Want to Know the Calorie Content of Your Favorite Drink?

Reports tells how many carbs and calories are in 26 best-selling alcoholic beverages

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

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MONDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) -- A punishing run in the summer sun deserves an ice cold beer, right?

And the just reward for a strenuous afternoon whipping your garden into postcard perfection -- how about a slightly chilled chardonnay?

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Well, before you pop that top or twist off that cork you might want to consult a new report, called Alcohol Facts, that has the lowdown on the amount of calories and carbohydrates -- and alcohol -- in America's top-selling brands.

"This is information consumers don't have right now," said Chris Waldrop, director of the Food Policy Institute at the Consumer Federation of America, which published the report. "This is a way to try to get that information about the alcohol content and calories and carbs to consumers."

For example, not all consumers know that a standard serving of the malt liquor Smirnoff Ice packs 241 calories, Waldrop said. "That's information they need, especially if they're watching their weight," he said.

Or that Seagram's Gin tops the list of spirits with 120 calories per 1.5-ounce serving, while Beringer Chardonnay and Gallo/Carlo Rossi Cabernet Sauvignon carry 120 calories per 5 ounce-glass.

To aid consumers, the federation developed a side-by-side comparison chart that shows the alcohol content, calories and carbohydrate content of the 26 best-selling alcohol products, spanning beer, wine and spirits. The chart details what's in a standard 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine and a 1.5-ounce serving of spirits. The chart is based on sales data from the Adams Beverage Group, and includes 13 brands of beers and malt liquors, five brands of wine, and eight types of liquor, including, gin, rum, tequila, vodka and whiskey.

The alcohol content per serving ranged from 0.42 fluid ounces to 0.70 fluid ounces, depending upon the specific brand and type of alcoholic beverage. But, the calorie and carbohydrate content varied significantly.

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