Low Calorie Alcohol Drinks That You Can Actually ENJOY

It’s Friday evening and you’ve been very good all week. You engaged in regular physical activity this week, ate a good mix of fruits and vegetables and now you’re ready to party! But…how?

[Just because it says "low calorie" doesn't mean you can drink your bodyweight in booze!]

Worry not friends, for there are ways to enjoy alcohol that won’t lead to you to regret your decisions. At least not your diet decisions!

It is actually incredibly easy to pack on the calories during a night of drinking because most of those calories come from trying to hide the taste of the alcohol. This doesn’t mean that you wine and beer drinkers are safe either, it just means that you have more low-calorie choices than your tequila shooting counterparts.

THE MATH

If you want to enjoy a night of drinking without undoing weeks of hard work, you have to do the math. If your drink of choice is vodka, tequila or any other such spirit the good news is that 1 serving doesn’t have very many calories. You should also know that a serving size of a bottle of 80-proof vodka is just 96 calories per serving. The bad news is that the serving size is 1.5 ounces and that’s without a mixer!

When it comes to beer the math is quite simple. Each bottle is a serving, but those bottles can range anywhere from 64 calories to nearly 300 in just one bottle!

However there is good news. When your alcohol or bartender doesn’t provide calorie content of drinks its difficult to tell if you’re overdoing it. But it is safe to assume that the higher the alcohol content, the more calories a drink will have.

[With so many beer options, finding a low calorie alternative brings to mind the needle and the haystack...]

Low Calorie Beer

The average bottle beer has approximately 150 calories per bottle, and that number increases as alcohol content increases. Beer is usually the first drink ditched by dieters because of the all to common beer belly associated with too much beer consumption, but if you look beyond your favorite watering hole you’ll find plenty of low calorie beer to wet your lips.

Guinness: This dark & lovely often gets a bad rap because of her thick foam and dark body, but Guinness Draught has only 125 calories per 12 ounces. That’s low calorie drink you can enjoy without all the regret.

Under 100-calories Beer: Light beer isn’t often viewed as manly, but I say that means it’s time to redefine what “manly” means because light beer is pretty much the only way you can indulge in more than 1 beer this weekend. Michelob Ultra has just 95 calories per bottle, while Miller Lite has just 96 calories per 12-ounce bottle.

The 2 lowest calorie beers available have less than 70 calories per bottle! We can’t give them the full thumbs up on taste and quality, but Miller Genuine Draft Lite has just 64 calories per bottle, while Pabst Extra Light Low Alcohol has only 67 calories. Beer guzzling dieters should consider these options as Friday night rewards.

Low Calorie Wine

Wine is the trickiest of the alcoholic drinks because its very difficult to convince people that while wine has many positive health benefits, it is not “good” for your diet. So a glass a day may help prevent cancer, but that doesn’t mean it won’t help prevent fitness either!

The darker red wines tend to have a higher calorie count because they tend to have a higher alcohol content. The worst wines in terms of calories are Madiera and Muscatel at 160 calories per 4 ounces, and Port wine comes in at 185 calories per 4 ounce glass. That’s decent if you’re a liquor lightweight, but you multiple glass guzzlers should know that these delicious drinks will require an entire weekend of fasting just to break even for the week!

There are plenty of options however, for wine that has 100 calories or less per glass. Wine drinkers will be pleased to know that the calories in white wine are far friendlier. Chardonnay has just 90 calories per 4 ounces, while Zinfandel and Riesling both have 90 calories. The calories in red wine are similar with 95 calories per glass of Merlot, Rose, or Rhone.

The best option for low calorie wine is actually…champagne. I know what you’re thinking, but one 4 ounce glass of champagne is just 78 calories! That’s a number I can live with, can you?

Low Calorie Alcohol

As I stated before, the calories in alcohol increase with the alcohol content of the drink. All you need to really figure out is what mixers will be most kind to your diet. I find that the more of the alcohol you can taste, the fewer calories are likely in your glass. An added bonus is that when your drink tastes mostly like alcohol, it’ll take longer for you to finish your drink and you’ll feel the effects sooner.

[The martini is just 127 calories and strong enough to get the job done. The olives however...add extra calories!]

Calories In Alcohol: 

Rum (80-proof): 1 ounce is 64 calories
Brandy (80-proof): 1 ounce is 64 calories
Gin (80-proof): 1 ounce is 64 calories
Scotch Whiskey: 1 ounce is 73 calories
Vodka (80-proof): 1 ounce is 73 calories
Whisky (80-proof): 1 ounce is 73 calories
Tequila: 1 ounce is 64 calories

This is just the starting point for your evening. If you add mixers you should know how much damage they will do in calories.

[Rum & diet cola is a popular low calorie drink for about 115 reasons...]

Low Calorie Cocktails

Tom Collins (7.5 oz.) has 120 calories
Sloe Gin Fizz ( 8 oz.) has 120 calories
Rum and diet Coke (10 oz.) has 115 calories
Manhattan (2.5 oz.) has 130 calories
Gin Rickey (7 oz.) has 115 calories
Fuzzy Navel (4 oz.) has 120 calories

A bloody mary is perhaps one of the most calorie conscious drinks available, at just 120 calories for a 5 ounce drink. Another stiff drink with few calories is my favorite, the vodka martini. A 2.5 ounce martini is just 127 calories! Take your favorite spirit, like gin or vodka, and add diet Tonic water for 7.5 ounces of refreshment with only 115 calories! Adding regular Tonic water would give you 170 calories.

See the difference?

[Don't be a baby and order what's easy. Do your homework and have a night on the town that won't wreck your hardwork!]

High Calorie Mistakes

Popular drinks like Margaritas are high calorie hell. An 8 ounce glass of Margarita has 453 calories! That’s an entire meal, while the ever-popular Long Island Ice Tea has a whopping 789 calories per 12 ounces!

You should keep in mind that just because your beer has only 64 calories, doesn’t mean you should drink 7 of them. The best way to avoid regretting a night of alcoholic indulgence is to keep it light and fun. Set a drink limit for yourself so you don’t slam cocktails all night.

Try my favorite trick: drink a glass of water in between drinks to keep you hydrated and to help you slow yourself down. The best way to enjoy alcohol is to let yourself enjoy it responsibly. Binge drinking can wreak havoc on your ability to burn fat.

Now that you’ve sufficiently filled your belly with beer, wine, and spirits, check out our review of The Truth About Six-Pack Abs and see what Mike Geary can do for your abs!