Leffe Blonde is one of Belgium’s most popular beers and is often the first Belgian beer (after Stella) that many people are exposed to. But how many calories are there in Leffe Blonde? How strong is it? Is Leffe Blonde gluten-free? Or vegan? What beer is similar to Leffe Blonde? Let’s find out.
There are 188 calories in a 330ml bottle of Leffe Blonde. The alcohol content is 6.6% abv. Leffe Blonde is no gluten-free. However, Leffe Blonde is vegan-friendly as it does not use animal products during the brewing process.
In this article, I will attempt to fully-answer all of the questions raised above. I will also talk about beers that are similar to Leffe Blonde so that you can try some new alternatives.
At the time of writing, I am awaiting a response from AB-Inbev. Hopefully, they will be able to confirm the calorie numbers I’ve found online.
According to the calorie-counting websites I’ve looked at, Leffe Blonde contains 58 calories per 100ml. I have used that to estimate the calorie values for different serving sizes of Leffe Blonde.
Leffe Blonde is 6.6% abv, compared to the lagers and English ales I’ve been writing about recently this may seem very strong. But it is actually quite low for a Belgian ale, with Quadrupel beers being as high as 15% or more!
Sadly not, in fact, a website that tests beer for gluten found that it was actually very high in gluten. Leffe Blonde is brewed with malted barley, which contains gluten, so it cannot be gluten-free.
The good news is that Leffe Blonde is indeed vegan-friendly. Unlike English Ales, most Belgian Ale brewers are not fussed with a bit of sediment in their beer. So they don’t bother with clarifying the beer using isinglass (or similar).
This means that they are free from animal products, as isinglass is what makes beers non-vegan. Check out my article on drinking beer as a vegan to learn more.
Leffe Blonde is a Belgian Blonde ale. This is the most common form of Belgian ale, and with good reason. Blonde Belgian beers are incredible! There are many beers that are similar to Leffe Blonde. Here are a few of my favourites:
As you can see, Leffe Blonde is quite a bit weaker than most of the beers on this list. You may have heard of some of them before.
Duvel is increasing in popularity and is possibly the second most well-known Belgian blonde ale after Leffe. It is the strongest beer on this list but by no means the most strong Belgian ale. I’d say that Leffe Blonde is the perfect introduction to Belgian beers, then Duvel is a close second.
Brugse Zot Blonde is another great “starter” Belgian beer, as it is refreshing, and not too strong. The others on this list (Tripel Karmeliet, La Chouffe, Kasteel Blonde, and Barbar) are ones that you will enjoy once you are used to the unique taste of Belgian beers.
But Blonde ales are just the start when it comes to Belgian beer. You’ve got Lambics, which are often incredibly sour, or deliciously fruity. You’ve got darker beers, or if you fancy a lager there is always Stellar Artois or Jupiler.
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.