Four Loko Gold’s exact sugar content is not disclosed on the official label or by the manufacturer.
You walk past the cooler, grab a 23.5-ounce can of Four Loko Gold, and flip it over looking for the sugar count. The label lists alcohol content and calories clearly, but that sugar line? Empty. It feels like a basic piece of information that should be right there—but it’s not.
The honest answer is that the sugar content in Four Loko Gold simply isn’t published. No official source from the brand or most third-party trackers provides a number. That leaves drinkers guessing, which isn’t ideal if you’re tracking sugar intake for health, fitness, or personal preference.
What The Label Actually Tells You
Four Loko Gold does have a nutrition label, but it lists only certain details. The serving size is 5 fluid ounces, even though the can holds 23.5 ounces. The ingredients include carbonated water, sugar, and natural and artificial flavors, plus FD&C Red 40 for color.
So sugar is an ingredient—the label confirms that. But the gram amount per serving is missing entirely. That’s unusual for a flavored malt beverage, where sugar content is often a selling point or a health consideration.
Some retailers like Giant Eagle display a partial label, and product pages from BevMo! and Food City show the same gaps. The four loko gold product page itself lists alcohol content and flavor notes but skips sugar entirely.
Why The Missing Sugar Number Matters
If you’re counting carbs, watching calories, or managing blood sugar, knowing the sugar content of a drink this size and strength makes a difference. A 23.5-ounce can at 13.9% ABV packs roughly 660 calories—nearly a third of a typical adult’s daily intake—without any protein or fiber to balance it.
Alcohol itself contributes calories, but the sweetness in flavored malt beverages usually comes from added sugar. Without a label number, you’re left wondering whether most of those 660 calories come from alcohol, sugar, or both.
- Calorie breakdown uncertainty: With sugar content unknown, it’s impossible to know how many calories the alcohol provides versus the sweeteners.
- Carb counting challenge: People on low-carb or keto diets often rely on label data to stay within their sugar limits. A missing number makes that tricky.
- Blood sugar impact: The combination of alcohol and sugar can affect glucose levels, but without a gram count, estimating the effect is guesswork.
- Comparison to other drinks: Many similar malt beverages list sugar content. Four Loko Gold’s omission stands out.
- Personal tracking: Apps like MyFitnessPal and FatSecret import label data, but without a manufacturer-provided number, the field stays blank or shows “unknown.”
If you’re someone who likes to know exactly what you’re consuming, the missing number is frustrating. But it also points to a broader gap in how some products report nutrition.
What We Do Know About Four Loko Gold’s Sugar
The ingredients list includes sugar, so the drink is sweetened. But without a quantitative figure, even educated guesses are unreliable. The manufacturer’s site does not disclose this information, and no official FDA-required statement of added sugar appears on the label for this product.
Wikipedia’s entry notes that Four Loko Gold contains carbonated water, sugar, and natural and artificial flavoring, including FD&C Red 40. That confirms sugar is present but gives no gram count. Third-party databases like Eat This Much list the sugar content as “missing” or “unknown.”
For comparison, the original Four Loko (non-Gold) has a similar calorie count—approximately 660 calories per 23.5-ounce can. But even for the original, sugar data isn’t consistently reported across sources. The FatSecret entry for Four Loko lists 660 calories for the standard variety, with sugar fields left blank.
| Nutrition Detail | Four Loko Gold (23.5 oz) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 660 | FatSecret |
| Alcohol by volume | 13.9% (also 12% and 10% variants) | Four Loko product page |
| Serving size | 5.0 fl oz (148 ml) | Retailer label (Giant Eagle) |
| Protein | 0 g | Eat This Much |
| Sugar | Not listed | Multiple databases |
It’s worth noting that the sugar content might be similar to other high-alcohol flavored malt beverages, but without official data, that’s speculation. The safest assumption is that unless the manufacturer releases this information, we simply don’t know.
How To Estimate If You Really Need A Number
If you’re determined to get a rough idea, there are a few indirect approaches—but they come with caveats. None are precise.
- Look at the calorie-to-alcohol ratio: Alcohol provides about 7 calories per gram. If 660 calories and 13.9% ABV in 23.5 oz means roughly 3.3 standard drinks worth of alcohol (about 230-250 alcohol calories), the remaining calories—over 400—likely come from sugar and other carbohydrates.
- Compare to similar products: Some other 12-14% ABV malt beverages list 30-50 grams of sugar per can. Four Loko Gold could fall in a similar range, but that’s a guess, not a fact.
- Contact the manufacturer: Four Loko’s customer service or website may have information that’s not on the label. It’s worth asking if you need the exact number.
- Use a consumer nutrition database: Sites like FatSecret allow users to submit data. If someone has entered the sugar content, it may appear there—but accuracy isn’t guaranteed.
None of these methods replace an official label. For anyone tracking sugar for medical reasons (diabetes, insulin resistance, specific diets), the missing number means you’ll need to account for the uncertainty.
How It Compares To Other Big Drinks
To put the 660 calories and unknown sugar into perspective, compare with other large-format drinks. A 23.5-ounce can of a standard malt liquor (around 8% ABV) typically contains 300-400 calories and about 20-30 grams of sugar. A 12-ounce regular soda has about 39 grams of sugar and 140 calories, no alcohol.
Four Loko Gold is more than four times the volume of a single soda and contains alcohol, so its sugar could be substantially higher. Some similar high-ABV flavored drinks on the market list sugar between 35 and 50 grams per can. But again, without official data, it’s a range based on assumptions.
The manufacturer’s own product description calls it a “premium malt beverage” with caramel color and artificial flavors. The sweetness is intentional, but the exact formula is proprietary, and the sugar amount may vary across the 13.9%, 12%, and 10% ABV versions.
| Drink | Volume | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Four Loko Gold | 23.5 oz | 660 |
| Standard soda (Coke) | 12 oz | 140 |
| Malt liquor (8% ABV) | 23.5 oz | ~350 |
| Craft IPA (7% ABV) | 16 oz | ~250 |
The Bottom Line
Four Loko Gold’s sugar content remains a missing piece of information. The label confirms sugar is an ingredient, but the gram count isn’t available from the manufacturer or any reliable third-party source. For anyone tracking sugar intake carefully, the lack of data is a real limitation, and estimates are the only option.
If sugar limits are important for your health—whether for diabetes, weight management, or personal nutrition goals—you might choose to skip this drink or treat the unknown as a signal to moderate. Your doctor or a registered dietitian can help you figure out how a 660-calorie beverage with undisclosed sugar fits into your overall plan.
References & Sources
- Fourloko. “Four Loko Gold Product” Four Loko Gold is a flavored malt beverage produced by Four Loko, Inc., available in a 23.5 oz can.
- FatSecret. “Four Loko” A 23.5 oz can of Four Loko Gold contains approximately 660 calories.