Does vodka have calories in it?

With vodka being a drink that is widely consumed in bars, clubs, restaurants and homes all around the world, it is no surprise that many people find themselves asking does vodka have calories in it? This article is going to provide a simple, yet thorough, answer to all of those wondering whether this is the case, and no doubt hopeful that just because it looks a bit like water, that perhaps it is similar in that it has a zero calorie content.

Are there calories in vodka?

Well let’s get straight to the point here and disappoint a few readers in saying yes vodka does have calories in it, and the higher the percentage of vodka that you drink, the more calories that it contains. Just because it looks clear and harmless like water, does not mean that the two liquids have anything else in common, the similarities abruptly stop right there. In fact considering the small quantities that vodka is consumed in, the shot for instance, it is actually something that is incredibly high in calories.

Alcohol is pure ethanol, and ethanol is carbohydrate, which in turn is calories. People do not get fat from the sugar in alcoholic beverages, they get fat from the alcohol. Vodka has a high alcohol content, so this is why it is so high in calories.

How many calories are in a shot of vodka?


Most people will find that they drink vodka by the short, either on it’s own or with a mixer like coke or lemonade in a short.

* In a 1.5 fl oz shot of 40% alch / 80% proof vodka, there are 56 calories.

* In a 1.5 fl oz shot of 50% alch / 100% proof vodka, there are 154 calories.

As you can see for such a small amount of liquid, this is a high number of calories, and this is mainly due to the alcohol content of the vodka. Just by stepping up the proof from 80% to 100% you are more than doubling the vodka calories that you are consuming.

When you add a mixer to the equation this increases the calories vodka drinks contain even more.

* A single 40% alch vodka and dash of coke is 99 calories.

There is no escaping the fact that vodka is something with a very high calorific value, and unlike the foods that you eat, it does not have any positives to go with it such as nutritional content.

A tip on enjoying your vodka chilled

So you now know that vodka does contain calories, and also how many, but is this going to prevent you from drinking it? Perhaps it might stop you from drinking as much of it, but altogether, I highly doubt it. Here is a quick tip for those that do enjoy their vodka though.

* The average home freezer is not cold enough to freeze vodka, so you can keep a bottle in there to make it nice and chilled. This prevents the need to use ice in order to make your vodka cold, something that will only reduce the taste by watering it down as it melts.



Does all alcohol contain calories?

Just in case you were wondering if there were any other types of alcohol that don’t contain any calories, there aren’t. Some light beers contained significantly reduced amounts of calories, but that is as close as you are going to get to a zero calorie alcohol I’m afraid. So whether it is wine, whiskey, beer, vodka or cider that make up your tipple, you are always going to be adding to the total calories that you are consuming, which can be very had news for anybody on a calorie counting diet.

Here are some examples:

* A 1.5 ml shot of 40% vodka contains 56 calories

* In a glass of Merlot wine there are 122 calories

* In a glass of Pinot Grigio there are 122 calorie

* A 12 fl oz bottle of Coors light has 102 calories

* A pint of Guinness draft contains 168 calories

* In a pint of strongbow cider there are 207 calories

As you can see, whichever alcohol that you like to indulge in, there are is always a price to pay as far as the calories that you will be consuming goes. There is no escaping the fact that if you drink a lot of alcohol on a regular basis, you will end up gaining weight, on top of the many other negative effects that this will have on your health.

Summary

So there you have it, there are loads of calories in vodka, and all other alcoholic beverages for that matter. You can reduce the calories in a vodka short by having a diet mixer, but it still doesn’t take away the fact that the majority of the calories in any vodka drink come from the alcohol itself.

You can help yourself by drinking a lower proof vodka, but even still if you are drinking a lot of it you are taking on board a great deal of calories that will contribute to not only weight gain, but various adverse health conditions.

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