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Fosters Fact File: Everything You Wanted to Know
Fosters is one of the most popular lagers in the UK, and has been for a long time. But how many calories are there in a pint of Fosters? How much alcohol is there? Is Fosters gluten-free? Or vegan? What beer is similar to Fosters? Let’s find out.
There are 204 calories in a pint of Fosters (568ml). The alcohol content is 4% abv. Due to using barley, Fosters is not gluten-free nor is it vegan-friendly.
In this article, I will take an in-depth look at each of the questions above. I will also try to recommend to you some similar beers that you may even prefer to Fosters.
How Many Calories Are There in a Pint of Fosters?
The Fosters website is surprisingly helpful when it comes to this. There are 36 calories per 100ml, which is very good for a lager!
- There are 204 calories in a pint of Fosters (568ml)
- There are 158 calories in a 440ml can
- There are 99 calories in a 275ml bottle
How Much Alcohol is There in a Pint of Fosters?
Fosters contains just 4% alcohol, making it one of the lower-alcohol commercial lagers out there. In the US the alcohol percentage is slightly higher at 5%. There is also Fosters Gold which is pretty rare, but if you can get your hands on it then it is 4.5%.
Is Fosters Gluten-Free?
As with most lagers, Fosters is brewed with barley which contains gluten. So Fosters is not gluten-free.
Is Fosters Vegan?
Sadly not, the Fosters website gives a brief one-word answer to this frequently asked question and does not expand on why that is. According to this website, it is due to Fosters using collagen (from beef) to filter the yeast and sediment out of their beer in a similar way to how isinglass works.
What Beer is Similar to Fosters?
Fosters is often described as Amber beer, but in truth, it is a pale lager. This is a very common beer style, in fact, it is the most common beer style in the world. That means that there are lots of alternatives to drink if you fancy a change from Fosters.
The most obvious beers to first look at would be Dutch lagers. Heineken, Amstel, Grolsch etc … are often competing with Fosters in pubs across the country. But these aren’t the beers that I would personally recommend.
I’d go with pilsners from Germany and the Czech Republic. Both countries are famous for inventing and promoting this style of lager. If you look at the history of beer in most countries (and I have, here, here, and here) there is almost always a German brewer who started things off.
Some good German pilsners that you may want to try include Bitburger, Flensburger, Holsten Pils, Rothaus, Oettinger, Jever, and Veltins.
Then you’ve got the Czech Republic, where pilsner was first invented. Beers such as Staropramen, Budvar, Praha, Pilsner Urquell, and Kozel would be a big upgrade (in my opinion) on Fosters.
I’m not one of those beer lovers that hates Fosters, I used to drink it all the time when I was 18. But there really are better beers out there to spend your money on. Check out the Czech and German pilsners I mentioned, you may be surprised at how good they are.
Check out my article on beer in Germany if you want to learn more.
About the Author Matt Smith
Matt Smith is the owner of Beer N Biceps. He has a degree in Sports Science, 10 years of experience working in the fitness industry, and has written for hundreds of fitness websites. He is a lover of good quality beer and believes that drinking in moderation can form part of a healthy lifestyle.
