Alcohol contains calories although these calories do not come with any nutritional benefits, such as vitamins or minerals. When you are controlling your calorie intake, knowing the calorific values of different types of alcohol can help guide your choices.
Calorie Quantity
In general, a 12 oz. beer, 5 oz. glass of wine or a 1.5 oz. shot of distilled liquor provide 150 calories. Light beers are generally lower in calories than a similar volume of dark beer. Hard distilled liquors have higher calorie content because of their higher alcohol content of around 40 percent.
Calorie Quality
Alcohol in general has roughly seven calories per gram. Each gram of alcohol is typically diluted in water in an alcoholic beverage -- for example, liquors referred to as 100 proof in the U.S. contain 50 percent alcohol by weight or volume. Ten grams of 100 proof liquor contain 5 g of alcohol, and therefore approximately 35 calories.
Warning
Drinking large amounts of alcohol can be dangerous, or a sign of alcohol dependence. In the long term, heavy drinking can cause serious liver damage. If you are dieting, alcohol may affect you more -- drinking on an empty stomach will make you drunk more quickly and can damage your stomach lining. Pregnant women are advised to avoid alcohol.
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