alcohol in a beverage, the fewer calories there are. Which is another reason why White Claw is a favorite among drinkers looking to add low calorie alcoholic beverage to their daily diet.
For comparison’s sake, a glass of wine can have up to 12% alcohol content while a standard serving of beer has around 5%. With a good ratio of alcohol per volume, it’s understandable why more people are choosing White Claw as the drink to enjoy at the end of the day.
What Alcohol is in White Claw?
White Claw is made with a combination of seltzer water, fruit flavoring, and gluten-free alcohol. The alcohol base is produced through the fermentation of sugars derived from malted grains that are gluten-free.
How Many White Claws Equal a Bottle of Wine?
A standard wine bottle is around 25.4 fl oz or 750 ml. This equals to just under two White Claws at 12 fl oz per can. If you’re into buying the brand’s variety pack of 12 cans, this will be the equivalent of 6 bottles of wine.
Related Read: How Many Calories Are in a Bottle of Wine?
What Are the Health Benefits of White Claw Hard Seltzer?
One of the main reasons hard seltzers such as White Claw have been flying off the shelves since first being introduced is their low calories and sugar content. The 5% alcohol content per can is enough to consider White Claw as a great alternative to wine, beers, or other cocktails.
Health-conscious consumers are choosing to drink spiked seltzers over other alcoholic beverages but are these drinks really healthier in the long run? Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of drinking this hard seltzer from a health perspective.
Advantages
- Fewer calories: At 100 calories per 12 fl oz can, you can minimize your calorie intake while still enjoying an alcoholic drink when on a strict diet. The trick here is to not drink more than one can if you’re replacing your daily glass of wine with White Claw.
- Less carbohydrates: You can lose weight by replacing wine with higher carbohydrates. While dry wine can have no carbs, other vinos can have up to 4 grams of carbohydrates per serving. Compared to White Claw’s 2 grams of carbs per can, for weight loss, you can’t go wrong with this choice of alcoholic beverage.
- Good for Keto diets: With lower carbs, you can substitute other alcohol drinks with White Claw to help you reach your weight goal if you’re on a Keto diet. This hard seltzer will keep you in ketosis.
- Less intense hangovers: Drinking beers and red wine can leave you with a hangover in the morning because of congeners found in the alcohol. White Claw doesn’t contain congeners so drinking this seltzer means you don’t have to wake up to an intense hangover.
Disadvantages
- Low nutritional value: White Claw may be low in calories and carbs but they’re also lacking in any nutritional value. You may save on carbohydrates and fewer calories but this drink has no nutritional benefit. The fruit flavoring hardly equates to one serving of fruit so there’s no benefit there from a nutritious point of view.
- Poor health: While drinking White Claw can help you lose weight if you’re using it as an alternative to wine or beer, it does still contain alcohol. Too much alcohol can lead to gastrointestinal issues such as ulcers and inflammation of the gut, liver disease, dehydration, and increase the risk of cancers.
- Risk of binge drinking: The flavors and relatively low alcohol content of White Claw could make it harder to limit the number of hard seltzers you drink in one go. This could result in binge drinking and overconsumption of alcohol is detrimental to both your physical and social wellbeing.
Final Thoughts
Hard seltzers such as White Claw have seen an exponential explosion in sales in recent years with some brands claiming an increase of over 200% in revenue in one year! Health conscious consumers are choosing this hard seltzer as an alternative to wine or beer with its lower calories and fewer carbs.
White Claw is a popular alcohol beverage, giving an edge to any social occasion while helping you maintain your weight. It’s all about doing it in moderation!