Beware of High-Calorie Alcoholic Drinks

Quick Win

Liquid calories go down easy, but they add up. Knowing the calorie counts of alcoholic beverages can help you make informed choices.

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• Know the basics. A 5-ounce serving of wine is about 125 calories, while a 12-ounce serving of beer can be anywhere from 103 calories to more than 300 calories, with high-alcohol and craft beers being more caloric. As for liquor such as gin, vodka, whiskey or rum, a 1.5-ounce serving is 97–116 calories.
• Do the math. It’s easy to drink more than a serving, whether you’re at a restaurant or at home. There may be 153 calories in a 12-oz. can of beer, but if you opt for a pint — 16 ounces — that’s an additional 4 ounces’ worth of calories.
• Watch out for sweet cocktails. Syrups and mixers — and the delicious cocktails made from them — can be very high in calories. A chocolate martini, for instance, may contain more than 400 calories and a piña colada more than 500.

Why

Besides other health harms linked to drinking, the extra calories can contribute to obesity, which is the number one modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, according to a study analyzing responses to the U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, reported in 2022 in JAMA.