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Does Ginger Beer contain a lot of sugar? Ginger beer – that unique soda for those ginger-flavored fans out there. But exactly how much sugar is in ginger beer? I have already written a post looking at the sugar content of ginger ale (Does Ginger Ale Contain Much Sugar?) as well as a post looking at sugar-free ginger ales and beers (Are There Any Sugar-Free Ginger Beers & Ales) but in this post I want to specifically dig further into the sugar content of ginger beer. So, in this post, I am going to be answering the question of how much sugar is there in ginger beers and what are some of the lowest sugar options available.
In order to do this, I looked at the sugar content of 7 ginger beers and compared the sugar contents on a 12oz basis (I pro-rated sugar contents where required). I also then look at the sweeteners used in 5 sugar-free ginger beers. I also answer the all-important question “What contains more sugar – ginger ale or ginger beer?”.
To find out the answer, as well as find out what my number 1 sugar-free ginger beer recommendation is, make sure to read right to the end.
Interested in Other Sodas?
If you are also interested in the sugar content of other sodas make sure to check out the following posts I have written:
- Which Soda Contains the Most Sugar
- Which Orange Soda Has the Most Sugar And Which Are Sugar-Free?
- Is There A Lot of Sugar in Lemonade?
- Which Mountain Dews are Sugar-Free?
- How Much Sugar is in Root Beer?
- How Much Sugar is in Cream Soda & Which Are Sugar-Free?
- Which Colas Contain No Sugar? You Need To Try These
- Are There Any Sugar-Free Ginger Beers & Ales
- Does Ginger Ale Contain Much Sugar?
How Much Sugar is in Ginger Beer?
As a general rule there are 27g-48g of sugar in a 12oz can of ginger beer. Some brands that make sugar-free ginger beer are Zevia, Remedy, Reed’s, Barritt’s, and Goslings. These ginger beers contain 0g of sugar and are sweetened with stevia, erythritol, monk fruit, acesulfame-k, acesulfame potassium, and/or sucralose.
Ranking “Regular” Ginger Beers by Sugar Content
In this section, I will go through the sugar content of “regular” (i.e., not diet) Ginger beers. I list these based on sugar content in descending order.
1. Barritt’s Original Ginger Beer – 48g of Sugar
The highest-sugar ginger beer I personally came across in my search comes from Barritt’s. There are 48g of sugar in a 12oz can of Barritt’s ginger beer. To put this in perspective there are 39g of sugar in a can of Coke. If you want to see how other types of soda stack up against ginger ale check out the following article I wrote – Which Soda Contains the Most Sugar.
2. Regatta Ginger Beer – 46g of Sugar
Regatta Ginger Beer also has a high sugar content of 46g of sugar in a 12oz serving. This ginger beer may be all-natural but it’s not low in sugar.
3. Bundaberg Ginger Beer – 37g of Sugar
Bundaberg is a well-recognized ginger beer brand. But exactly how much sugar is in it? Well, there are 21g of sugar in a 200ml serving meaning there are 37g of sugar in a 12oz serving. Still high in sugar but at least the sugar content has started to move below that of a can of Coke.
Bundaberg ginger is sweetened with cane sugar, aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium.
4. Q Mixers Premium Ginger Beer – 32g of Sugar
Q Mixers has a bit less sugar at 32g of sugar in a 12oz serving.
5. Fever-Tree Ginger Beer – 31g of Sugar
I have already looked at the sugar content of Fever-Trees ginger ale in the following post I wrote – Does Ginger Ale Contain Much Sugar? So how does Fever-Tree’s ginger beer stack up?
Well, there is actually a bit more sugar in Fever-Tree’s ginger beer than in their ginger ale. There are 25g of sugar in 12oz of Fever-Tree’s ginger ale vs 31g of sugar in 12oz of Fever-Tree’s ginger beer.
6. Fentimans Ginger Beer – 27g of Sugar
The final “full sugar” ginger beer I looked at was Fentimans. Fentimans ginger beer contains 21g of sugar in a 275ml bottle which pro-rated is with 27g of sugar in a 12oz serving. Okay, granted this still isn’t low sugar but at least it is over 20g less sugar than some other ginger beer brands.
You can see how this sugar content compares next to other sodas such as orange soda, root beer, cola, and lemonade in the following post I wrote – Which Soda Contains the Most Sugar?
7. Q Mixers Light Ginger Beer – 16g of Sugar
The next ginger beer I looked at is a light ginger beer from Q Mixers. Q Mixers light ginger beer is sweetened with organic agave and erythritol and the sugar content of a 12oz serving is 16g of sugar. B
Bear in mind this is just a third of the sugar content of some other ginger beer brands.
You can find Q Mixers light ginger beer on Amazon here.
Sugar-Free Ginger Beers
In this section, I will go through some sugar-free options for ginger beers.
8. Zevia Ginger Beer – 0g of Sugar
The first sugar-free (yes, you read that correctly – sugar-free) ginger beer I am going to present you with is from Zevia. Now I have talked about Zevia here at Low Sugar Snax a few times – in the posts I wrote on the sugar content of ginger ale (Does Ginger Ale Contain Much Sugar?), orange soda (Which Orange Soda Has the Most Sugar?) and cola (Which Colas Contain No Sugar?).
What I love most about Zevia drinks is the fact that they are sweetened with just one (yes, just one) sweetener. In this case, the sweetener is Stevia.
If you are interested, I also talk about Zevia ginger beer in the post I wrote looking at sugar-free ginger beers and ales – Are There Any Sugar-Free Ginger Beers & Ales?
9. Remedy Ginger Beer – 0g of Sugar
If an organic and sugar-free ginger beer sounds like your kind of thing (and let’s face it, why wouldn’t it be) then you should definitely check out Remedy ginger beer. The sweeteners used in this organic sugar-free ginger beer are stevia and erythritol.
10. Reed’s Zero Sugar Extra Ginger Beer – 0g of Sugar
This ginger beer from Reed’s is both certified ketogenic and sugar-free. The sweeteners used are erythritol, monk fruit, and stevia.
If you are interested Reed’s also makes a sugar-free ginger ale, which you can read about in the following post I wrote – Are There Any Sugar-Free Ginger Beers & Ales?
11. Barritt’s Sugar-Free Diet Ginger Beer – 0g of Sugar
I established above that a 12oz can of Barritt’s ginger beer contains 48g of sugar. But the good news is that Barritt’s also makes a sugar-free version of its ginger beer. Barritt’s ginger beer is sweetened instead with acesulfame-k and sucralose. It also, of course, contains 0g of sugar in a can.
12. Goslings Diet Ginger Beer – 0g of Sugar
The final ginger beer I am going to talk about is another sugar-free one, this time from Goslings. There are 0g of sugar per serving and the sweeteners used are sucralose and acesulfame potassium.
My Personal Recommendation for a Sugar-Free Ginger Beer?
My personal recommendation for a sugar-free ginger beer must be Zevia ginger beer. Yes, I know, I love to recommend Zevia but I love the fact that Zevia is just sweetened with one sweetener, and that sweetener is stevia (one of my favorite sugar-free sweeteners).
I also love the fact there are only 4 ingredients in the ingredient list.
You can see for yourself on Amazon here.
Summary Table – Sugar in Ginger Beer
Below is a summary table of the sugar content for each of the ginger beers I mentioned above. This is to give the quickest and easiest access to the sugar content.
| Ginger Beer | Sugar In A 12oz Serving |
|---|---|
| Barritt’s Original Ginger Beer | 48g |
| Regatta Ginger Beer | 46g |
| Bundaberg Ginger Beer | 37g |
| Q Mixers Premium Ginger Beer | 32g |
| Fever-Tree Ginger Beer | 31g |
| Fentimans Ginger Beer | 27g |
| Q Mixers Light Ginger Beer | 16g |
| Zevia Ginger Beer | 0g |
| Remedy Ginger Beer | 0g |
| Reed’s Zero Sugar Extra Ginger Beer | 0g |
| Barritt’s Sugar Free Diet Ginger Beer | 0g |
| Goslings Diet Ginger Beer | 0g |
Sugar In Ginger Beer F&Q
Is All Ginger Beer Sugar-Free?
Most ginger beers are not sugar-free.
Does Ginger Beer Contain More Sugar Than Coke?
Some ginger beers contain more sugar than Coke whereas other brands of ginger beers contain less sugar than Coke. As a general rule, there is 27g-48g of sugar in a 12oz can of ginger beer vs 39g of sugar in a 12oz can of Coke.
Can You Get Low Sugar Ginger Beer?
One low-sugar ginger beer is Q Mixers Light Ginger Beer, which contains 16g of sugar in a 12oz serving.
Which Contains Less Sugar – Ginger Beer or Ginger Ale?
As a general rule there is less sugar in Ginger Ale than in Ginger Beer.
How Many Spoons of Sugar Are In A Can of Ginger Beer?
As a general rule there are 7-12 spoons of sugar in a can of ginger beer.
Is There Sugar In Fever Tree Ginger Beer?
There is sugar in Fever Tree Ginger Beer.
Does Ginger Beer Contain High Fructose Corn Syrup?
Many non-diet ginger beers are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup.
Does Ginger Beer Contain A Lot Of Sugar? – The Final Bite
Does Ginger Beer contain a lot of sugar? What have we learned from the above? Well, I would say that the biggest takeaway is that ginger ale actually tends to contain less sugar than ginger beer. As I established ginger beer tends to contain 27g-48g of sugar in a 12oz serving, whereas ginger ale in comparison tends to contain 25g-38g of sugar in a 12oz serving (you can read more about it here – Are There Any Sugar-Free Ginger Beers & Ales). Also, if you are a fan of ginger beer the good news is that there are plenty of sugar-free options available. You will never be able to go without that “ginger kick” again.
And Remember…
Ingredients and/or manufacturing processes may change. Always double-check ingredient lists and nutritional information before purchasing any food items.
WANT TO FIND MORE LOW SUGAR OPTIONS?
Do you want to learn about some other low-sugar options at your favorite coffee chains, fast food, or restaurant joints, or just while you are shopping for groceries? If you do, then check out some of my other articles below:
