In almost every diet, as one of the basic rules, it is recommended to stop drinking alcohol altogether, or at least limit it significantly. Many people manage to cut out sweet and salty snacks, but this is a superhuman task for them. If you are one of them, we may discourage you with this article. How many calories do different types of alcohol have?
Calories in alcohol – light and dark beer
Much has been said about the proverbial beer belly. However, the calories in beer are not as bad as all the talk might make it seem. As for the exact number, it is directly proportional to the beer’s level – in other words, the higher the level, the more calories. A pint of an average pale ten has around 185 kcal, eleveners around 200 and twelves around 225. On the other hand, you can certainly manage more tens than twelves in an evening. If you add 5 kcal to these values, you get the calorific values of dark beers. The various multi-calorie specials have more calories.
It’s all a question of quantity, of course, but beer is no worse than sugary sodas. By comparison, a pint of Coca Cola is roughly 200 kcal, the same as a light elevener. The trouble with beer is that it stimulates the appetite. So we often can’t resist typical “beer dishes” such as drowned pork or pickled ermine when drinking it.
Calories in red and white wine
White wine is usually considered to be more dietary than red wine, and indeed it is. However, the difference is not that staggering – it is roughly 10 kcal per 2 decilitres. Far more important is whether the wine is drier or sweeter. From a dieting perspective, the least evil is dry white wine with roughly 130 kcal per 2 decilitres. A sweet white wine can then have well over 200 kcal per 2 decilitres. Liqueur wines are then generally quite calorific – port 90 kcal, sherry 150 kcal and vermouth 140 kcal (values per 100 ml).
How many calories do spirits have
Distilled spirits are generally the most calorific types of alcohol. The reason for this is simple – alcohol contains around 7 kcal per gram and spirits tend to have the highest alcohol content, often as much as 40%. Here you can see the values for the most famous ones (values for 2 cl, or one small shot):
- 40% vodka – 46 kcal
- rum 40% – 46 kcal
- whisky 40% – 47 kcal
- absinthe 40% – 86 kcal
- tequila – 48 kcal
- gin – 55 kcal
Calories in alcohol – liqueurs
Liqueurs are not much better than spirits, rather worse (values for 2 cl):
- becherovka – 57 kcal
- fernet – 43 kcal
- green – 48 kcal
- eggnog – 57 kcal
- griotte – 57 kcal
Calories in alcohol – mixed drinks
Mixed drinks are a double blow to our physique. Not only do we ingest calorie-dense alcohol, but we add a sugary cola or juice to the mix. See the overview (values for one drink):
- Mojito – 312 kcal
- Cuba Libre – 180 kcal
- Sex on the Beach – 215 kcal
- Daiquiri – 146 kcal
- Margarita – 172 kcal
- Tequila Sunrise – 367 kcal
- Piña Colada – 170 kcal
- Cosmopolitan – 218 kcal
- Long Island Iced Tea – 373 kcal
