Is beer less fattening than wine?

Brewers are hoping to appeal to women drinkers by offering beer in third-of-a-pint glasses. But first they tackle the belief that beer is more fattening than wine. Is it true?

With its new campaign, Beautiful Beer, the British Beer and Pub Association believes it can turn back the clock on British drinking trends, which, of late, have seen ales and lagers lose out to the more fashionable wine.

To do so, it needs to win over women drinkers - only 14% of whom drink beer in pubs, compared to 36% who drink wine.



Believing that female drinkers are put off by pints and halves the BBPA wants to see beer served in more elegant, long-stemmed, third-of-a-pint glasses.

But it also wants to set the record straight on beer's calorific qualities. Startling as it may seem, beer is less, not more, fattening than wine.

According to the BBPA, a glass of beer with a typical 4.6% alcoholic volume, has fewer calories not only than a similar measure of wine, but also milk or fruit juice.