Nutrition Facts For Shots Of Hard Liquor

Hard liquor doesn't have much nutritional value, but drinking a shot of liquor adds a significant amount of calories to your diet. When compared to beer and wine, the caloric content of liquor is higher, but since you drink far less liquor than beer or wine in each drink, you may end up saving calories by choosing hard liquor. However, as soon as you mix hard liquor into a cocktail and add soda or juice, you increase the caloric intake of your beverage.

Nutrients

Hard liquor does not contain beneficial amounts of any nutrients. For instance, vodka contains trace amounts of vitamin B, phosphorus and potassium. But since the amount of vitamins and minerals found in alcohol are so small, and since you don't consume very large amounts of alcohol, the nutritional benefits from drinking hard liquor are virtually nonexistent.

Calories

A 1 1/2-oz. shot of 80-proof liquor contains 96 calories. This includes gin, vodka, rum and whiskey. If you drink a shot straight or add an unsweetened mixer, such as plain club soda, to the shot, you don't add any calories to your drink. But if you mix a shot of liquor with juice or sweetened soda, you instantly increase the caloric content of your beverage by a large amount.

Considerations

If you are trying to cut back on your caloric intake, remember to regulate your intake of alcohol. It's easy to consume excess calories when drinking alcoholic beverages, since the drinks don't fill you up the way food does. Set a daily caloric intake for yourself and take alcoholic beverages, even plain shots of hard liquor, into consideration.

Cautions

Don't skip meals when you are drinking in an attempt to cut calories. Drinking hard liquor on an empty stomach can increase the effects of the alcohol. As you drink liquor, your blood sugar levels may drop, causing you to feel hungrier. This could cause you to overindulge on unhealthy snacks and derail your attempts at weight loss.

Effects

Drinking plain shots of hard liquor regularly can lead to a significant increase in your caloric intake. If you go out every night and drink two shots of hard liquor, you will add more than 5,000 extra calories to your intake for that month.