White Claw Nutrition Facts: Calories, Carbs and Ingredients

How Many Ounces are in a White Claw?

White Claw has become the poster child for the hard seltzer craze sweeping the nation. Its low calorie, gluten-free, fruity flavors make it appealing as a lighter alcoholic option. But exactly how big is a can of White Claw and how does it compare to other spiked seltzers?

A standard can of White Claw contains 12 ounces of liquid. This is the same size can used for typical domestic beers and many other ready-to-drink beverages.

Some key facts about a 12 ounce can of White Claw:

• 100 calories
• 2 grams of carbohydrates
• 2 grams of sugar
• 5% alcohol by volume

The 100 calories in a White Claw come entirely from the alcohol. There are minimal carbs, sugars, and other nutrients. A 12-ounce regular beer by comparison contains around 150 calories while a pina colada can clock in at nearly 500 calories for the same serving size.

Nutrition Facts

White Claw offers complete nutrition facts and ingredients for all of its spiked seltzer flavors right on the companys website. This transparency allows consumers to see exactly what they are drinking.

Along with the 12-ounce single serve cans, White Claw also comes in 12-ounce slim cans, 16-ounce single cans, 19.2-ounce single cans, and 12-packs of 12-ounce cans. The calorie and carb count remains 100 calories and 2 carbs per 12 fluid ounces regardless of can size.

Alcohol Content

At 5% alcohol by volume, White Claw contains the same amount of alcohol as typical American lagers and many other hard seltzers. For comparison, most light beers are around 4% ABV while craft IPAs often range from 7-9% ABV.

The alcohol in White Claw comes from fermented sugars rather than malt like beer. Hard seltzers are malt-free, giving them their light flavor profile that highlights the fruit essences.

Standard Serving

A standard drink serving is considered 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits. At 12 ounces and 5% ABV, a White Claw can equates to just about one alcoholic standard drink serving.

Keep this standard drink calculation in mind when enjoying White Claw responsibly. Its easy to lose track of servings with the big cans and sessionable flavors.

White Claw Flavor Variety

One reason for White Claws tremendous success is the wide range of available flavors. The original core flavors remain the most popular, but new limited edition flavors roll out frequently.

Core Flavors

White Claws five core flavors always available include:

• Black Cherry
• Natural Lime
• Raspberry
• Mango
• Ruby Grapefruit

These classic fruit expressions keep drinkers coming back. White Claw uses a proprietary brewing process to infuse these flavors while keeping the drinks gluten-free. A hint of carbonation gives them their bubbly, seltzer-like mouthfeel.

Seasonal Flavors

White Claw releases intriguing new flavor mixes on a rotating basis to keep their brand exciting. Some examples of limited release seasonal flavors have included:

• Pineapple
• Watermelon
• Lemon
• Tangerine

These zesty flavors add variety for White Claw fans looking for something new. Trying the novel flavors makes for great social media posts and influence White Claws brand image as fun and innovative.

Flavor Collections

White Claw groups certain themed flavors into labeled collections for easier shopping. Collections include:

• Tropic: Mango, Pineapple, Black Cherry
• Citrus: Raspberry, Natural Lime, Ruby Grapefruit
• Pure: Pure Hard Seltzer (unflavored), Pure Hard Seltzer with lemon
• Flavored: Strawberry, Lemonade

The collections allow consumers to easily grab a variety pack of complementary flavors to share or sample. The unflavored Pure line caters to those seeking a cleaner hard seltzer without fruit essence.

Popularity of White Claw

White Claw experienced a massive rise in popularity and sales since its launch in 2016. By 2019, it controlled almost 60% of the hard seltzer market. So what is behind this beverage sensation?

Low Carb Appeal

White Claw hit the market at the peak of the low carb diet trend. With only 2g carbs and 100 calories, it provided a more figure-friendly alcohol option. The keto diet craze further boosted its popularity amongst carb-counters.

Gluten-Free

White Claw is also labeled gluten-free, making it a choice beverage for those avoiding gluten in their diets. People with celiac disease and gluten sensitivities helped drive interest.

Festive Branding

White Claws branding taps into youthful, health-conscious consumers looking for light, lively drinks full of pure flavor. The colorful cans and clever flavor names accelerated growth through word-of-mouth and social shares.

Rising Competition

Seeing White Claws success, many beverage makers jumped into the spiked seltzer arena. Competitor brands like Truly, Bon & Viv, and Bud Light Seltzer carved out market share but further boosted the overall category's visibility.

Meme Culture

White Claw inspired tons of viral memes and jokes, helping cement it as a pop culture icon. Some popular memes include Aint no laws when youre drinking Claws and Sad boy summer? More like White Claw summer.

White Claw Shortages

With demand exploding, White Claw makers experienced shortages in 2019 that left store shelves empty. So what caused the shortages and have they been resolved?

Underestimating Demand

White Claws meteoric sales growth took everyone by surprise, including the company itself. Their supply and production capacity simply could not keep up with soaring consumer thirst for the product.

Viral Momentum

Viral memes and media hype accelerated demand even further just as supplies were tightening. The "ain't no laws" meme peaked right during the worst shortages, contributing to the pandemonium.

Hoarding

As shortages worsened, panicked social media users urged each other to stockpile White Claw while they still could find it. This hoarding mentality exacerbated the supply crunch at stores and bars.

New Facilities

To remedy shortfalls, White Claw opened two new production facilities in 2019-2020 adding hundreds of thousands of square feet of brewing capacity and additional canning lines to their arsenal.

Rebound

By early 2020, White Claw production and inventory rebuilt to sufficient levels to meet demand. Though still popular, the frenzied shortages have not returned since supplies stabilized.

White Claw Nutrition Facts

Despite its meteoric rise, White Claw invites criticism from some health-conscious consumers due to being an alcoholic product. But how does its nutrition profile really stack up?

Low Calorie

At just 100 calories per 12-ounce can, White Claw delivers way fewer calories than beer, wine, cocktails, and many other alcoholic options. This makes it appealing for calorie counters.

Minimal Carbs

With only 2 grams of carbs, White Claw is a keto diet-friendly alcoholic beverage. Most beers have at least 10-15 grams of carbs per serving.

Low Sugar

Thanks to negligible fruit juice content, White Claw contains minimal natural sugar compared to most cocktail mixes and wines. The 2 grams of sugar come from alcohol rather than additives.

Hydrating

Some studies show alcoholic seltzers like White Claw may hydrate slightly better than traditional alcohol due to their water content. But plain water is still the best hydrator.

Lacks Nutrients

While low in calories, carbs and sugar, White Claw provides no beneficial nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants or fiber. It offers empty alcohol calories rather than nutrition.

White Claw Ingredients

White Claw has a relatively simple ingredients list compared to most mixed cocktails and beers. But questions remain about how natural its flavors really are.

Carbonated Water

Sparkling water gives White Claw its bubbly, seltzer-like carbonation. Additional water dilutes the alcohol base.

Alcohol Base

White Claw starts with an alcohol base made from fermented sugar rather than malted barley like beer. This base gets distilled and diluted to 5% ABV.

Natural Flavors

White Claw uses natural flavors to give it fruit tastes like black cherry, mango and lime. But these flavorings are proprietary blends not from juices.

Cane Sugar

A small amount of cane sugar contributes to the flavor profile and light sweetness. White Claw has 2g sugar per can.

No Artificial Sweeteners

White Claw does not contain any artificial sweeteners like aspartame, stevia, sucralose or acesulfame potassium. The sweetness comes from small amounts of sugar.

Fruit Juice?

Despite the fruit flavors, White Claw contains no actual fruit juice. Some consumers assume otherwise given the labeling similarities to hard lemonades and fruit ciders.

Is White Claw Keto-Friendly?

The keto diet restricts carb intake to push the body into ketosis, burning fats for fuel. Can White Claw fit into this low-carb lifestyle? Let's dig into the key factors:

Very Low Carb

With just 2 grams of carbs per can, White Claw fits comfortably within keto macro guidelines. Even the strictest keto dieters allow up to 5% carbs.

Low Calorie

White Claw clocks in at only 100 calories per 12oz serving. This is way below the 400-500+ calories of many mixed drinks. Great for restricting calories without giving up alcohol.

No Beer or Sugary Mixers

White Claw avoids beer, sweet mixers, and added sugars banned on keto. Vodka sodas are a popular keto-friendly alternative.

Can Stall Weight Loss

While low carb, alcohol in general can slow or stall weight loss results even when sticking to keto. Moderation remains key.

Won't Kick You Out of Ketosis

Enjoying the occasional White Claw likely won't boot you out of ketosis thanks to the low carb count. But it shouldn't become a daily habit either.

Is White Claw Gluten-Free?

Gluten-free diets exclude grains like wheat, barley, and rye that damage the intestines in those with celiac disease. Is White Claw safe for gluten sensitivity?

Labeled Gluten-Free

White Claw prominently labels their hard seltzers as gluten-free right on the packaging. This makes them a go-to for gluten avoiding consumers.

No Malt or Grains

White Claw starts with a fermented sugar alcohol base, not malt like gluten-containing beers. No gluten risk from grains used.

No Cross-Contamination

White Claw's gluten-free manufacturing process prevents any cross-contamination with grain ingredients. Important for sensitive individuals.

Third-Party Validation

Reputable third-party organizations like Gluten Intolerance Group and Celiac Support Association have endorsed White Claw as gluten-free.

Well-Tolerated

Most celiac disease forums share positive feedback on White Claw being well-tolerated without reaction. But individual experiences may vary.

Are Spiked Seltzers Bad for You?

Some health circles raise concerns over the perceived "health halo" of spiked seltzers like White Claw. But are they really unhealthy?

Still Contain Alcohol

While lower calorie and carbs than some alcoholic beverages, White Claw still provides empty alcohol calories without nutrients. Moderation remains key.

Can Spike Blood Sugar

Despite low carbs and sugar, alcohol's effect on the liver can lead to blood sugar spikes for prediabetics and diabetics alike.

Dehydrating

Alcohol acts as a diuretic causing fluid loss. So alcoholic seltzers arent as hydrating as advertised despite seeming "water-based."

Easy to Overdo It

With so few calories and taste so subtle, its easy to overconsume spiked seltzers without realizing it. Pace yourself.

Intoxication Risks

Buzzy marketing makes White Claw seem like a harmless drink, but at 5% ABV it carries the same intoxication risks and need for responsible drinking as other alcoholic beverages..

Low Alcohol White Claw

To cater to more health-conscious consumers, White Claw released White Claw 70 in 2021 - a low-alcohol line at only 3.7% ABV. But how does it compare to the original?

70 Calories

White Claw 70 has only 70 calories per 12oz can instead of 100 calories. Better option for restricting calories.

3.7% Alcohol

Around 30% less alcohol than regular 5% ABV White Claws. Closer to a light beer.

New Flavors

Unique flavors like Pineapple and Clementine differentiated the 70 line from existing offerings.

Lower Sales

Likely due to the subtle flavors and more watery mouthfeel, White Claw 70 had slower sales than expected initially.

Fresher Taste

Some fans prefer White Claw 70 for having a cleaner, smoother, less alcoholic taste compared to higher proof varieties.

Is White Claw Bad for Your Health?

White Claw makes headlines for its potential health impacts. But how bad is it really?

Still Alcohol

Despite the low carb, low calorie marketing, White Claws 5% ABV means it provides empty alcohol calories without nutrition. Moderation remains key.

Blood Sugar Effects

While low in carbs and sugars themselves, alcohol impacts liver function in ways that can spike blood glucose for diabetics. Wise to minimize consumption.

Can Cause Dehydration

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.