Alcohol is one of the easiest places for calories to hide. It does not feel like food, it rarely gets logged, and it tends to arrive with a plate of something fried.
This is not an argument for or against drinking. It is the numbers, so that an evening out is a choice you can plan around rather than a surprise.
Why alcohol is calorie-dense
Pure alcohol carries about 7 calories per gram, nearly as much as fat (9) and much more than protein or carbohydrate (4). A drink's calories come from the alcohol plus any sugar in it or in the mixer.
The stronger and sweeter a drink, the more calories. A larger glass or a “large peg” does the rest.
Beer
| Beer | Serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Light beer (~3.5%) | 330 ml can | 90–110 |
| Regular lager (~5%) | 330 ml can or bottle | 140–160 |
| Regular lager (~5%) | 500 ml can | 210–240 |
| Regular lager (~5%) | 650 ml bottle | 270–310 |
| Strong beer (~8%) | 500 ml can | 300–350 |
| Strong beer (~8%) | 650 ml bottle | 390–450 |
| Pint, draught (~4.5–5%) | 568 ml | 220–260 |
| Craft IPA (~6.5%) | 330 ml | 190–230 |
Strong beer is where the numbers climb fastest. Two 650 ml bottles of strong beer are 780–900 calories: a full meal and a half.
Wine
| Wine | Serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Dry white or red (~12.5%) | 150 ml glass | 115–130 |
| Dry white or red | 175 ml glass | 135–155 |
| Dry white or red | 250 ml large glass | 190–220 |
| Sweet or dessert wine | 100 ml | 150–170 |
| Sparkling (brut) | 125 ml flute | 85–100 |
| Bottle of wine | 750 ml | 560–650 |
Spirits
Measures differ by country. In India, a “small peg” is 30 ml and a “large peg” is 60 ml. In the UK a single is 25 ml; in the US a shot is about 44 ml.
| Spirit (~40%) | 30 ml (small peg) | 60 ml (large peg) |
|---|---|---|
| Whisky | 65–70 | 130–140 |
| Rum | 65–70 | 130–140 |
| Vodka | 65–70 | 130–140 |
| Gin | 65–70 | 130–140 |
| Tequila | 65–70 | 130–140 |
| Cream liqueur (~17%) | 95–105 | 190–210 |
Plain spirits of the same strength have essentially the same calories. The difference between a light and a heavy spirit drink is almost entirely the mixer.
Mixers
| Mixer | 200 ml | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Soda water | 200 ml | 0 |
| Water | 200 ml | 0 |
| Diet cola or diet tonic | 200 ml | 0–2 |
| Tonic water | 200 ml | 70–80 |
| Cola | 200 ml | 80–90 |
| Lemonade / lemon-lime soda | 200 ml | 80–90 |
| Orange juice | 200 ml | 85–95 |
| Ginger ale | 200 ml | 70–80 |
So a large peg of rum and cola is about 210–230 calories, and the same with soda is 130–140.
Cocktails and ready-to-drink
| Drink | Serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Gin and tonic | 60 ml gin + tonic | 200–220 |
| Whisky and soda | 60 ml + soda | 130–140 |
| Rum and cola | 60 ml + cola | 210–230 |
| Mojito | 1 glass | 170–250 |
| Margarita | 1 glass | 200–300 |
| Piña colada | 1 glass | 300–450 |
| Long Island iced tea | 1 glass | 250–350 |
| Sangria | 1 glass | 150–250 |
| Flavoured alcopop / breezer | 275 ml bottle | 150–200 |
| Cider | 330 ml | 150–200 |
Cream- and juice-based cocktails are the heaviest. A round of piña coladas is closer to dessert than a drink.
The snacks that come with it
The drinks are often only half the evening. The other half is the chakna:
| Snack | Typical serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Masala peanuts | 1 bowl (~50 g) | 270–300 |
| Chips / wafers | 1 bowl (~40 g) | 210–230 |
| Chicken tikka | 6 pieces | 250–400 |
| Paneer tikka | 6 pieces | 300–450 |
| Fried fish or chicken 65 | 1 plate | 400–600 |
| Masala papad | 1 | 80–150 |
| Late-night biryani or rolls | 1 plate | 500–800 |
Alcohol lowers inhibitions around food too, so the late-night meal often matters as much as the drinks themselves.
What an evening adds up to
| Evening | Calories |
|---|---|
| 2 glasses of wine, a few olives | 280–360 |
| 3 large pegs of whisky with soda, a bowl of peanuts | 660–720 |
| 3 × 650 ml bottles of regular beer, chips, a tikka plate | 1,270–1,560 |
| 3 rum-and-colas, fried chicken, late biryani | 1,530–2,090 |
The last row is the calorie equivalent of an entire day's food for many people, on top of that day's food.
Fitting it into a calorie target
- Choose spirits with soda or diet mixers over beer, sweet cocktails and regular mixers.
- Decide the number of drinks before you start. It is much easier than deciding during.
- Alternate with water or soda with lime.
- Eat a proper protein-rich meal first, so the snacks are not dinner.
- Keep the rest of the day light and protein-heavy, the way you would for any big meal.
- Log it. Alcohol is one of the most commonly omitted entries in food logs, which is why it so often explains a stalled scale.
Also expect the scale to be up the next morning. Alcohol, salty snacks and a late meal all cause water retention. It usually goes within two or three days. See why your weight fluctuates daily.
A note on health
The calories are only one part of the picture. Health bodies now generally say there is no completely safe level of alcohol, and recommend keeping intake low. For example, the UK guideline is no more than 14 units a week, spread over several days. If you are unsure whether your drinking is affecting your health, a doctor is the right person to ask.
Logging drinks
“Two large pegs of whisky with soda and a bowl of peanuts” is a single sentence, and in BetterCal it is a single entry, typed or spoken, estimated with Indian peg and bottle sizes. No need to look up what a “large peg” is in millilitres.
Log a meal the way you would write it down. BetterCal turns a plain sentence, spoken or typed, into calories and macros. Free to start.
Download BetterCal on the App Store · Get BetterCal on Google Play
Frequently asked questions
How many calories are in a 650 ml beer bottle?
About 270–310 calories for a regular 5% lager, and 390–450 for a strong 8% beer. Strong beer is one of the most calorie-dense drinks per serving.
How many calories in a peg of whisky?
About 65–70 calories in a 30 ml small peg and 130–140 in a 60 ml large peg, before any mixer. Soda or water adds nothing; cola adds 80–90 per 200 ml.
Which alcohol has the fewest calories?
A single measure of a plain spirit with soda, water or a diet mixer: about 65–70 calories for 30 ml. Dry wine and light beer are next. Sweet cocktails, strong beer and cream liqueurs are the highest.
Does alcohol stop weight loss?
Not by itself, but it makes it harder: the drinks carry calories, the snacks that come with them carry more, and alcohol tends to increase how much people eat. Occasional, planned drinking can fit into a calorie deficit.
How many calories in a glass of red wine?
About 115–130 calories in a 150 ml glass of dry red, and 135–155 in a 175 ml glass. Sweet wines have more.
Related: Indian snacks calories · how to track calories when eating out · why you're not losing weight in a calorie deficit
