Alcohol contains empty calories, and it inhibits the absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, which can lead to deficiencies.

“Alcohol can not only cause a water weight increase but it’s also full of calories, so your actual weight can go up, too,” says Amanda A. Kostro Miller, a registered dietitian in Chicago. “The other issue is that once people start drinking alcohol, they tend to lose track of their health and weight goals.”

Plans for just one drink may turn into two or three or four, or you may find yourself reaching for unhealthy foods once the alcohol kicks in. According to one frequently cited study, subjects’ diets were poorer on the days they drank alcohol.

The usual advice is to drink in moderation, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines as up to one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men.

But if you’re trying to lose weight, it’s a good idea to limit your drinking even further to reduce calories. You can also think of alcohol as a treat: “Choose dessert or alcohol for the night, not both,” Kostro Miller says.

Here are some low-calorie alcoholic drink options if you’re watching your weight.

4 Low-Calorie Alcoholic Drinks for Weight Loss

1. Red Wine (125 Calories for 5 Oz)

Enjoying a glass of red wine with dinner has long been considered a healthy move because of its purported heart-healthy benefits — an idea that can be traced back to the 1980s.

And though there haven’t been long-term randomized trials that prove some of these claims, a dry red wine (like cabernet sauvignon or Syrah) is one of the lower-calorie adult beverages you can reach for, says Lori Zanini, RD, a certified diabetes educator based in Dana Point, California. A serving of 5 ounces (oz) of red wine has about 125 calories.

2. Light Beer (About 100 Calories for 12 Oz)

If you’re in the mood for beer, go light. It’s another low-calorie option, Zanini says. You’ll save about 50 calories in 12 oz compared with a regular beer of the same size.

3. Booze on the Rocks (About 100 Calories for 1.5 Oz)

Whether you’re into vodka or tequila, gin or whiskey, there’s no real difference in calories or carbohydrates — all are low-calorie alcohols, with about 100 calories in 1.5 oz.

Your best bet when sipping alcohol is to have it straight or with sparkling water or club soda, Zanini suggests. That’s because a whiskey drink, for example, can quickly go from 100 calories to 300 or more when you add sugary, high-calorie mixers.

4. Champagne (About 85 Calories for 4 Oz)

You’ll save about 80 calories by choosing 4 oz of champagne over a sweet wine — that single glass of bubbly has about 85 calories.

And while that might not sound like much, it’s possible that you’ll feel fuller and turn down a second drink as a result of the carbonation. Research found that women reported feeling more full after drinking sparkling water compared with flat.

Alcohol-Free Options for Anyone Looking to Lose Weight

Keep in mind: Mocktails are always on the table. Going liquor-free is the ultimate way to cut back on calories from alcohol. But you’ll still need to keep an eye on what’s going into the mocktails and choose a low-calorie — or better yet, no-calorie — water or sparkling water drink, Kostro Miller suggests. If you choose to drink alcohol on a given night, she says it’s a good idea to alternate between an alcoholic and nonalcoholic drink to keep your calorie intake in check.

Reyna Franco, RDN

Medical Reviewer

Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Reyna Franco, RDN, is a New York City–based dietitian-nutritionist, certified specialist in sports dietetics, and certified personal trainer. She is a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and has a master's degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Columbia University.

In her private practice, she provides medical nutrition therapy for weight management, sports nutrition, diabetes, cardiac disease, renal disease, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, food allergies, eating disorders, and childhood nutrition. To serve her diverse patients, she demonstrates cultural sensitivity and knowledge of customary food practices. She applies the tenets of lifestyle medicine to reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve health outcomes for her patients.

Franco is also a corporate wellness consultant who conducts wellness counseling and seminars for organizations of every size. She taught sports nutrition to medical students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, taught life cycle nutrition and nutrition counseling to undergraduate students at LaGuardia Community College, and precepts nutrition students and interns. She created the sports nutrition rotation for the New York Distance Dietetic Internship program.

She is the chair of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine's Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist Member Interest Group. She is also the treasurer and secretary of the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, having previously served in many other leadership roles for the organization, including as past president, awards committee chair, and grant committee chair, among others. She is active in the local Greater New York Dietetic Association and Long Island Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, too.

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Moira Lawler

Author

Moira Lawler is a journalist who has spent more than a decade covering a range of health and lifestyle topics, including women's health, nutrition, fitness, mental health, and travel. She received a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, two young children, and a giant brown labradoodle.

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Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.

Resources

Butts M et al. The Influence of Alcohol Consumption on Intestinal Nutrient Absorption: A Comprehensive Review. Nutrients. March 24, 2023.
Breslow RA et al. Diets of drinkers on drinking and nondrinking days: NHANES 2003–2008. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. May 2013.
About Moderate Alcohol Use. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 15, 2024.
Is red wine actually good for your heart? Harvard Health Publishing. January 29, 2020.
Alcohol Calorie Calculator. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Suzuki M et al. Oral Carbonation Attenuates Feeling of Hunger and Gastric Myoelectrical Activity in Young Women. Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology. 2017.

Ketogenic Diet

4 Low-Calorie Alcoholic Drinks for Weight Loss

4 Low-Calorie Alcoholic Drinks for Weight Loss