Sources: The list of drinks referenced below are average sizes and average calories per the NIH , other governmental agencies, and calorie sites. Individual drinks may vary depending upon how they are made.
Nutrition: Alcohol, by itself, has no vitamins or minerals, little or no fat, and if there is protein it is very low. So nutrition is not about alcohol, but is all about what is added to the alcohol, and what is eaten while drinking.
Moderate drinking use to be defined by no more than 1 drink a day (beer=12oz, wine=4oz, distilled 80 proof=1.5oz). Recent studies indicate even that is too much, so moderate drinking is now a drink every 2 days or less.
Direct Alcohol
Beer: 12oz = 153c
Beer Craft: (These can be loaded in calories and higher alcohol content)
Brandy: 1.5oz = 98c
Coffee liquor: 1.5oz = 137c
Cognac: 1.5oz = 98c
Gin: 1.5oz = 96c
Hard Cider: 12oz = 150c (be careful, these can be loaded with sugar)
Rum: 1.5pz = 97c
Sake: 1 oz = 39c
Scotch: 1.5oz = 105c
Tequila: 1.5oz = 94c
Vermouth: 3oz dry 105c, sweet 140c
Vodka :1 jigger (1.5oz) = 97c
Whiskey: 1.5oz = 105c
Wine: White 5oz = 121c
Apéritif and Digestifs
Apéritif is a pre-dinner alcohol drink meant to stimulate the appetite. The drink should be very dry, low in sugar and alcohol.
Classic apéritifs are drinks such as: dry vermouth, gin, bubbly, and dry white wine. Cocktails would be a dry martini.
Digestifs are after-dinner drinks meant to assist the digestion process. The drink should have a touch of sweetness, and a higher alcohol.
Classic digestifs are smooth whiskey, bourbon, brandy, port, sherry, and liqueur.
Mixed Drinks
Gin + Tonic: 8oz = 161c
Manhattan: 3.5oz = 200c
Martini: 2.25oz = 124c
Sangria: 5oz = 175c
Vodka + Soda with twist of lime = 97c
Whiskey Sour: 3.5oz = 240c
Healthier Alcohol Drinks
The “healthier” drinks is a relative term, what I mean here is that some of the drinks have some health benefits, lower calories, and while not exactly health food, if you are going to drink these are perhaps worth considering.
Beer Guinness: 12oz = 176c, 14k, 3p, 0f, 14g sugar and 25mg sodium (contains antioxidants, B vitamins)
Bloody Mary: 10oz = 125c, 6.8k, 1.2p, .8f, 24mg calcium, 5.1g sugar, and 461mg sodium (make sure it is tomato or V8 juice and not a mix, may also contain antioxidants, C vitamins and potassium)
Champagne: 4oz = 78c, 1.2k, .2p, 0f and 0 sodium (contains antioxidants)
Wine: Red 5oz 126c, 3.9k, .1p, 0f. .9sugar and 6mg sodium (contains antioxidants, potassium and calcium)
Wine: Port 2oz 94c, 7.2k, <.1p, 0f, 0 sodium (contain antioxidants )
Drinks to Avoid (due to calories + sugar)
Daiquiri 2.5oz = 229c
Egg Nog non-alcohol is 1C=343c with 1.5oz rum = 440c
Long Island Ice Tea 250c
Mai Tai 2oz = 260c
Margarita: 3.5oz = 254c (plus 2325mg sodium for typical drink)
Mud Slide 12oz = 820c
Piña Coladas 3.5oz = 242c
White Russian 285c
Comment
Cautions: I am not an advocate for drinking alcohol, but if you do drink you should at least know what you are drinking. Please consider not drinking if alcoholism is a concern, if taking drugs that contraindicate alcohol, or if depressed or have trouble sleeping.
Weight Maint: VeryWellFit reports Drinking alcohol can have a big impact on your diet. It’s not just the cocktail calories that add up when you imbibe. When we drink, we often eat more as well. And a hangover is likely to derail your workout routine.
For listing of calories and proof by manufacturer check out GetDrunkNotFat (I know, terrible name).
