Special Report
28 Popular Alcoholic Cocktails That Won't Expand Your Waistline
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Indulging in festive alcoholic beverages can result in a wide range of calorie intake. What significantly increases the calorie content in many mixed drinks are the syrups, juices, and sodas that are commonly added. People often underestimate the quantity of these ingredients present in their cocktails.
Alcohol itself is a source of excess calories, but it’s not the sole factor contributing to potential weight gain. Alcohol can disrupt the body’s natural fat-burning processes.
While alcohol provides calories, it offers very few essential nutrients. The calories from alcohol are the first to be metabolized by the body, delaying the burning of fat, which typically occurs after carbohydrates and proteins have been used for energy. This can lead to additional fat storage.
Nonetheless, enjoying a happy hour doesn’t have to be detrimental to one’s diet.
To compile a list of alcoholic cocktails with the fewest calories, 24/7 Tempo first compiled a list of popular cocktails. Since the standard size of each cocktail varies, we ranked the cocktails based on their calorie per ounce ratio. We only included drinks with fewer than 50 calories per one ounce. To compare, alcohol often used in mixed drinks such as vodka, tequila, or gin, has about 65-75 calories per ounce, neat, on average.
We also calculated the amount of time it would take to burn off the calories consumed in each cocktail using the Omni calculator, with values based on a person weighing 150 pounds. Heavier individuals may expend calories more rapidly due to the increased energy required for certain activities.
Understanding the calorie content of one’s alcoholic beverages is crucial for avoiding weight gain and the potential negative health consequences associated with it. However, engaging in physical activity and expending energy is also vital for maintaining a healthy weight or shedding a few extra pounds. Here is how long you need to exercise to burn off the calories from your favorite foods.
Click here to see the alcoholic cocktails with the fewest calories
28. Long Island Iced Tea
> Calories per ounce: 48.4
> Total calories in Long Island Iced Tea: 218 in 4.5 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 48 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Vodka, tequila, light rum, gin, Coca-Cola
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27. Margarita
> Calories per ounce: 42.0
> Total calories in Margarita: 168 in 4 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 37 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice
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26. Whiskey sour
> Calories per ounce: 41.7
> Total calories in Whiskey sour: 125 in 3 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 27 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Bourbon, simple syrup, lemon juice (foamer)
25. Green apple martini
> Calories per ounce: 37.0
> Total calories in Green apple martini: 148 in 4 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 32 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Vodka, sour apple liqueur, lemon juice
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24. Mint Julep
> Calories per ounce: 36.7
> Total calories in Mint Julep: 165 in 4.5 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 36 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Bourbon, syrup, mint leaves, seltzer water
23. Hot buttered rum
> Calories per ounce: 36.5
> Total calories in Hot buttered rum: 292 in 8 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 64 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Spiced rum, brown sugar, cinnamon stick
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22. Sex on the Beach
> Calories per ounce: 35.8
> Total calories in Sex on the Beach: 179 in 5 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 39 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice, cranberry juice
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21. Tequila sunrise
> Calories per ounce: 34.1
> Total calories in Tequila sunrise: 232 in 6.8 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 51 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Tequila, orange juice, grenadine syrup
20. Dark N’ Stormy
> Calories per ounce: 31.3
> Total calories in Dark N’ Stormy: 172 in 5.5 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 38 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Ginger beer, dark rum, lime juice
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19. Manhattan
> Calories per ounce: 29.4
> Total calories in Manhattan: 206 in 7 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 45 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Rye whiskey, vermouth, sour cherries, angostura
18. Screwdriver
> Calories per ounce: 29.0
> Total calories in Screwdriver: 145 in 5 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 32 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Orange juice, vodka
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17. Moscow Mule
> Calories per ounce: 28.3
> Total calories in Moscow Mule: 212 in 7.5 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 46 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Vodka, lime juice, ginger beer
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16. Gin & Tonic
> Calories per ounce: 27.5
> Total calories in Gin & Tonic: 151 in 5.5 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 33 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Tonic, gin, lime juice
15. Vodka and tonic
> Calories per ounce: 27.0
> Total calories in Vodka and tonic: 189 in 7 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 41 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Tonic, vodka, lime juice
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14. Old-fashioned
> Calories per ounce: 26.2
> Total calories in Old-fashioned: 118 in 4.5 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 26 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Bourbon, sugar cube, orange twist
13. Bloody Mary
> Calories per ounce: 26.1
> Total calories in Bloody Mary: 120 in 4.6 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 26 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Spicy tomato juice, vodka, green olives, lime
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12. Cuba Libre
> Calories per ounce: 25.3
> Total calories in Cuba Libre: 190 in 7.5 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 41 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Coca-Cola, rum, lime
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11. Whiskey ginger
> Calories per ounce: 24.0
> Total calories in Whiskey ginger: 151 in 6.3 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 33 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Irish whiskey, ale, lime
10. Mojito
> Calories per ounce: 23.8
> Total calories in Mojito: 143 in 6 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 31 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Club soda, lime, white rum, mint leaves
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9. Paloma
> Calories per ounce: 23.7
> Total calories in Paloma: 166 in 7 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 36 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Tequila, grapefruit juice, sparkling water, lime juice
8. Rum and Coke
> Calories per ounce: 23.1
> Total calories in Rum and Coke: 185 in 8 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 40 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Light or dark rum, regular Coca-Cola
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7. Vodka & Red Bull
> Calories per ounce: 20.6
> Total calories in Vodka & Red Bull: 206 in 10 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 45 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Red Bull energy drink, vodka
6. Vodka soda
> Calories per ounce: 19.2
> Total calories in Vodka soda: 96 in 5 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 21 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Club soda, vodka, lemon
5. Spiced cider with rum
> Calories per ounce: 18.8
> Total calories in Spiced cider with rum: 150 in 8 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 33 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Apple cider, brown sugar, dark rum
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4. Mimosa
> Calories per ounce: 18.8
> Total calories in Mimosa: 75 in 4 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 16 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Champagne, orange juice
3. Scotch & Soda
> Calories per ounce: 18.3
> Total calories in Scotch & Soda: 128 in 7 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 28 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Club soda, scotch whiskey
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2. Highball
> Calories per ounce: 13.8
> Total calories in Highball: 110 in 8 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 24 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Whiskey, ginger ale, club soda
1. Rum and Diet Coke
> Calories per ounce: 12.5
> Total calories in Rum and Diet Coke: 100 in 8 oz.
> Time needed to burn off the calories: 22 mins of walking
> Main ingredients: Light or dark rum, diet Coca-Cola
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