Calories by drink
| Drink | Serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Vodka / gin / whiskey shot | 1.5 oz | ~97 |
| Light beer | 12 oz | ~100 |
| Glass of wine | 5 oz | ~120 |
| Regular beer | 12 oz | ~150 |
| Margarita | ~7 oz | ~200–300 |
| Piña colada | ~7 oz | ~350–450 |
Where the calories come from
Drinks have two calorie sources. First, the alcohol: about 7 calories per gram, which works out to roughly 98 calories per standard drink no matter what you're drinking. Second, the carbohydrates — the residual sugar in wine, the malt in beer, and especially the syrups, juice and liqueurs in cocktails.
That's why a vodka soda (~97 cal) and a piña colada (~400 cal) can hold the same amount of alcohol but differ wildly in calories. The alcohol is fixed; the mixers are the variable.
The lowest-calorie drinks
- Spirits, neat or with a zero-cal mixer — about 97 calories a shot
- Light beer — around 100 calories
- Dry wine — about 115–120 calories a glass
- Skip the sugary mixers, syrups and frozen drinks to keep the count down
Our standard drink calculator shows the alcohol-only calories for any pour, so you can see the baseline before mixers are added.
Frequently asked
How many calories are in a shot of vodka?
A standard 1.5 oz shot of 80-proof vodka has about 97 calories, almost all from the alcohol itself. Plain vodka has no carbs or sugar, so flavored versions and mixers are what add more.
How many calories are in a glass of wine?
A 5 oz glass of wine has roughly 120 to 125 calories. Drier wines are slightly lower; sweet dessert wines are higher because of residual sugar.
Which alcohol has the fewest calories?
Plain spirits over ice or with a zero-calorie mixer are lowest, at around 97 calories per shot. Light beers (about 100 calories) and dry wines are the next lowest. Sugary cocktails are the highest.