Calories in Mixed Drinks: A Guide to the Calorie Content of Alcoholic Beverages

Calories in Mixed Drinks: A Guide to the Calorie Content of Alcoholic Beverages
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Keeping Track

Whether it’s a party, a night on the town or a special get together, it’s nice to have a mixed drink or two when you are at a social event. However, if you are dieting it can seem like your only option is to drink low carb beers. This is why it is important to know the calories in mixed drinks. Once you become aware of how many calories are in each mixed drink, you can allow yourself a little room to splurge.

Skinny Girl Margarita

The Skinny Girl Margarita was made popular by reality television star Bethany Frankel, who is a natural foods chef. One of her most sought after abilities as a chef is to take high fat and high calorie foods and drinks and make lower fat, lower calorie versions of them. This is exactly what she did with the regular margarita mixed drink.

The Skinny Girl Margarita has only 100 calories per 4 oz. serving, according to Bethany.com. It contains all natural ingredients, and no preservatives or artificial coloring. This drink is made from a tasty concoction of agave nectar and Blue Agave Tequila.

Regular Margarita

The margarita is by far one of the most infamous mixed drinks and has been around for decades. It is fruity, zesty and refreshing, especially with the addition of crushed ice. It is made from tequila triple sec and lime or lemon juice. Sometimes it also includes a glass where the rim is encrusted with sugar or salt. One way to cut back on additional calories and sodium is to eliminate the use of these substances on the rim of the glass.

Regular margaritas have approximately 150 calories per 3.3 oz serving, notes Calorie King. Margaritas also contain 7 grams of carbs, 4.3 grams of sugar and 17.7 grams of alcohol.

Strawberry Daiquiri

The strawberry daiquiri is similar to a margarita. The subtle difference is the use of rum in place of tequila. The daiquiri also uses fresh blended strawberries or triple sec and lime or lemon juice; extra sugar and whip cream is sometimes added to the top of the drink.

Calorie Count states that a 3 1/5 ounce serving of strawberry daiquiri contains 140 calories. It has 36 grams of sugar, 39 grams of carbs, and 60 mg of sodium. You can eliminate extra calories at home or in the restaurant by excluding sugar from the ingredient list and by using extra ripe strawberries to give it a naturally sweet taste.

Mojito

The mojito, is a mixed drink that originated in Cuba. It is known for its light, slightly tangy and sour flavor. It is made from the juice of lemons or limes, along with light rum, sugar, club soda and mint. It’s the perfect drink for an outdoor party and has a nice tart, refreshing flavor that is perfect for the warmer months.

A 12-ounce serving size of a mojito mixed drink is approximately 235 calories. However, the true calorie count depends on what type of rum is used to make the mojito. According to Livestrong.com, the 235 calorie figure is for mojitos that include Bacardi Silver Rum.

Cosmopolitan

Made famous by Carrie Bradshaw, a quirky character from the hit HBO series, Sex and the City, the cosmopolitan is known for its tangy, sweet and refreshing flavor. It is made from cranberry juice, vodka and lime juice.

A 6-ounce serving of a cosmopolitan mixed drink has 143 calories, according to Livestrong.com. This drink also has 2 mg of sodium, 3.6 grams of total carbs, and 3.6 grams of sugar.

As you can see, there are many flavorful mixed drinks you can choose from when going out for a few drinks with friends or having a party. Now that you know the calories in mixed drinks, you can determine how many drinks to allow yourself without worrying if you are sabotaging your diet.

References

Skinny Girl Margarita: https://www.bethenny.com/2010/05/15/skinnygirl-margarita-product/

Cocktails– Margarita: https://www.calorieking.com/foods/calories-in-cocktails-margarita_f-ZmlkPTY3NjA0.html

Margarita: https://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,183,133189-242194,00.html

Best Strawberry Daiquiri: https://allrecipes.com//Recipe/best-strawberry-daiquiri/Detail.aspx

Calories in Bacardi Mixers Strawberry Daiquiri: https://caloriecount.about.com/calories-bacardi-mixers-strawberry-daiquiri-i109382

Basic Mojito Ingredients: https://www.food.com/recipe/basic-mojito-ingredients-60506

Calories in a Mojito Drink: Chris Calloway; November 17, 2010: https://www.livestrong.com/article/310152-calories-in-a-mojito-drink/