It’s no secret that alcohol, be it a pint of beer, a glass of wine or a dram of whiskey, has calories but no nutritional value, hence the term ’empty calories’. But do you know how many calories your favorite drink will set you back?
On April 6, 2022, new legislation regarding the display of calories on menus came into effect, applicable to large businesses such as takeaways, restaurants and cafes. However, there are some exceptions to this new law, including foods that are only on the menu for 30 days a year or less and all alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of more than 1.2%.
This exemption means that the health effects of going to the pub or having a bottle of wine with dinner are guesswork.
This comes after the Commission on Alcohol Harm in its 2021 report on the calorie count for alcohol emphasized that people who regularly drink nearly 10 percent of their daily caloric intake from alcohol are contributing to the ongoing obesity crisis.
While it can be difficult to figure out the exact caloric content of your favorite stout, it is possible to make a good guess. The calorie content of alcoholic drinks is largely dependent on the sugar/carbohydrate content and alcohol content. Alcohol is more influential because it has more calories per gram than sugar (7 g compared to 4 g). So you might be surprised to learn that spirits, classically considered a more calorie-conscious choice than beer or cider, can contain as many or more calories than lower-alcohol drinks. When in doubt, choose the drink with a lower alcohol percentage.
It’s not just about the drink itself. The foods we eat while drinking (or, of course, after a night of drinking) tend to be higher in fat and sugar, which contribute to higher cholesterol, higher blood pressure, high blood sugar levels and weight gain.
While reducing the number of alcoholic drinks you drink throughout the week is the most effective way to control the number of “empty calories” you consume, it’s easier said than done, especially now that it’s summer. So how do you stay slim while enjoying a summer cocktail or two?
It helps to have an idea of which drinks are particularly high in calories, and which ones you can easily switch to a lower calorie option. Here’s the raw calorie content of some of our favorites to help you choose the next time you raise a glass.
beer and cider
The calorie content of beer varies depending on the type; Drinkware estimates that the average pint of beer (ABV 4%) contains 182 calories. However, a pint of beer with a higher ABV, such as ale or stout, can give you 250 calories or more — the same as a Mars bar.
Cider, due to its higher sugar content, is slightly higher in calories than beer, averaging 215 calories in a 4.5% ABV pint.
Healthline suggests that a pint of regular beer contains an average of 12 g of carbohydrates but 0 g of sugar. However, non-alcoholic beer usually contains 28.5 g of carbohydrates and 28.5 g of sugar.
But the sugar content can also vary by label, as Foster’s contains 2.7 g of sugar per 100 ml, meaning a pint contains just over 13.5 g — nearly 27 percent of your recommended daily sugar intake.
Wine
Both red and white wine have similar nutritional profiles, despite the popular belief that red wine has more calories than white. A 175ml glass of wine (ABV 13%) has about 160 calories – slightly less than a bag of Walkers Ready Salted chips – with a large size (250ml) containing about 225 calories. A 175 ml glass of wine with an alcohol content of 12% contains about 133 calories for comparison.
It is thought that there is about 0.8 g of sugar in a medium-sized glass of red wine and 1.4 g in white wine, which is almost equal to the amount in a single slice of white bread.
If you want to watch your calorie intake but still enjoy a glass, look for lower ABV wines, with a growing number of them by quality producers.
sparkling wine
Champagne, prosecco and other sparkling wines have slightly fewer calories than red or white wine. A 125 ml glass of champagne contains about 89 calories, while prosecco has about 86 calories; the equivalent of a chocolate digestive biscuit.
A glass of prosecco is also estimated to contain about 1 g of sugar, leading some to label it as “one of the more diet-friendly alcoholic drinks.”
ghosts
Again, the calorie content of spirits differs based on the alcohol and sugar content. A single shot (25 ml) of rum has 61 calories, while a shot of cream liqueur has about 80 calories and a shot of gin about 97.
One of the most caloric drinks is, surprisingly, vodka, which has an average of 110 calories. This is, of course, due to the alcohol content of vodka, which can reach up to 40%; the strongest vodka on sale in the UK is Balkan 175, with an alcohol content of 88%.
Distilled by itself contains very little sugar (almost 0g), but when combined with other drinks, the sugar content rises dramatically.
For example, vodka mixed with about 250 ml of cranberry juice contains about 30 g or 7.5 teaspoons of sugar and rum mixed with 250 ml of cola increases the sugar content to about 27.5 g or seven teaspoons.
cocktails
If you think spirits are bad, cocktails are the mother of caloric drinks. Most cocktails consist of one or more spirits, plus juices, sugar syrups, and flavorings, some of which have totals greater than a pint of stout.
A simple martini, made from gin or vodka, vermouth, and ice, has up to 120 calories. But a pornstar martini, a popular cocktail made from vodka, passion fruit liqueur, sugar syrup and sparkling wine, has about 225 calories per drink. Even higher is a long island iced tea, a blend of vodka, tequila, light rum, triple sec, gin and a splash of Coke, which can have over 280 calories, or the rough equivalent of a McDonald’s cheeseburger.
Keep your cocktail simple to cut calories. The fewer alcoholic ingredients, the fewer calories and sugar (and the less severe your hangover).
Alcopops
A favorite among younger drinkers guzzling neon-colored drinks on a night out, alcopops are high in both sugar and alcohol, making them a particularly high-calorie option. A 275 ml bottle can contain between 170 and 230 calories; a 330 ml bottle of Smirnoff Ice contains about 228 calories, or two slices of buttered toast.
Does alcohol cause weight gain?
Alcohol can make you gain weight not only because of its calorie content, but also because after drinking your body focuses on breaking down the alcohol units instead of burning fat.
Consuming too much alcohol can also cause serious damage to your liver, which can then affect its ability to metabolize and store carbohydrates and fats.
In addition, alcohol can make you feel hungry and lead you to make poor food choices.
What is the recommended alcohol intake in the UK?
Current guidelines state that both men and women should regularly consume no more than 14 units of alcohol per week. This is equivalent to six pints of medium strength beer or 10 small glasses of low strength wine.
The NHS also advises spreading your drinking over three or more days if you regularly exceed 14 units per week.