Spirits are the simplest alcoholic drink to estimate calories for, because the math is largely driven by ABV alone. The differences between vodka, gin, rum, tequila, and whisky at matched alcohol content are mostly flavour, not meaningful calorie variation. The complications come from mixers, which can multiply the calorie load substantially. This article gives you the per-spirit numbers, the mixer math, and how to think about cocktail calories built on spirits. This article is part of our Alcohol Calories hub, the complete guide to how alcoholic drinks fit into a calorie-aware diet.
This article covers UK pub measures (25ml) and US shot sizes (1.5oz / 44ml) primarily.
# The quick formula
For pure spirits at 40% ABV (the standard for most vodka, gin, whisky, rum, tequila):
Calories per ml ≈ 2.3
A 25ml UK pub measure: 56-58 calories. A 35ml UK measure (some venues): 80 calories. A 50ml UK double: 115 calories. A US 1.5oz shot (44ml): 100 calories. A US 2oz pour (59ml): 135 calories.
For higher-ABV spirits:
Calories per ml ≈ ABV × 0.06
So a 50% ABV cask-strength whisky: 50 × 0.06 = 3 calories per ml. A 25ml pour: 75 calories.
The formula isn’t perfect at extremes but is accurate within 5% for normal-strength spirits.
# By spirit type
# Vodka
Standard vodka (40% ABV):
- 25ml UK pub measure: 56 calories
- 35ml: 78 calories
- 50ml double: 113 calories
- 1.5oz US shot: 100 calories
Higher-strength vodka (50% ABV): 25ml = 70 calories, 50ml = 140 calories.
Flavoured vodkas: typically 35-40% ABV. The flavouring usually doesn’t add measurable calories unless the flavour is sweet (vanilla, caramel, fruit liqueurs). Add 5-15 calories per shot for sweetened flavoured varieties.
Vodka brands at standard 40% ABV (Smirnoff, Absolut, Grey Goose, Stoli) are essentially identical in calorie content. The “premium” branding doesn’t translate to higher calories.
# Gin
Standard gin (37.5-40% ABV):
- 25ml at 40%: 56 calories
- 25ml at 37.5%: 52 calories
- 50ml double at 40%: 113 calories
Navy-strength gin (54-57% ABV): 25ml = 78 calories. Less common but worth noting for craft gin drinkers.
Sloe gin: usually 25-28% ABV with added sugar. About 60-70 calories per 25ml from the sweetener plus the alcohol.
The botanicals used to flavour gin don’t add meaningful calories. London Dry, Plymouth, contemporary craft gins, all sit at the standard 56 calories per 25ml at 40%.
# Whisky
Scotch whisky (40-46% ABV typically):
- 25ml at 40%: 56 calories
- 25ml at 43%: 60 calories
- 25ml at 46%: 64 calories
Bourbon and American whiskey (40-50% ABV):
- 25ml at 40%: 56 calories
- 25ml at 45%: 63 calories
- 25ml at 50%: 70 calories
Cask-strength whisky (50-65% ABV): 25ml at 60% = 84 calories.
Japanese whisky (40-43% ABV typically): Same as Scotch at matched ABV.
Irish whiskey (40-46% ABV): Same as Scotch at matched ABV.
The age, region, and production method affect flavour but not calorie content. A 12-year-old Speyside, a peated Islay, and a Tennessee bourbon at the same ABV have effectively identical calorie counts.
# Rum
White rum (37.5-40% ABV): 52-56 calories per 25ml. Aged rum (40-43% ABV): 56-60 calories per 25ml. Spiced rum (35-40% ABV): 49-56 calories per 25ml. The spicing usually doesn’t add calories unless sweetened. Overproof rum (57-75% ABV): 80-105 calories per 25ml. Dark rum: similar to aged rum at matched ABV.
The “rum” category includes some explicitly sweetened products (Captain Morgan Original Spiced has added sugar; some flavoured rums add 5-15 calories per shot from sweeteners).
# Tequila
Blanco/silver tequila (40% ABV typical): 56 calories per 25ml. Reposado (40% ABV): 56 calories per 25ml. Añejo (40% ABV): 56 calories per 25ml. Extra Añejo (40-45% ABV): 56-63 calories per 25ml. Mezcal (40-50% ABV): 56-70 calories per 25ml.
Like other spirits, tequila’s calorie content is driven by ABV, not by the agave variety, ageing, or production region.
# Brandy and cognac
Standard brandy (40-43% ABV): 56-60 calories per 25ml. Cognac (40% ABV): 56 calories per 25ml. Armagnac (40-46% ABV): 56-64 calories per 25ml.
# Liqueurs (lower-ABV, sweetened)
Liqueurs sit in a different category because they’re usually 15-30% ABV and contain substantial sugar. Calorie counts run higher per ml than spirits despite lower alcohol content:
- Baileys Irish Cream (17% ABV, sweetened, cream-based): 130-140 cal per 50ml
- Aperol (11% ABV, sweet): 60-70 cal per 50ml
- Campari (20-28% ABV, bitter, sweetened): 70-90 cal per 50ml
- Triple Sec / Cointreau (40% ABV, sweetened): 100-110 cal per 25ml
- Amaretto (28% ABV, sweet): 85-95 cal per 25ml
- Kahlua (20% ABV, very sweet): 90-100 cal per 25ml
- Sambuca (38% ABV, sweet): 75-85 cal per 25ml
- Limoncello (28-32% ABV, sweet): 85-95 cal per 25ml
These calorie counts assume standard recipes; products vary substantially.
# The mixer math
The spirit calorie count is a baseline. Mixers can add 0-200 calories to a drink:
# Low-calorie mixers (under 30 cal per typical pour)
- Soda water: 0 cal
- Diet tonic / slimline tonic: 4-10 cal per 150ml
- Diet Coke / Coke Zero: 1-2 cal per 200ml
- Sugar-free squash: 5-15 cal
- Lime juice (small amount): 5-10 cal
- Lemon juice (small amount): 5-10 cal
# Medium-calorie mixers (30-90 cal)
- Tonic water (regular): 80-90 cal per 150ml
- Coca-Cola: 90-100 cal per 200ml
- Sprite / 7-Up: 80-90 cal per 200ml
- Ginger ale: 70-90 cal per 200ml
- Bitter lemon: 90-100 cal per 200ml
- Cranberry juice (light): 60-80 cal per 100ml
# High-calorie mixers (90-200 cal)
- Tomato juice: 70 cal per 200ml (lower than expected)
- Orange juice: 90-100 cal per 100ml
- Apple juice: 100-110 cal per 100ml
- Cranberry juice (regular): 100-110 cal per 100ml
- Pineapple juice: 130-140 cal per 200ml
- Cream of coconut (for piña colada): 200+ cal per 50ml
- Premixed sweet mixers: 100-200 cal per serving
# Common spirit drinks: total calorie counts
- Vodka soda (25ml vodka + soda water + lime): 56-65 cal
- Gin and slimline tonic (25ml gin + 150ml diet tonic): 60-70 cal
- Vodka Diet Coke (25ml vodka + 200ml): 57-58 cal
- Gin and tonic (25ml gin + 150ml regular tonic): 140-150 cal
- Whisky and Coke (25ml whisky + 200ml Coke): 145-150 cal
- Rum and Coke (25ml rum + 200ml Coke): 145-150 cal
- Tequila and lime juice (25ml + 30ml lime): 65-70 cal
- Mojito (50ml rum + sugar + lime + mint + soda): 200-250 cal
- Margarita (50ml tequila + 30ml triple sec + 30ml lime): 250-300 cal
- Old Fashioned (60ml whiskey + sugar + bitters): 200-220 cal
- Negroni (30ml gin + 30ml Campari + 30ml vermouth): 230-280 cal
# Why home pours change everything
The UK pub measure is 25ml. The standard US shot is 1.5oz (44ml). Home pours are typically 50-80ml.
Same drink at different pours:
- 25ml whisky + ice: 56 cal
- 50ml home pour whisky + ice: 113 cal
- 75ml generous home pour: 170 cal
People who count “a whisky” without specifying volume usually pour 2-3x the pub measure at home. The calorie math doubles or triples accordingly.
For accurate tracking, measuring your home pour once gives you the actual size. Then either keep pouring that amount or pour the standard measure.
# Practical implications
For people watching calories who drink spirits:
# Spirits are calorie-efficient if you avoid sweet mixers
A vodka soda or gin and slimline tonic has fewer calories than nearly any wine, beer, or cocktail. For drinkers prioritising calorie efficiency, the spirit + low-calorie mixer combination wins.
# Cocktail calories scale with sugar more than alcohol
The cocktail category varies from 100 calories (vodka soda) to 700+ calories (large frozen margarita). The spirit content is similar across most cocktails; the sugar content drives the variation.
# Liqueurs are heavier than they seem
The 25-30% ABV combined with substantial sugar makes liqueurs surprisingly calorie-dense. Cream liqueurs particularly. A double Baileys is roughly equivalent to a regular Coca-Cola in calorie content.
# Be honest about home pours
Most drinkers underestimate home spirit pours by 50-100%. A “single whisky at home” is rarely actually a single. Tracking accurately requires measuring or recording the actual pour size.
# Strong spirits are not “lower calorie”
Cask-strength whisky has more calories per ml than standard whisky because it has more alcohol per ml. The “I drink it neat so it’s healthier” framing doesn’t apply when the spirit itself is stronger.
# How AlcoLog handles spirit calories
AlcoLog’s catalogue includes major spirits across vodka, gin, whisky, rum, tequila, brandy, and liqueur categories. Logging a spirit is one tap if in favourites or two taps from the catalogue. The size presets include 25ml, 35ml, 50ml double, 1.5oz US shot, 2oz US pour, and custom sizes.
For mixer drinks, the catalogue includes most common combinations (gin and tonic, vodka soda, whisky and Coke) with typical recipes. For custom drinks, you can add the spirit and the mixer separately or specify a custom drink.
The session-end summary shows total alcohol calories alongside drinks and units. The History view aggregates spirits separately so you can see whether your spirit-vs-other-drink ratio is changing over time.
