Lowest Calorie Alcohol

After a hectic week at work, it is quite natural to feel the need to unwind with a sip or two (or a glass or two) of some fine alcohol, without having to worry about how it will affect your waistline. Alcohol, like any other commodity, when consumed in moderation is not really harmful to the body. However, the problem arises when people begin to consume it more than necessary. Not only it is intoxicating and addictive, but it also tends to make people put on weight without them even noticing it. But that should not stop people from enjoying some of the finest brews that we have. In fact, there are quite a few low calorie alcohol drinks that are designed especially for the diet conscious. This article has some of them mentioned, so you can enjoy them without worrying about a bulging tummy.

Calorie Content in Alcoholic Drinks

Let us first find out how calories enter the alcohol, which until quite recently were considered to be free from any fattening components. Here's how it's done. Every alcoholic drink contains a certain amount of pure alcohol and some amount of another drink. This means that in the drink, there is alcohol and also added sugars from the alcohol and from the other drink mixed with it. The amount of calorie content in a particular alcoholic beverage is most generally directly proportional to the amount of alcohol in the drink. So, the higher the level of alcohol in a drink, the higher the number of calories in it. How do we get to know how much alcohol the drink holds? Just calculate its ABV percentage (alcohol by volume). This will help you find out how much alcohol and how many calories are present in a particular drink. This ABV amount is more often than not mentioned on the label of the bottle.

Some Alcoholic Drinks with the Low Calorie Content

So now you know that more the alcohol content in a drink, more is the calorie count in it. Now you'll want to know which are the lowest calorie alcohol drinks that will not make much of a difference to your physical fitness regime that you're trying so passionately to stick to. Let's see:

• Light Beer: If you prefer beer, as most people do, then it would be advisable to stick to the lighter varieties of beer. A single glass of strong beer (approx 200 ml.) contains around 75 calories, while the mildest beer, with the lowest alcohol content, contains a mere 24 calories. Do the math, and decide which one you want to go for. The alcohol in the beer will be metabolized by your body before your body starts burning fats. So more the beer, more the fat.
• Low Calorie Wine: Wine is an eternal favorite for diet conscious people as it is assumed to have a very low alcohol content, which means a low calorie content. But there are varieties in wine too, that differ in the amount of alcohol in them. A glass of about 120 ml of the most commonly produced port wine, Ruby Port, contains as many as 185 calories. Another glass of white zinfandel, again of about 120 ml contains just 80 to 90 calories. Of course this content may vary from brand to brand, but at least now you know which ones to opt for when you buy your wine for the next party.
• Rum with Diet Cola: This is a modification of the classic rum with cola drink. All you have to do, to shave off the number of calories in your drink, is change your cola drink from a regular cola to a diet cola. There are various such diet colas available, so that should not really be a problem. When you substitute the regular cola with a diet cola, the amount of sugar and calories in the drink is reduced drastically, because of the reduction in the calorie content of the cola drink. The taste may vary a little, but that's something you can deal with in return for a low calorie drink.
• Cosmopolitan: The Cosmopolitan has always been one of the all time favorite low calorie alcohol drinks. Owing to its high content of low calorie ingredients, this drink is an eternal classic for people watching their weight. To make this classic cocktail, you need vodka, triple sec (a liqueur made from orange peels), cranberry juice (or any other zero calorie juice), and lime juice, in the ratio of 4:2:2:1. Blend these ingredients together, add some ice, and you'll have a delicious, low calorie cocktail, containing a maximum of just 99 calories.

There you have it! Some of the most widely consumed alcoholic drinks, customized in order to make your drinking experience a little low on calories than before. As mentioned earlier, anything when consumed above moderation can prove to be detrimental. The same goes for these low calorie alcohol drinks too. Consume them when you absolutely need to. Don't make it a habit, or it might even prove to be counter productive. Cheers!