If you are trying to watch your calories, don’t forget to count the alcoholic beverages. They may have more calories than you think.
Just look at the calories in some popular drinks.

Regular beer, 12 oz. = 150-200 calories
Light beer, 12 oz. = 100-130 calories
Wine, dry, 5 oz. = 100-110 calories
Wine cooler, 12 oz. = 180-200 calories
Distilled spirits (80-proof), 1.5 oz. = 100 calories
Cordial or liqueur, 1.5 oz. = 160 calories

Mixed drinks can add even more calories. Some examples include:

Mojito, 8 oz. = 214 calories
Cosmopolitan, 4 oz. = 200 calories
Margarita, 8 oz. = 280 calories
Coffee liqueur, 3 oz. = 348 calories

Plan ahead to make sure the alcoholic beverages you consume are lower in calories and fit into your daily calorie needs. Watch the size of your drink, and the mixers/syrups added to it. Added sweetness probably means added calories. If you would really like a cocktail, eat a smaller portion at dinner and enjoy a cocktail afterwards. Choose wine, light beer, or low calorie mixers for your alcoholic beverage. Light orange juice, club soda, diet sodas, and sugar-free syrups will all save you calories as well.

One other point to remember is that you should not consume more than 1 drink a day for women and 2 drinks a day for men. 12-ounces of beer, 5-ounces of wine, and 1 ½ ounces of liquor all count as 1 drink.

References:

American Dietetic Association. Controlling Cocktail Calories. Available at: http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=3716&terms=cocktail+calories.

Brown D. Carbohydrate Trends in Alcoholic Beverages. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005; 105(6):880-881.

Zelman KM. Healthy Eating and Diet: Low-Calorie Cocktails. WebMD. Available at: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/low-calorie-cocktails.

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