Per unit of alcohol, distilled liquor is the common form of alcohol with the lowest calorie content. Combining liquor with a calorie-free mixer is perhaps the most palatable way to consume alcohol without adding extra calories to the drink.
By Volume
Alcohol itself contains approximately seven calories in every gram. In common alcoholic beverages, the alcohol content is roughly 5 percent for a typical beer, 14 percent for wine and 40 percent or higher for distilled liquor. A typical 12-oz. beer, a 1.5-oz. liquor shot or a 5-oz. glass of wine has approximately 150 calories.
By Standard Measure
People typically consume different kinds of alcohol in different amounts. It is common to drink a pint -- or 16 oz. -- of beer, for example, but few would drink a pint of neat liquor. A 16-oz. beer contains around 200 calories, although dark beer usually has a higher caloric value than light beer. Therefore, the calorie content for a standard measure of beer is approximately double the values for a single measure -- small glass or one shot -- of wine and liquor, respectively.
Minimizing Calories
To consume fewer calories from alcoholic beverages, minimize the serving size of your alcohol and choose lower-alcohol -- and therefore lower-calorie -- beverages overall. Choose light beer or low-calorie beer over dark beers, and choose wines with a relatively low alcohol by volume. Mix liquors with low-calorie or calorie-free mixers.
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