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Calories in Alcohol & Wine

More people today are focused on their health than ever before. The alcoholic beverage industry has taken notice and has launched healthier product variations. However, before indulging in your favorite drink, you should have a clear idea of what you may be getting involved with in terms of the calories in alcohol.

  1. Calories in Liquor

    • Liquors typically range from about 60 calories to 80 calories per ounce, with stronger liquors containing more calories. A jigger used to make drinks is equivalent to 1.5 ounces, so if you use a jigger to measure, you need to increase your calorie count by 50 percent.

    Calories in Mixed Drinks

    • Mixed drinks contain more calories than most people realize because you ingest the calories from the liquor as well as the soda. Eight ounces of soda provides approximately 100 calories, which almost doubles the caloric content of your drink. Therefore, if you're trying to lose weight you should mix your liquor with a diet soda, low-calorie juice or seltzer.

    Calories in Frozen Drinks

    • Frozen drinks have far more calories than most people realize. For example, the average pina colada is estimated to have more than 640 calories. That's nearly one-third of your daily caloric intake.

    Calories in Wine

    • Most wines range between 80 calories and 120 calories per 4 ounces. However, sweeter wines and wines with a higher alcohol content contain more calories. For example, a port wine has close to 200 calories in a 4-ounce serving. Also, you have to watch your serving size because most people pour closer to 6 ounces of wine into their glasses.

    Calories in Beer

    • Beer has a wide range of caloric levels. A survey of more than 200 beers found that the average for regular, non-light beers is approximately 150 calories per 12 ounces. The caloric average for light beers was closer to 110 calories per 12 ounces. However, it's important to note that with those averages, there is a very wide spectrum. For example, MGD 64 contains only 64 calories, while a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale contains 175 calories.

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