How many calories are in whisky?

How many calories are in whisky? This is a question I can honestly say I’ve never asked myself. 

Frankly, I think it’s a joyless proposition. Why appreciate the exhibition of flavours not seen in another single human-made consumable product or the rich cultural and historical significance that drives each step of production when you can reduce its qualities to one raw number? 

Look, being healthy is a good idea, especially with Christmas on the horizon and we absolutely should be conscious about alcohol intake. We know that regularly drinking more than the NHS recommends can have a noticeable impact on your waistline and that can cause more serious health problems. I understand some people are just curious or have certain conditions to consider. But I’m also conscious calorie counting is an automatic habit in some eating disorders. If you think you need help then please head to Beat for support. 

How many calories are in whisky?

In the UK, a 25ml measure of 40% ABV whisky should have around 56 calories in it. 

You can see from that answer that the calories in whisky are relative to several different factors:

How the whisky is made, what percentage ABV it’s bottled at, if it has added sugars or flavours… These all affect the final count. As does how you drink your whisky. It should go without saying, really, but if you’re adding a mixer or using whisky as the base for a cocktail, the calories will increase due to the other ingredients in the drink.

If you’ve Googled this question before, you’ll also know a range of answers come up.

The Whisky Shop reckons that, on average, a single shot of whisky contains around 105 calories, while the average bottle contains around 1,500 calories. The Whisk(e)y Wash says the same: a one-and-a-half-ounce shot of 86-proof whiskey contains 105 calories, as does Whisky Flavour. There might be some source sharing here. 

The folks at medlineplus.gov say whiskey at 80 proof (40% ABV – Americans) and 1.5 fl oz (45 ml – again, Americans) amounts to 97 calories, while whiskey 1.5 fl oz of 94 proof whiskey is 116 calories.

Jameson Whiskey says for the “recommended whiskey serving size of 30ml”, a shot, is 66 calories

Meanwhile, drinkaware.co.uk reveals a typical 25ml single of whisky can contain 61 calories. It also has a unit and calorie counter to assist with this kind of thing.

You see the ABV of the whisky and the measurement of the serve are key and because those vary in each example, so do the calories. If you really want to know how many calories there are in whisky, you need to do the math(s). 

How to calculate the calories of whisky

There’s a few important things we need to know to work this out.

The density of ethanol: Approximately 0.789 grams per millilitre

The caloric content of ethanol: 1 gram of ethanol contains approximately 7.1 calories (kcal)

Calculation method:

In a 40% ABV whisky, 40% of the volume is ethanol.

To find the grams of ethanol in 100ml of whisky: 100 ml × 0.40 = 40 ml of ethanol

Then convert millilitres of ethanol to grams using the density of ethanol: 40 ml × 0.789 g/ml = 31.56 grams of ethanol

Finally, multiply by 7.1 to get the calorie content: 31.56 g × 7.1 = 224.08 kcal in 100ml of whisky.

For a standard shot (UK = 25ml):

40% ABV means 25 ml × 0.40 = 10 ml of ethanol

10 ml × 0.789 g/ml = 7.89 grams

7.89 g × 7.1 = 56.02 kcal

Hence why a standard UK shot (25ml) of standard whisky (40% ABV) should have around 56 calories in it. 

For a standard shot (US = 1.5fl oz or 45ml):

40% ABV means 45 ml × 0.40 = 18 ml of ethanol

18 ml × 0.789 g/ml = 14.2 grams

14.2 g × 7.1 = 100.82 kcal

In the US, a standard shot (1.5fl oz) of standard whisky (40% ABV) should have around 100 calories in it. 

It’s worth noting that a lot of people round the density of ethanol to 0.8 and the calories per gram of ethanol figure to 7, which also explains why there’s some variation in the final number of calories in whisky across different sites. 

Why does whisky have calories?

Whisky is made up of two things: water and alcohol. Water doesn’t have any calories, whereas alcohol has 7.1 per gram, as already established, not far away from pure fat (9 calories per gram) and more than carbohydrates or protein (4 calories per gram each). As with most things that bring flavour, calories come hand-in-hand. Such is life. Alcohol is no different. Whisky contains a lot of alcohol, which raises its calories too. 

The distillation process strips most things away. There aren’t any proteins, fats or carbohydrates in whisky, while compounds you might have heard of like tannins, lignins and vanillin derived from maturation in wooden barrels do contribute to the taste but are irrelevant to nutrient and calorie content. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says 1.5fl oz (45ml) of Scotch whisky contains 0g of fat, carbohydrates, sugars, and protein, but contains 0.42mg of sodium, 0,017mg of iron and zinc, as well as 0.84mg of potassium. So basically all the calories from whisky come from alcohol.

Is whiskey a low-calorie alcohol?

If you’re the kind of person who thinks of Jane Fonda as the woman from the workout videos and not as one of the defining actors and activists of her generation, then you’ll be pleased to know that whisky is significantly less calorific than beer and wine. Both of these do have sugar, fat, carbs etc because they’re not distilled. 

Whisky can be a low-calorie alcohol when enjoyed neat or on the rocks. As with all guidance on nutrition, moderation and balance is key. Everyone’s health needs are personal and it’s extremely important to drink responsibly. Still, all things being equal, whisky does rank as one of the lower-calorie drink options out there. Especially if you’re not drinking pints of it. Which isn’t recommended.

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