Canadian beer vs. American beer: The alcohol content battle

Beer — By DJ Spiess on January 13, 2009 at 6:27 pm

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Where does this beer myth come from?

American beer used to use alcohol by weight to denote the alcohol content in beer. Some areas still use alcohol by weight, but there has been an effort to convert to alcohol by volume in the past decade. Alcohol by volume is a better metric.

Alcohol by volume is the percentage of the liquid which is alcohol. For example if you had 100 ml which contained 4 ml of alcohol, the alcohol by volume is 4%. Alcohol by weight measures the mass of a substance in a mixture as a percentage of the mass of the entire mixture. So if you had 100 grams which contained 4 grams of alcohol, the alcohol by weight is 4%. It looks like the two are the same, but they are not.

You get into trouble comparing ABV and ABW because is alcohol weighs less than water. Alcohol is less dense, about 4/5 as dense as water. The density of alcohol is 0.79336. Alcohol by volume is the alcohol by weight times the density.

ABV = ABW * 0.79336

This means if your beer is 4% ABV, the beer is only 3.17% ABW. Since Canadian beers use ABV and American beers were using ABW, many thought Canadian beers were stronger. The myth persists to this day, even though American beers are starting to use the same metric.

Another reason is you are allowed to market the alcohol strength in Canada, but not in the United States. You cannot advertise “this beer will get you drunk” due to alcohol laws, nor can you promote your brand based on the alcohol content. Different states even have different regulations on how strong the beer can be. These help contribute to the “Canadian beer is stronger” myth.

Is Canadian beer stronger than American beer? No.

The beer alcohol content list

I’m sure there are many out there who still are not convinced. I’ve written an alcohol myth list where I stated Canadian beers are not stronger than American beers, but I still had many people write me to tell me I was wrong.

So here’s the list of beers and their alcohol content. Most of the beers in the world vary from 4% to 6% ABV, with almost all beers having an alcohol content close to 5%. There are beers which go as high as 25.6% ABV (Samuel Adams Utopias – American). For this list, I’m focusing just on the macro beers. Obviously anything from Avery is going to be stronger than Labatts. Craft beers all tend to be slightly higher in alcohol.

American Beers
Beer	ABV
Budweiser	5.0
Bud Dry	5.0
Bud Light	4.2
Bud Ice	5.5
Bud Ice Light	4.1
Bud Select	4.3
Busch	4.6
Busch Light	4.2
Busch Ice	5.9
Coors Original	5.0
Coors Light	4.5
Coors Extra Gold	5.0
Keystone	4.4
Keystone Light	4.2
Keystone Ice	5.9
Old Milwaukee	5.0
Pabst	5.0

Canadian Beers
Beer	ABV
Carling Black Label	4.7
Grizzly Canadian Lager	5.4
Hamilton	4.5
Labatt Blue	5.0
Labatt Blue Light	4.0
Labatt Bleue Dry	6.1
Labatt Extra Dry	5.5
Labatt 50	5.0
Labatt Ice	5.6
Labatt Sterling	4.0
Labatt Wildcat	4.9
Moosehead	5.0
Molson Canadian	5.0
Molson Dry	5.5
Molson Export	4.9
O’Keefe Canadian Beer	4.9
Old Style Pilsner	5.0

DJ Spiess

I am a avid homebrewer and winemaker. I’ve been making my own beer and wine for many years. I started making beer when I was in college (mostly because the drinking age in the United States is 21). My first few beers were horrible. The beers are much better now, and I often supply my neighborhood with free beer!

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Tags: abv, beer, canada, myths, usa

nomad

>American Beers
>Budweiser

Lolwut? I always thought that Budweiser is czech beer.
Kdrooy

your obviously not american. budweisee=bud
Leau

alcohol is WAY stronger in Canada!!
It’s party everytime here, you should come!
http://www.fermentarium.com deege

I’ve been to Canada many times. The beer is no stronger than here.
Joe

The reason for this myth is because of Canadian Women. People drink less Canadian beers to have the same effect is because our women are prettier so we need less beer to make them look as hot at American women.
James

Yes the alcohol is the same but when you to the bar ask for a god damn pint you get 20 ounces instead of the US stupid measuring system 16.
Flaming_bum_pirate

although you are abosolutely right with your calculations, you’ve forgotton the most important part. american beers being sold in canada. just because a brand of beer that is sold in the usa has X percentage, it doesn’t have the same for Canada. for example, pabst blue ribbon is 5.9% ABV in canada, which is 4.680824 ABW. Pabst blue ribbon in the usa is 5%-4.3% ABW.(PBR being 3.9668 – 3.411448 ABV in the usa compare to 5.9) Canadian alcohol IS stronger. not in all cases, and not by as much as it is ”mythed”. but if one beer is advertised as 5% in the usa, it is only 0.79336 per one percent as a beer advertised at 5% in canada. with the exception of if the american beer is using ABW instead of ABV. therefore, Canadian beers ARE stronger. 1% of a canadian beer is only 0.79336 % of an american beer. there isn’t THAT much of a difference, but when it comes down to drinking a twelve case, you would be considerably drunker drinking a twelve of CAN 5% beers than drinking most 5%USA beers. i am american, i’ve drank plenty of both countries beers. you do the math. you will get drunker drinking the average canadian beer than the average american beer.
Jdfdeer

Where are the IPA beers in the American column? Is there one that has less than 6.5%? Sierra Nevada Pale ale has 5.6 and that is the weak one. Big Foot ale has 9.8%. Where is Lagunitas? Budweiser is a candy ass beer.
http://www.fermentarium.com deege

In the article I tried to keep everything equal, and compare apples to apples. If I used craft brews in the comparison, I could easily cherry pick beers to get any conclusion. The article focuses on macro beers from each country. Using craft beer would just make the Canadian beer is stronger argument sillier.
Jdfdeer

Understood.
Homer

Then why does American beer taste like water? Maybe the water they use isn’t as good as Canadian beer because beer in the US tastes like swamp water. And it takes more US beer to get a buzz going over Canadian ones. I’ve lived in both countries and won’t touch beer in the US unless it’s an import.
Pomy Collingwood

What a load of bullshit! Drink beer to enjoy it and not to think of numbers. When I think of numbers telling about alcohol content I come to a conclusion. Y’know what is that? I do not reckognize beer under 5% (ABV). Anything under that volume is some silly liquid to be given to your underage girlfriend or fuckin next-door man ya hate. A beer is a minimum of 5%. You have the ones with 7 or 9 and 10% as well, they’re called Strong Beer! After all these you can have wine that is oughta be at least 10.5% (and goes up to 14.5 – 15% sometimes). Above all (if U really mean to drink) you hit the bottle which is hard liquor (call it spirits if ya want) and has alcohol by volume 40% or higher. All these comments and explanations are funny. Can’t ya drink or what? I read some articles just a few minutes before and they say that English drink pints after pints for they have only 3 – 4% beers on tap. Fuck that, go visit them. Usually (1664 Cronenbourg or Stella Artois) gets ya with a minimum of 5% on draught and ya can always have the special ciders with 6 – 9% as well. Get a passport and leave them liquor-stores alone if you really want to have a drink. Do not fuck’round tellin’ off nations for a thing I’m sure of is that in the U.S. you may have strong booze, it can be bought legally as well, I believe but you will not bum into a supermarket or a pub after 10 P.M. and get a decent drink that tastes good and gives ya a kick as well. Guys, stop listing alcohol volumes and start tasting ‘em! If you have, try and compare them to some (4 U) imported stuff and (really it’s the best) travel a bit and after you’ve got somethin’ to say, please do! In the meantime, hush! Get a life and get drunk over a period of 6 hours without fight and with fun and enjoy that fuckin’ drink!!!

POMY COLLINGWOOD
Falken420

This is completely false. American beer doesn’t ever pass 5. Canadian beers do.. Bud used to be 4.7 % alc, they made a company in Canada so Canada could make a stronger Bud for Canada since Bud wasn’t doing so good against Moosehead kieth, Olands. When it all comes down to it Canadians will out smoke and out drink an American any fucking day. Americans lie all the time, Canadians get drunk and deal with it. 9,11 was the first time America was attacked on their own soil so they stated on CNN really now. Because Canadians came over and burnt down the White house reason why the white house is in different location and it’s white we are the only country America shouldn’t fuck with we are the reason D-Day was so successful we are the reason we took all the Japan’s Islands KOFH Not American military your military was fucked up in pearl harbour hahaha.Burning down the white house almost killing your president in the process doesn’t count as attacking America on their own soil? really America hide it all you want, we know Canada burnt your shit down.
Yada

sounds like your wife/girlfriend prefers U.S. penis!
Pingback: Bud Ice | An American Brewmaster
Chris

American beers taste like water I went down to the states picked up some Miller high life bud and coors and it just tasted like club soda. i find when those beers and brewed by molson and labbat they have more flavour ( even though there both light beers) then when brewed in america
Hailtothechris

You sir are mistaken. As a Canadian and as one who follows history I can tell you for a fact that it was the British who burned down the white house. This is commonly misconstrued because they were stationed in Northern Canada at the time (now Ontario). With respect to your second statement, Canadian military history does show a strong sense of pride and honor in respect to how we fought in World War 2, but we were just fighting, not commanding those battles. In terms of this story being true or false I think that might also fall to historical fact as well. Americans beers historically were less alcoholic than Canadian beers, but I believe now since both markets have intermingled so much they have each taken on like properties. Basically both countries have shitty macro beers now and craft brews are the only way to go.
KennyG

I’m Canadian and I’m always glad to be busted on a silly myth. Just a thing to pump up some Canadians egos.
Nutters

yea but a pint will run you $6 on average in Canada, last time I was in Michigan I got a meatball sub and a pint for the same price!
Jbuelow

Actually you need to read your facts again the ship that landed and marched to burn the White House to the ground was a combination of British Commissioned soldiers/navy and Canadian militia which was comprised of Canadian citizens/farmers Native scouts and guides
Jbuelow

Unlike the American history books we give credit where credit is due and can easily say it was a joint effort and well done to the Brits and my Native brothers for their efforts to end the war of 1812
Jbuelow

Just one more comment, The two World Wars in which Canada was one of the first countries to aid Britain and the rest of Europe were leaders in several conflicts some we won and some we lost. The fact is that in WW1 Canadian soldiers were so feared in combat that they distinguished them with the term “StormTroopers”. At that point in time our Military was top notch. In WW2, we again were there at the onset of the war and we were doing quite well but both sides were hard pressed for a press that would end the conflict. The Americans stepping in was indeed a great help even though if they had joined in at the beginning there would have been far less bloodshed. Not that we all don’t recognize the help but it’s kind of like a relief pitcher stating there won the game when they entered in the 8th inning. If you speak of America’s army today I think they are one of the most organized, and technologically advanced units in the world, second only to the Spetznas of Soviet Russia. There just happens to be more Special Forces than Spetznas
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_O7452HTFRKFG2RZNGGNDSYGLQA D D

yeah thanks to your weak dollar. US dollar going from 1.65 Canadian to 1.00 in the last 10 years will do that.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_O7452HTFRKFG2RZNGGNDSYGLQA D D

so than why does Coors light taste like water in New Jersey?? I normally drink Coors light in Canada and it taste fine. When i was in New Jersey i had to drink Budweiser just so it wouldnt taste too weak.
Drumd

Your a fucking loser, who puts this much time into trying to be as good as Canada… Our beer is stronger than yours so just admit it… Fuck do you guys have to have everything in this world, give us something to be proud of. Fuck you arrogant prick
Drumd

Also Canadians are heavier weights than the pussies to the south cause we start drinking at like 15… And we’re legal at 18/19…. Fuck you!!!!
RobbyDoom

By posting the ABV chart here, you just proved that we make stronger beers than the US. Our highest Domestic beer is a 6.1, US is 5.9. If you take all these percentages and give them an average, we still make stronger beer.
US – 4.8ABV on average
Canada – 5.0 ABV on average
Thanks for making a “strong” argument!!
FayeMac

the old joke, why is making love in a canoe like drinking coors beer
- cause to are f…..g close to water
Eric

Using the writers list:

Beers > 5%:Canada: 5 US: 3

Beers < 4.5%:
Canada: 2 US: 6

Who has stronger beer?
simoza@shaw.ca

GEEZ I,M DRINKING MOLSON CANADIAN BOUGHT AT WALMART U.S.A. MADE FOR THE AMERICAN MARKET AND I,M CONVINCED IT IS NOT THE SAME ALCOHOL CONTENT
JTG34

Most of this is misinformed Also, Canadians out drinking Americans? . Please tell this forum what logic you used to make that judgement. That’s just one man’s opinion, also the British burned down the White House…not you guys. The only thing Canada was doing at the time was letting Britain use your water routes to get into the states…You were a toll booth, too afraid of Britain coming after French influence in Canada to tell them “No”. Open a book.
Canuck

Mmmmmm beer. I don’t give a shit where beer comes from as long as its cold and there is lots of it
N8dawgg

You are an idiot. You are a retarded disgrace to your country.
http://www.facebook.com/fiend6669 Michael TheFiend Haring

Canadian Molson Dry 10.1%… That’s all I’ve gotta say.
Sugit

That makes no sense at all.. If it’s 1/1 ratio, then it would still be getting much more for the same money.. Did you fail math?
Sugit

Uh.. Steel reserve?.. 8.1 ABV