Vodka is a great drink of choice if you’re on a diet. It is relatively low calorie when compared with other liquors, and it has zero carbs. However, not all vodkas are created equal. Some flavored vodkas have added sugar or other ingredients, upping the calories and the carb content.
There are a few other things to keep in mind when selecting a vodka to enjoy on a night out. Just because a drink is made with vodka doesn’t mean it’s low-calorie. Some mixed drinks made with sugary juices can have around 500 or 600 calories. Having a few of these cocktails can push you way over your daily calorie goal.
Being on a diet definitely doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. In this article, we’ll break down how many calories are in different types of vodka, teach you what to avoid when looking for a low-calorie drink, and we’ll even give you come diet-friendly vodka cocktail recipes.
How Many Calories Are In One Shot Of Pure Vodka?
The calorie count of pure vodka depends on the proof. The proof refers to the percent of alcohol in liquor. You find that percentage by dividing the proof in half. For example, 100 proof vodka is 50% alcohol, 80 proof vodka is 40% alcohol, and so on.
The higher the proof, the higher the calories, and the larger the effect will be on your blood alcohol content. A 1.5 ounce shot of vodka contains:
- 85 calories for 70 proof vodka
- 96 calories for 80 proof vodka
- 110 calories for 90 proof vodka
- 124 calories for 100 proof vodka
Not too high in calories, right? Especially when compared to wine and beer. Vodka also has zero carbs, making it a great choice for those following low-carb diets, like Atkins.
Does flavored vodka have more calories?
Flavored vodkas can taste amazing and can make your drink delicious without the need for sugary mixers. But does a flavored vodka have more calories? Well, it all depends on how the flavoring is added.
Some brands infuse their vodka with flavor, whether that is natural or artificial. Popular flavorings include lemon, coconut, watermelon, cucumber, vanilla, and cinnamon. If the flavor is infused, usually this means there are no extra calories added.
However, some vodka brands add sugary syrups that they add after the fermentation and distilling process. These products will contain more calories than pure vodka or infused vodka.
When shopping for a bottle, read the label and look for the word “infused.” This usually means the flavoring is incorporated into the distilling process and not added afterward. Also, check the calorie count on the label. If the calories appear higher than other brands with the same proof, it probably has sugary flavoring added.
Flavor-infused vodkas
These brands are flavor-infused and don’t have more calories than regular vodka does.
- Ketel One Botanical Peach And Orange Blossom: With only 73 calories for a 1.5-ounce shot, this vodka is a great choice for dieters. The alcohol content is a bit lower, coming in at 60 proof. The taste of this vodka is light and fresh, with notes of juicy white peach and orange blossom. Ketel One also makes Cucumber and Mint, and Grapefruit and Rose flavors in this line.
- Absolut Raspberry Vodka: The raspberry flavored variety from Absolut is 98 calories and 80 proof, right on target for the usual calories in a pure vodka. It has a sweet, fresh, and fruity flavor and is made with real raspberries and no added sugar.
- Smirnoff Zero Sugar Infusions Strawberry and Rose: For a 1.5 oz shot, Smirnoff Zero Sugar has only 72 calories. At 60 proof, it’s right on target. The strawberry and rose flavor is delicate and lightly sweet, infused with fresh strawberries and light rose petals. Smirnoff also makes zero sugar varieties in other flavors, like Watermelon and Mint, and Cucumber and Lime.
Does drinking vodka affect weight loss?
As long as you stay within your daily calorie limits, drinking any type of vodka shouldn’t affect weight loss. However, it should be noted that liquor can interfere with our body’s fat-burning process. Normally, our liver breaks down fats, but when spirits present, the body prefers to break that down first. Your body will work to metabolize your drinks and won’t be able to use the food you’ve eaten for energy.
This isn’t a huge deal, and won’t really affect your weight loss if you’re having a few drinks every once in a while. However, drinking heavily often may stall weight loss and should be avoided for a variety of health reasons. Always remember to drink responsibly! Your waistline will thank you.
Low calorie vodka cocktail recipes
Keep these low-calorie mixed drink recipes in your back pocket the next time you’re craving a cocktail.
Cosmopolitan
The cosmo is a classic and pretty low-calorie cocktail. It’s subtly sweet, elegant, and extremely delicious. It’s made with cranberry juice, so it has a little bit of sugar. However, if you’re making this at home, you can use diet cranberry juice to cut back on calories and sugar.
For this recipe, you’ll need:
- 1.5 oz Vodka Citron
- 1 oz cranberry juice (you can use diet if you prefer)
- ½ oz Cointreau
- ½ ox fresh lime juice
To make, add all your ingredients to a shaker filled with ice. Shake until well-chilled, about 30 seconds. Strain into a martini glass, and garnish with a fresh lime wedge.
Vodka Gimlet
The vodka gimlet is simple, elegant, and fairly low-calorie. It’s sweetened slightly with simple syrup, but you can also use a zero-calorie sweetener like Splenda if you prefer.
For this recipe, you’ll need:
- 2 ounces vodka
- ½ ounce simple syrup, or preferred sweetener
- ¾ ounce fresh lime juice
Add your vodka, simple syrup, and lime juice into a shaker with ice, and shake until well chilled, about 30 seconds. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with a lime wedge.
Skinny Moscow Mule
Moscow Mules are sweet and refreshing, full of zesty ginger beer and bright mint. However, ginger beer can be loaded with sugar and calories. Opting for a diet ginger beer will help reduce the overall calories and sugar in the cocktail while keeping the same delicious, refreshing taste.
For this recipe, you’ll need:
- 1.5 oz vodka
- ⅙ oz fresh lime juice
- 4 oz diet ginger beer
- Fresh mint to garnish
To make, combine vodka, ginger beer, and lime with ice in a copper mule mug or a highball glass. Stir gently. Garnish with mine and a fresh lime wedge.
Vodka Martini
A timeless classic, the vodka martini is strong but delicious. It only requires a few ingredients, and it’s pretty low in calories.
For this recipe, you’ll need:
- 2.5 oz vodka
- ½ oz dry vermouth
- Green olive or lemon peel to garnish
This recipe couldn’t be more simple. If you like a shaken martini, add your vodka and vermouth to a cocktail shaker filled with ice, and shake vigorously until chilled. Strain into a martini glass, and garnish with either a green olive or a lemon peel.
If you prefer your martini stirred, pour your vodka and vermouth into a mixing glass filled with ice, and stir until chilled for about 20 seconds. Strain into a martini glass, and garnish as you please.
Skinny Lemon Drop Martini
Lemon drop martinis are extremely popular. They’re delicious, sweet, tart, and super refreshing. However, lemon drops are often loaded with sugar and calories. This skinny version is sweetened with a zero-calorie sweetener, so it still tastes lovely and sweet for no extra calories.
For this recipe you’ll need:
- 2 oz lemon-flavored vodka
- 1 packet your preferred zero-calorie sweetener
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- 1 curl lemon peel to garnish
To make, combine your vodka, lemon juice, and sweetener of choice into a cocktail shaker with ice. If you like a sweeter cocktail, you can add two packets. Shake well until chilled, pour into a martini glass, and garnish with lemon peel.
Grapefruit Lime Spritzer
This cocktail is summery, beachy, and incredibly delicious. It’s packed with fresh grapefruit flavor, from a diet grapefruit-flavored sparkling water, and fresh grapefruit juice.
To make this recipe, you’ll need:
- 1.5 oz vodka
- 4 oz grapefruit sparkling water
- ¼ oz fresh lime juice
- ¾ oz fresh grapefruit juice
To make this beverage, combine vodka, grapefruit juice, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake until chilled. Pour over ice in a large glass, then top with your grapefruit sparkling water. Garnish with lime and enjoy.
Conclusion
Pure vodka has zero carbs, sugars, and is fairly low calorie, making it an excellent spirit of choice for dieters. There are tons of varieties of flavored vodka that are infused with natural and artificial flavors during the distilling process, meaning they don’t have any extra calories of sugar added. However, some flavored vodka brands add the flavor with sugary syrups after distillation, so we recommend steering clear of those.
There are so many delicious, low-calorie vodka drinks you can enjoy while still staying on track with your diet. For speedy alcohol delivery next time you’re mixing at home, try Saucey. We carry hundreds of wines, beers, and spirits, as well as mixers, and anything else you may need to craft the perfect cocktail. Plus, we offer quick delivery and no order minimums. Come check us out and see why our customers come back again and again.
