Alcohol Calorie Calculator

Calculate the calories in beer, wine, cocktails, and spirits. See how alcohol fits your daily budget, how long to burn it off, and a full drinks calorie chart. Updated .

Quick pick

🍺 Regular Beer 🍷 Red Wine 🥃 Vodka Shot 🍹 Margarita ⚙ Custom ABV

Drink Type

Number of Drinks

Your Daily Calorie Budget

Used to calculate % of daily calories

Your Weight (lbs)

Used to calculate burn time

% of daily calorie budget —

Total Cals

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all drinks

Per Drink

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calories each

Daily Budget

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% used

Walk to Burn

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minutes

Tap any drink to load it into the calculator.

🍺 Beer

Drink	Serving	ABV	Calories	Carbs
Ultra Light Beer	12 oz	3.2%	95	2.6g
Light Beer (Bud Light, etc.)	12 oz	4.2%	103	6.6g
Regular Beer (Budweiser)	12 oz	5.0%	145	10.6g
IPA / Craft Beer	12 oz	6.5%	200	14g
Stout / Porter	12 oz	5.0%	170	14g
Strong Ale / Double IPA	12 oz	8.0%	265	20g

🍷 Wine

Drink	Serving	ABV	Calories	Carbs
Prosecco / Champagne	5 oz	11%	120	2g
White Wine (dry)	5 oz	12%	125	4g
Rosé	5 oz	12%	125	5g
Red Wine	5 oz	13%	135	3.8g
Dessert Wine / Port	3.5 oz	18%	165	14g

🥃 Spirits (1.5 oz shot)

Drink	Serving	ABV	Calories	Carbs
Vodka 80-proof	1.5 oz	40%	97	0g
Gin 80-proof	1.5 oz	40%	97	0g
Rum 80-proof	1.5 oz	40%	97	0g
Tequila 80-proof	1.5 oz	40%	97	0g
Whiskey / Bourbon 80-proof	1.5 oz	40%	105	0g
Brandy / Cognac	1.5 oz	40%	98	0g
100-proof Spirits	1.5 oz	50%	124	0g

🍸 Cocktails

Drink	Serving	Calories	Level
Vodka Soda	8 oz	100	Low
Gin & Tonic	8 oz	170	Med
Bloody Mary	10 oz	130	Low
Mojito	8 oz	170	Med
Whiskey Sour	4 oz	160	Med
Margarita	6 oz	200	High
Cosmopolitan	4 oz	215	High
Espresso Martini	4 oz	230	High
Pina Colada	9 oz	490	Very High
Long Island Iced Tea	8 oz	275	Very High

See how long different activities take to burn off the calories from your drinks. Based on the total from Tab 1.

Total Calories to Burn

Body Weight (lbs)

🔥 Calories Burned per Hour by Activity

ℹ️ Calorie burn rates are approximate and vary by fitness level, age, and intensity. Values based on a 160 lb person — the calculator adjusts for your weight.

Calories in Alcohol — Complete Guide ()

Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram — nearly twice as many as carbohydrates or protein (4 cal/g), and close to fat (9 cal/g). These are sometimes called "empty calories" because alcohol provides no nutritional value. A typical night of drinking can add 300–1,000+ calories to your intake without any feeling of fullness, making alcohol one of the most underestimated factors in weight management.

Why Alcohol Calories Are Different

Your body processes alcohol differently from food. When you drink, your liver prioritizes metabolizing alcohol before anything else — essentially pausing fat burning until the alcohol is cleared. This means the calories from food you eat while drinking are more likely to be stored as fat. Additionally, alcohol stimulates appetite and lowers inhibitions around food choices, further increasing total calorie intake on nights when you drink.

Calorie Content by Drink Type

Category	Typical Serving	Calories	Carbs	Notes
Light Beer	12 fl oz	95–110	3–7g	Lowest calorie beer option
Regular Beer	12 fl oz	140–160	10–14g	Most common lagers/ales
Craft/IPA Beer	12 fl oz	170–250	14–20g	Higher ABV = more calories
White Wine	5 fl oz	120–130	4–5g	Dry wines have fewer carbs
Red Wine	5 fl oz	125–140	3–5g	Similar to white wine
Spirits (80-proof)	1.5 fl oz	95–105	0g	No carbs, pure ethanol cals
Cocktails	varies	100–490	varies	Mixers add significant calories
Hard Seltzer	12 fl oz	90–110	2–3g	Similar to light beer

How to Calculate Alcohol Calories

The formula for calculating calories from alcohol is: Calories = Volume (oz) × ABV% × 1.6. This works because ethanol contains 7 calories per gram, and there are approximately 0.816g of ethanol per ml. For a 12 oz beer at 5% ABV: 12 × 5 × 1.6 = 96 calories from alcohol alone. Add in carbohydrates from malt and adjuncts, and a regular beer reaches about 145 calories total.

Low-Calorie Drinking Strategies

If you want to enjoy alcohol while managing calories, the lowest-calorie options are: spirits with zero-calorie mixers (vodka soda, whiskey and diet cola), dry wines, and light beers. Avoid: sugary cocktails, dessert wines, creamy drinks, and high-ABV craft beers. A single pina colada (490 calories) has as many calories as a full meal. Alternating alcoholic drinks with water also slows consumption and reduces total intake.

How many calories are in a glass of wine?

A standard 5 fl oz glass of wine contains 120–140 calories depending on the type and ABV. Dry white wines (sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio) typically have 120–125 calories per glass. Dry red wines (cabernet, merlot, pinot noir) have 125–135 calories. Sweet wines and dessert wines have significantly more — port wine can have 165+ calories per 3.5 oz serving due to residual sugar. Restaurant pours are often 6–8 oz, meaning a "glass of wine" could be 150–200 calories.

How many calories are in a beer?

A standard 12 oz regular beer (like Budweiser or Coors) contains 140–160 calories. Light beers like Bud Light or Miller Lite have 95–110 calories. Craft beers and IPAs range from 170–250 calories for a 12 oz can, with some double IPAs or imperial stouts reaching 300+ calories. Hard seltzers are comparable to light beers at 90–110 calories per 12 oz.

Do spirits have carbs?

Pure distilled spirits — vodka, gin, rum, tequila, whiskey, and brandy — contain zero carbohydrates. All the calories come from ethanol. An 80-proof (40% ABV) spirit has about 97 calories per 1.5 oz shot with 0g carbs. This makes spirits the preferred choice for people following low-carb or ketogenic diets. However, cocktails made with spirits often add significant carbs through juice, syrups, liqueurs, and mixers.

Why does alcohol make you gain weight?

Alcohol contributes to weight gain through several mechanisms. First, it provides 7 calories per gram with no nutritional value. Second, your liver prioritizes metabolizing alcohol over fat, effectively pausing fat oxidation while you drink. Third, alcohol stimulates appetite (the "aperitif effect") and reduces willpower around food choices. Fourth, alcohol disrupts sleep quality, and poor sleep is strongly associated with increased appetite and weight gain. Collectively, these effects make regular drinking one of the most significant but underappreciated factors in weight management.

What is the lowest calorie alcoholic drink?

The lowest calorie options are: vodka soda (about 100 calories), light beer (95–110 calories per 12 oz), hard seltzer (90–110 calories), and a single shot of any 80-proof spirit (97 calories). A gin and tonic has about 170 calories — the tonic water adds significant calories. Swapping regular tonic for diet tonic saves about 60 calories per drink. Dry wine at a standard 5 oz pour is also relatively low at 120–135 calories.

How long does it take to burn off alcohol calories?

The time needed to burn alcohol calories depends on the activity and your body weight. For a 160 lb person: a regular beer (145 cal) takes about 35 minutes of walking, 15 minutes of jogging, or 20 minutes of cycling. A pina colada (490 cal) would require over 2 hours of walking or 50 minutes of running. Use the Burn It Off tab above to calculate exact burn times based on your weight and the specific drinks you had.