Stolichnaya Vodka Calories

A simple vodka cocktail won't make much of a dent in your daily caloric budget, but the calories in vodka can really add up if you drink too many of them. Stolichnaya vodka calories are the same as other brands of vodka, but the number of calories in a vodka-based cocktail will depend on what else has been mixed with the spirit. However, given that each serving of 80-proof vodka contains less than 100 calories, it can be a smarter option than wine or beer.

Like the macronutrients protein, carbohydrates and fat, alcohol contains calories — the difference is that alcohol isn't a nutrient, since your body doesn't require it to stay alive. All vodka, as well as all other types of liquor, contains 7 calories per gram of alcohol. It doesn't contain any carbohydrates, including sugar or fiber, or fat.

However, the actual number of calories in a bottle of vodka depends on what proof it is, a term that refers to the percentage of alcohol in the spirit. Stolichnaya's standard vodka is 80 proof, which means its 40-percent alcohol. A standard serving of vodka is 1.5 ounces, which means that each serving contains 96 calories.

Some brands of vodka, including Stolichnaya, also make and sell 100-proof vodka. Because there's more alcohol in higher-proof vodka — 100-proof vodka is 50 percent alcohol — each 1.5-ounce serving contains 124 calories.

Read more: Where Do the Calories in Vodka Come From?

In addition to its 75-, 80- and 100-proof regular vodka, Stolichnaya Vodka offers a line of 80-proof flavored vodkas that includes cucumber, blueberry, orange, raspberry, vanilla, strawberry, citrus, peach, hot pepper and salted caramel.

Flavored vodka is typically made by extracting the desired taste and infusing it into high-proof vodka, then redistilling, filtering and diluted the product, though some brands use chemical flavors or fragrances. Check the vodka to see if it's labeled "naturally flavored" or "artificially flavored."

No matter which way the vodka is infused, the process does not add any extra calories. Therefore, flavored Stolichnaya vodka still contains 96 calories in a 1.5-ounce serving.

Stolichnaya also sells Stoli Crushed, a beverage that mixes 60-proof Stolichnaya vodka with mango, pineapple or grapefruit fruit juice. Because it's not just vodka, these bottles contain more calories than the typical bottle of vodka.

However, the regulatory department that oversees the alcohol industry, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, doesn't require distilled spirits to have a nutritional label on the bottle, and Stolichnaya hasn't released the number of calories in its Stoli Crushed line.

Although vodka itself contains calories, the bigger issue often arises when the spirit is mixed with high-calorie, sugary beverages. Choose zero- or low-calorie mixers if you're trying to cut back, but keep in mind that even low-calorie mixers can add up if you're drinking a lot.

• Zero-calorie mixers: Club soda, diet soda, diet tonic water
  
• Mixers with 20 calories or fewer per serving: Light cranberry juice, sugar-free energy drinks (such as Red Bull), vegetable juice (such as V8)
• Mixers with 21 calories or more per serving: Bloody Mary Mix (50 calories), soda (80 to 100 calories), tonic water (90 calories), energy drinks (100 to 140 calories), orange juice (110 calories), cranberry juice (130 calories), margarita mix (220 calories), sweet and sour mix (220 calories)

A number of cocktails contain more than one mixer, so those calorie counts will be even higher. Take, for example, a Cosmopolitan cocktail: It's made with vodka, but also Cointreau, an orange-flavored liqueur, as well as lime juice and cranberry juice, all of which will add calories in varying amounts to the final drink, which can total 145 calories or higher.

Read more: Are There Any Health Benefits to Vodka?