Nutrition

Which Alcohol Has The Least Amount Of Calories – Summer Edition!

Reviewed by: Erica An, APD, BNutr&Diet

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying a drink or two – and especially in the summertime, amongst the festivities, barbeques and glorious sunshine! But, if you’re embarking on your weight loss journey, just like food, it pays to know what you’re up against when it comes to calories in alcohol.

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Here’s a breakdown of calories in some classic summertime drinks

1 glass of champagne: 95 calories

1 glass of chardonnay: 123 calories

1 Aperol spritz: 125 calories

1 schooner apple cider: 148 calories

1 schooner full-strength beer: 175 calories

1 classic mojito: 182 calories

1 gin and tonic: 202 calories

1 scotch and dry: 204 calories

1 margarita: 208 calories

1 glass of frozé: 223 calories

1 glass of sangria: 260 calories

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Did any of these surprise you?

Keep in mind that making a few of these at home (as opposed to purchasing prepared mixes, or purchasing from a restaurant or bar) means you’ll be able to replace a few of the calorie-loaded ingredients, like fruit juices, soft drinks or sugar syrups.

Which is the best alcohol to prevent hangovers?

Short answer… the one with the least amount of sugar and alcohol! Especially if you are dining out, it’s good to keep an eye on what you’re paying for, because there is a difference between standard drink and standard serve!

One last tip

Do not eat less to compensate for the calories in alcohol!

Instead, make sure you head into your event with a game plan for how much food and alcohol you want to consume. Then stick to it. Simple!

Eating before will also help prevent the calorie explosion that can result from a late-night snack binge, or a stop at Macca’s on the way home.

And alongside eating before you go out, our top tips are to sip your drink, top it up with soda water (sugar-free and calorie-free!) and alternate every alcohol beverage with something non-alcoholic. It’ll help you stay hydrated and will go a long way towards helping you avoid a nasty hangover!

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Struggling to stay motivated through the silly season? Stay on track with our 12WBT program! Visit us here to learn more.

 

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16 thoughts on “Which Alcohol Has The Least Amount Of Calories – Summer Edition!

  1. I’m very interested to know how many calories would be in a shot of whiskey – perhaps Scotch or Irish? This is my drink of choice, with water (yes sorry die hard connoisseurs!). Although I do also drink white wine :-s

    1. Hi Belinda – I would definitely check this out on. This will help you compare the different types of whiskey and white wine.

      Hopefully that helps with your decision-making process a little more.

      All the best,
      Leila
      12WBT Support Crew

  2. I agree that this is misleading. To put it in perspective: 1 nip of vodka (the tiny bottles) is 50 ml and comes in at just under 100 calories. To make a drink with only 30 ml would be such a small amount you’d mostly be drinking soda water, in which case of course it’s less caloric. As a bartender (& frequent imbiber), I can assure you that most bartenders are not putting only 30 ml in your drink. If they are you are either being ripped off or are a bad tipper 😉 Most bars don’t regulate their “pours” so it completely depends on the bartender. Get one w/ a heavy hand and you may be consuming triple the amount you suggested. Yes, if you are drinking solely according to quantity/volume (like really only having 1 drink & stopping) then you will save calories because you’re basically drinking a glass of soda water with a splash of vodka. Unfortunately most people have a few drinks in order to catch a little buzz so they’d wind up having several until they felt the effects, due to the small amount of alcohol in the drink. If you are drinking at home you obviously can control quantity but unless you have a very low tolerance & an iron will, you will likely consume enough to feel it. Otherwise, why are you drinking in the 1st place?

  3. Since I have been on the 12wbt , I have completly given up the alchohol all together, don/t have to worry about counting , don/t miss it and feel so kuch better
    The less calories I take in the more weight I lose
    Water is the way to go

  4. I manage a bottleshop and can tell u there are some low calorie beers out there too
    Big Head 88cals per 330ml stubb
    pure blonde ultra 93 cals per stubbie
    xxxx summer comes in at 98cals per stubbie

  5. Diet tonic is 21kj for 300ml bottle – so definitely a calorie saver. 30ml nip of gin is 67cal – so in total similar to glass of white or sparkling.

  6. What are the percentages indicative of in this article under the alcohol? Like Vodka has 40%.. Forty percent what?

      1. % of alcohol in the vodka is 40%. In the drink (40% of 30mL in 150mL) is only 8%.

  7. There’s an error in this article: you said that vodka is the lowest-calorie option because it has only 64 calories. But it’s also the smallest drink at 1 unit. If you scale it up to 1.5 units, it has 96 calories, comparable with white wine at 70-120 calories.

    1. You are focusing on the wrong number. Alcohol-wise, vodka and soda equals one portion of alcohol, but in total the amount of beverage consumed equals 180ml (150ml soda + 30 ml vodka.) So in fact, the vodka soda is, if anything, an equivalent portion to the wines, but with fewer calories. What the article focused was not on the amount of alcohol consumed, but on the portion of drinks, many of which are above a standard drink, And even if you increased the portion of vodka soda to match the alcohol level of wines, you’d still end up with a drink with similar calories to the wines. Also, it’s vodka with soda, and a lemon twist, it’s a better drink imo.

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