A standard 1.5-ounce shot of 80-proof liquor contains about 97 calories. That number holds true whether you’re drinking vodka, gin, rum, whiskey, or tequila, because the calories in straight spirits come almost entirely from the alcohol itself, not from the type of grain or plant used to make them. The calorie count climbs when you pour something stronger or reach for a sweetened liqueur.
Calories in Plain Spirits
At 80 proof (40% alcohol), every common base spirit lands at the same number: 97 calories per 1.5-ounce shot. Vodka, gin, rum, whiskey, and tequila are essentially interchangeable from a calorie standpoint. They contain zero carbs, zero fat, and zero protein. Every calorie comes from the alcohol molecule itself, which your body processes at about 7 calories per gram.
Higher-proof bottles pack more calories because they contain more alcohol per ounce. A 1.5-ounce pour of 94-proof spirit jumps to 116 calories. That’s roughly 20% more calories just from the extra alcohol content. Overproof rums and cask-strength whiskeys, which can reach 120 proof or higher, push even further above that.
A quick rule of thumb: multiply the ABV percentage by 2.5, then multiply by the number of ounces you’re pouring. For a 1.5-ounce shot of 40% vodka, that’s 40 × 2.5 × 1.5 = 150. The formula slightly overestimates (the real figure is 97), but it gives you a workable ballpark when you’re comparing drinks on the fly.
Shot Size Matters More Than You Think
A “shot” isn’t a universal measurement. In the US, the standard is 1.5 ounces (about 44 ml). In the UK, a single measure is just 25 ml. That means a UK shot of 80-proof spirit contains closer to 55 calories, almost half the American version. If you’re at a bar that pours generously, or you’re free-pouring at home, your actual intake could be well above 97 calories per round.
Liqueurs and Sweetened Spirits
Sweetened liqueurs are a different story. Sugar adds calories on top of the alcohol, and some of these bottles are surprisingly dense. Here’s how popular liqueurs compare per single ounce:
- Sambuca (40%): 114 calories
- Cointreau (40%): 99 calories
- Amaretto (28%): 94 calories
- Baileys (17%): 93 calories
- Jägermeister (35%): 75 calories
- Kahlúa (16%): 72 calories
- Frangelico (20%): 62 calories
Those numbers are per ounce, not per 1.5-ounce shot. Scale up to a full 1.5-ounce pour and Baileys reaches about 140 calories, Amaretto hits 141, and Sambuca lands near 171. That’s significantly more than a straight shot of vodka, despite some of these liqueurs having lower alcohol content. The sugar is doing the heavy lifting.
Flavored vodkas and flavored rums sit somewhere in between. Many brands add sugar during the flavoring process, which can bump a standard shot from 97 calories to around 105 to 115. Unfortunately, alcohol labels in the US aren’t required to list nutrition facts, so there’s no easy way to check. Federal regulations allow brands to voluntarily include calorie and carbohydrate information, but most don’t.
Multi-Ingredient Shots
Popular layered or mixed shots combine multiple liqueurs, which stacks calories quickly. A B-52, made with coffee liqueur, Irish cream, and orange liqueur, contains about 103 calories in a single shot, with nearly 11 grams of carbohydrates (almost all sugar). A lemon drop shot that includes simple syrup or triple sec runs in a similar range. Any shot recipe that calls for cream, juice, or sugar-based mixers will push well past the 97-calorie baseline of straight liquor.
How a Shot Compares to Beer and Wine
In terms of pure alcohol content, a 1.5-ounce shot of 80-proof liquor, a 12-ounce regular beer, and a 5-ounce glass of wine are all considered one standard drink. But their calorie counts aren’t identical. A typical 12-ounce beer runs 100 to 150 calories depending on the style, and a 5-ounce glass of wine falls between 120 and 130 calories. A plain 80-proof shot at 97 calories is generally the lowest-calorie option among the three, largely because it has no residual sugars or carbohydrates.
That advantage disappears the moment you mix that shot into a cocktail. A shot of vodka in a glass of cranberry juice or cola can easily double or triple the calorie count. If keeping calories low is the goal, straight shots or spirits mixed with soda water are the most efficient choices.