Does beer have sugar?
The simple answer is no, beer does not contain sugar. This is surprising to many people because beer has a reputation as a beverage that will pack on the pounds and stretch out your waistline, creating the dreaded beer belly. But if we look at how the drink is made, you’ll understand why beer’s sugar content is nonexistent.
Beer is made from water, grain, hops, and yeast. The grain — which is usually malted barley — is the source of the sugar. On its own, it’s quite sweet. This is where the yeast comes in; these microorganisms enable the fermentation of the sugars in the malted barley, forming alcohol. The hops add the bitterness that is characteristic of beer.
So, does beer have sugar in it? This process shows us that the sugar in beer is actually turned into alcohol. So beer doesn’t have sugar exactly, but it does have carbohydrates.