SpiritFacts

Lowest calorie liquor

Unflavoured liquor has no carbohydrate, so its calories are its alcohol and nothing else. That makes the ranking almost entirely a ranking of proof: an 80 proof vodka, gin, tequila or whiskey all land in the same place per shot, and the only way to drink fewer calories is a lower proof or a smaller pour.

The short answer

Any unflavoured spirit at the lowest proof. At 80 proof a 1.5oz shot is about 98 calories whether it is vodka, gin, tequila or whiskey, at 90 proof about 110, and at 100 proof about 123. The lowest here: Absolut (98), Basil Hayden's (98), Beefeater (98).

All 72 spirits, lowest calories first

#DrinkPer servingPer std drink
  1. 1 Absolut 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  2. 2 Basil Hayden's 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  3. 3 Beefeater 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  4. 4 Belvedere 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  5. 5 Bombay Sapphire 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  6. 6 Bushmills Original 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  7. 7 Chopin Potato 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  8. 8 Cîroc 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  9. 9 Deep Eddy Original 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  10. 10 Fortaleza Blanco 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  11. 11 Gentleman Jack 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  12. 12 George Dickel Classic No. 8 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  13. 13 Gordon's London Dry 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  14. 14 Grey Goose 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  15. 15 Haku 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  16. 16 Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  17. 17 Jameson 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  18. 18 Jim Beam White Label 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  19. 19 Ketel One 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  20. 20 Kirkland Signature American Vodka 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  21. 21 Luksusowa 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  22. 22 New Amsterdam 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  23. 23 Pinnacle Original 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  24. 24 Proper No. Twelve 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  25. 25 Redbreast 12 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  26. 26 Reyka 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  27. 27 Russian Standard 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  28. 28 Siete Leguas Blanco 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  29. 29 Skyy 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  30. 30 Smirnoff No. 21 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  31. 31 Stoli 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  32. 32 Svedka 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  33. 33 Tequila Ocho Plata 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  34. 34 Tito's Handmade Vodka 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  35. 35 Tullamore D.E.W. Original 40% · 1.5oz shot 98 98
  36. 36 Havana Club Añejo 3 Años 40% · 1.5oz shot · 0.2g carbs 99 99
  37. 37 Gosling's Black Seal 40% · 1.5oz shot · 0.4g carbs 100 100
  38. 38 Wheatley 41% · 1.5oz shot 100 97
  39. 39 Plymouth Gin 41.2% · 1.5oz shot 101 98
  40. 40 Hendrick's 41.4% · 1.5oz shot 101 98
  41. 41 Sipsmith London Dry 41.6% · 1.5oz shot 102 98
  42. 42 Aviation American Gin 42% · 1.5oz shot 103 98
  43. 43 Absolut Elyx 42.3% · 1.5oz shot 104 98
  44. 44 Evan Williams Black Label 43% · 1.5oz shot 105 97
  45. 45 Old Forester 86 Proof 43% · 1.5oz shot 105 97
  46. 46 Roku Gin 43% · 1.5oz shot 105 97
  47. 47 Tanqueray London Dry 43.1% · 1.5oz shot 106 98
  48. 48 Powers Gold Label 43.2% · 1.5oz shot 106 98
  49. 49 Angel's Envy 43.3% · 1.5oz shot 106 98
  50. 50 Buffalo Trace 45% · 1.5oz shot 110 97
  51. 51 Bulleit Bourbon 45% · 1.5oz shot 110 97
  52. 52 Eagle Rare 10 Year 45% · 1.5oz shot 110 97
  53. 53 Four Roses Small Batch 45% · 1.5oz shot 110 97
  54. 54 Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select 45% · 1.5oz shot 110 97
  55. 55 Maker's Mark 45% · 1.5oz shot 110 97
  56. 56 W.L. Weller Special Reserve 45% · 1.5oz shot 110 97
  57. 57 Woodford Reserve 45.2% · 1.5oz shot 111 98
  58. 58 Michter's US*1 Small Batch Bourbon 45.7% · 1.5oz shot 112 98
  59. 59 Larceny Small Batch 46% · 1.5oz shot 113 98
  60. 60 Teeling Small Batch 46% · 1.5oz shot 113 98
  61. 61 Blanton's Original Single Barrel 46.5% · 1.5oz shot 114 98
  62. 62 1792 Small Batch 46.85% · 1.5oz shot 115 98
  63. 63 Elijah Craig Small Batch 47% · 1.5oz shot 115 98
  64. 64 KOVAL Bourbon 47% · 1.5oz shot 115 98
  65. 65 Maker's Mark 46 47% · 1.5oz shot 115 98
  66. 66 Monkey 47 47% · 1.5oz shot 115 98
  67. 67 Knob Creek 9 Year 50% · 1.5oz shot 123 98
  68. 68 Old Grand-Dad Bonded 50% · 1.5oz shot 123 98
  69. 69 Uncle Nearest 1856 50% · 1.5oz shot 123 98
  70. 70 Wild Turkey 101 50.5% · 1.5oz shot 124 98
  71. 71 Wild Turkey Rare Breed 58.4% · 1.5oz shot 143 98
  72. 72 Booker's 62.5% · 1.5oz shot 153 98

Calories per serving use a standard pour: 1.5oz for spirits and liqueurs, 12oz for beer and cans. Per standard drink scales each one to 14g of alcohol, the US standard drink, so a shot and a beer can be compared directly. Drinks whose producers publish no sugar or carbohydrate figure are not ranked.

FAQ

What liquor has the lowest calories? ▾

Any unflavoured spirit at the lowest proof. At 80 proof a 1.5oz shot is about 98 calories whether it is vodka, gin, tequila or whiskey, at 90 proof about 110, and at 100 proof about 123. The lowest here: Absolut (98), Basil Hayden's (98), Beefeater (98).

How many calories are in a shot? ▾

About 98 in a 1.5oz shot at 80 proof, 105 at 86 proof, 110 at 90 proof and 123 at 100 proof, for any unflavoured spirit. The calories are the alcohol itself, at 7 per gram.

Does whiskey have more calories than vodka? ▾

Not at the same proof. Bourbon cannot legally contain added sugar, and aging adds flavour, not calories, so an 80 proof bourbon and an 80 proof vodka are the same per shot. Whiskey often comes out higher only because it is often bottled stronger.

Is clear liquor lower in calories than dark liquor? ▾

No. Colour comes from barrel aging or caramel colouring, neither of which adds meaningful calories. Proof decides the number, and added sugar (spiced rum, flavoured vodka, liqueurs) is the only thing that moves it beyond proof.

What about liqueurs? ▾

Liqueurs are sweetened by definition and are ranked separately on the lowest calorie alcohol page. Per 1.5oz they can look low because many are weak, but they carry far more sugar per unit of alcohol.