Alcohol - How much are you drinking?

Did you know you can lose weight online, and access the CalorieKing.com.au Program (13 weeks of practical information on all aspects of weight control)? Learn more

Read more :

• 10 tips for sensible drinking
• Full-strength and mid-strength beer
• Premium and imported beers
• Alcoholic cider
• White and red wine (average)
• Champagne and sparkling wine
• Dark Spirits, Scotch / Whiskey / Rum
• White Spirits, Vodka/Gin
• Alcoholic pre-mixed cocktails (bottles)
• Alcoholic pre-mixed cocktails (bottles), 5-9% alcohol
• Alcoholic pre-mixed cocktails (cans)
• Popular mixed drinks (180 ml)
• Shooters, 1 shot (30 ml)
• Pre-mixed minis
• Liqueurs, single shot (30 ml)
• Non-alcoholic drinks, 250ml glass
• What is a standard drink?
• How much alcohol is too much?
• When not to drink

10 tips for sensible drinking

Allan Borushek, CalorieKing's leading dietitian and best-selling author, suggests these ten tips for planning ahead when you're going to be drinking alcohol.

1. Quench your thirst before you begin drinking alcohol by having a few glasses of water.
   
   
2. Have something healthy and filling to eat before you start drinking. Food slows the rate of alcohol absorption. Drinking on an empty stomach may also lessen your resolve to drink and eat sensibly.
   
   
3. Plan how much you are going to drink beforehand and stop when you've reached your limit.
   
   
4. Have a glass of water or diet soft drink between alcoholic drinks. Be prepared and take your own diet soft drink with you to parties and gatherings.
   
   
5. Compare the alcohol content of different drinks and select those with lower content. Look for low-calorie options - mix your drinks with diet soft drinks or choose light beer instead of full-strength beer.
   
   
6. Ask for half shots (15 ml) of spirits, such as whiskey, vodka and gin.
   
   
7. Slow down your rate of drinking. Sculling or drinking quickly is the major cause of illness and death from alcohol poisoning.
   
   
8. Avoid drinking in "rounds" or "shouts" - drink at your own pace.
   
   
9. If you know you're likely to be peer-pressured into drinking more than you want to, prepare a few handy replies in advance. Try "No thanks, I'm driving" or "Sorry but I don't drink alcohol" or "I can't, I'm taking a medication that interacts with alcohol".
   
   
10. Have a couple of glasses of water before you go to bed.

Full-strength and mid-strength beer

Full-strength beer

	Cals	kJ	Carbs (g)	Alcohol (g)
200 ml glass	75	320	5	8
285 ml glass (middie)	105	440	7	11
375 ml stubbie	140	590	9	15
530 ml pint	200	840	13	21
800 ml bottle	300	1280	20	32

 

Mid-strength beer

	Cals	kJ	Carbs (g)	Alcohol (g)
200 ml glass	55	230	4	5.5
285 ml glass (middie)	80	330	7	7
375 ml stubbie	103	430	8	10
530 ml pint	145	610	12	14

Note: Beer has no fat.

Premium and imported beers

 

 

	Cals	kJ	Carbs (g)	Alcohol (g)
Heineken, 5%, 330 ml	130	545	10	13
Steinlager, 5%, 330 ml	130	545	10	13
Stella Artois, 5%, 330 ml	144	600	13	13
Toohey's Extra Dry, 5%, 345 ml	145	605	10	15
Crown Lager, 4.9%, 375 ml	150	630	11	15

Note: Beer has no fat.

Alcoholic cider

 

 

	Cals	kJ	Carbs (g)	Alcohol (g)
Strongbow Dry, 5%, 375 ml	145	605	10	15
Strongbow Original, 5%, 375 ml	190	800	17	15
Strongbow Sweet, 5%, 375 ml	220	920	29	15

Note: Cider has no fat.

White and red wine (average)

 

	Cals	kJ	Carbs (g)	Alcohol (g)
Small serve, 100 ml	75	315	1	10
Medium serve, 150 ml	115	475	2	15
1/2 Bottle, 375 ml	280	1170	7	35
1 Bottle, 750 ml	560	2340	14	70

Note: Wine has no fat.

Champagne and sparkling wine

 

	Cals	kJ	Carbs (g)	Alcohol (g)
Champagne - 1 glass, 120ml	85	355	2	11
Sparkling wine - 1 glass, 120ml	120	500	14	9

Note: Champagne and sparking wine have no fat.

Dark Spirits, Scotch / Whiskey / Rum

 

	Cals	kJ	Alcohol (g)
30ml, 1 shot	66	280	10
60ml, 2 shots	130	550	19
700 ml bottle	1540	6450	220

Note: Spirits have no carbohydrates or fat.

White Spirits, Vodka/Gin

 

 

	Cals	kJ	Alcohol (g)
30ml, 1 shot	63	265	9
60ml, 2 shots	126	530	18
700 ml bottle	1470	6140	210

Note: Spirits have no carbohydrates or fat.

Alcoholic pre-mixed cocktails (bottles)

 

	Cals	kJ	Carbs (g)	Alcohol (g)
Skyy Vodka, Lime & Soda, 4.8%, 275ml	150	630	19	11
Bacardi Breezer, 5.6%, 275ml	160	670	19	12
Vodka Mudshake, 4%, 270ml	200	835	28	11
Archers, Schnapps, 5%, 275ml	200	835	28	11
Archers Schnapps Spri (lemon) (less Sugar), 5%, 275 ml	150	635	14	12
Cointreau, Lime & Soda, 5%, 300ml	200	840	29	12
Illusion (Midori), 5%, 275ml	200	840	30	11
Vodka Cruiser, 5%, 330ml	210	880	30	13
Smirnoff Ice (Red), 5%, 335ml	210	880	30	13
Smirnoff Ice (Black), 7%, 335ml	230	960	26	18
Ruski (Lemon), 5%, 300ml	220	920	34	12

Note: These drinks contain no fat.

Alcoholic pre-mixed cocktails (bottles), 5-9% alcohol

 

 

	Cals	kJ	Carbs (g)	Alcohol (g)
Malibu Chill, 5%, 275 ml	185	775	27	11
Canadian Club, 5%, 330 ml	195	815	26	13
Woody Blue, 6%, 275 ml	205	860	28	13
Wild Turkey & Dry, 8.4%, 340 ml	270	1130	27	23

Note: These drinks contain no fat.

Alcoholic pre-mixed cocktails (cans)

 

	Cals	kJ	Carbs (g)	Alcohol (g)
Southern Comfort & Cola, 5%, 375ml	250	1050	36	15
UDL Vodka & Lime, 5%, 375ml	255	1045	37	15
Jim Beam & Cola, 5.5%, 375ml	265	1110	36	17
Bundaberg Rum & Cola, 6%, 375ml	275	1150	37	18
Jack Daniel's & Cola, 7%, 375ml	280	1170	33	21
Woodstock Bourbon & Cola, 5%, 440ml	295	1230	42	18

Note: These drinks contain no fat.

 

 

Popular mixed drinks (180 ml)

 

	Cals	kJ	Carbs (g)	Alcohol (g)
Gin & Tonic	110	460	10	10
Midori & Lemonade	110	460	10	10
Scotch/Bourbon/Rum & Coke	120	500	12	10
Kaluha & Milk	170	710	16	7
Cocktails (140 ml)	Cals	kJ	Carbs (g)	Alcohol (g)
Margarita	110	460	11	15
Cosmopolitan	150	630	11	15
Daiquiri	180	750	10	20
Pina Colada	210	880	13	15

Shooters, 1 shot (30 ml)

 

 

	Cals	kJ	Carbs (g)	Alcohol (g)
Blood Bath	80	335	6	8
Wet Dream	90	375	10	7
B 52	100	420	16	5
Flaming Lamborghini	100	420	7	10

Pre-mixed minis

 

	Cals	kJ	Carbs (g)	Alcohol (g)
Baileys Minis, 17%, 70 ml	220	920	11	10
Baileys Glide, 4%, 200 ml	210	880	30	7
Kahlua and Milk, 5.5%, 200 ml	275	1150	20	9

Liqueurs, single shot (30 ml)

 

	Cals	kJ	Carbs (g)	Alcohol (g)
Marsala, 18%	75	315	10	5
Frangelico, 24%	80	335	9	6
Midori Melon, 21%	80	335	9	6
Kahlua, 27%	90	380	10	7
Tia Maria, 32%	90	375	9	8
Baileys Irish Cream, 17% (with 5g of fat)	95	400	5	4
Cointreau, 40%	100	420	7	10
Southern Comfort, 50%	120	500	9	12

Non-alcoholic drinks, 250ml glass

 

	Cals	kJ	Carbs (g)
Dry ginger ale	75	310	19
Coke	154	645	38
Diet Coke	1	5	0
Orange Juice	95	400	23
Lemonade	105	440	26
Lemon Lime & Bitters	108	450	27
Schweppes Lemon	53	220	13
Lemon Squash	115	480	29
Bitter Lemon	132	550	33
Red Bull, 250 ml can	120	500	30

Note: Don't forget that non-alcoholic drinks such as soft drinks, fruit juices and energy drinks do have calories, so if you are watching your weight then choose water, unflavoured sparkling mineral water or low joule drinks.

What is a standard drink?

A simple way to keep control of your alcohol intake is to track the number of standard drinks you consume. In Australia, the labels of packaged alcoholic drinks must state the number of standard drinks per container. 1 standard drink is 10g alcohol content.

Standard Drink Guide
	Number of standard drinks
Full strength beer (4.9%) - 285 ml glass	1.1
Mid strength beer (3.5%) - 375 ml can	1
Light beer (2.7%) - 375 ml can	0.8
Wine (12.5%) - 150 ml glass	1.5
Port/Sherry (20%) - 60 ml glass	1
Spirits (40%) - 30 ml shot	1
Pre-mixed Spirits (5%) - 300 ml bottle	1.2

How much alcohol is too much?

Low-risk drinking is currently defined by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing as:

• Men - Up to 4 standard drinks (40g alcohol) per day on average, and no more than 6 standard drinks on any one day 
• Women - Up to 2 standard drinks (20g alcohol) per day on average, and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day 
• Everyone should have 1 or 2 alcohol-free days per week

You cannot "save" daily drinks for one occasion. Binge drinking is particularly harmful. Males should not exceed 6 drinks in one session, or 4 drinks in one session for females.

When not to drink

It is not advisable to drink at all if you:

• Are pregnant or trying to conceive
• Are taking drugs or medication (unless approved by your doctor or pharmacist)
• Have a condition such as liver or heart disease
• Are planning to drive, operate machinery, swim or play sport

Adolescents are more prone to alcohol's ill-affects, due to their lower body weight, smaller livers and lesser capacity to metabolise alcohol.

For some people safe drinking will mean no alcohol at all. Even one drink may impair driving skills, particularly if you are tired. 

Related articles :

• The CalorieKing Alcohol Guide

Related links :

• Australian Alcohol Guidelines

Last updated: July 27th, 2006