Alcohol: Cocktails contain as many calories as a hamburger!

Mojito, vodka tonic and co: Do you know how many calories are hidden in cocktails?

Maureen Diament

11 Nov 2014

updated the 6 October 2015 à 23:37

1/8
A double vodka tonic
This cocktail "costs" approximately 150 Kcal, the same as a chocolate doughnut.
2/8
Champagne
Champagne has the image of being a "light" alcoholic drink. A 125ml measure has 90 Kcal. Be careful of transforming it into a cocktail as this increases the amount of calories.
3/8
The Pina Colada
This is the most calorific of all the cocktails. With 450 Kcal per glass (even more, according to receipts), it has the same calorific value as a cheeseburger. One hour and a half of cycling will be necessary to burn it off.
4/8
The beer
A 33 cl bottle equates to half a hamburger; that is, 142 Kcal and 14 minutes of running to burn it off. A pint has 182 Kcal and requires 18 minutes of running. Note, the more alcoholic the beer, the greater the calorie content.
5/8
Cider
A pint (570 ml) "weighs" 216 Kcal. 22 minutes of jogging is required to burn off the calories.
6/8
The mojito
This "costs" about 160 Kcal, providing it doesn't contain fruit juice, which can increase the count.
7/8
Red or white wine
A 250 ml glass of wine, regardless of color, contains 180 calories. This equates to a slice of pizza. In order to eliminate them, it will be necessary to walk approximately 3km at a moderate speed.
8/8
A shot of 2.5 cl
This has approximately 60 Kcal, which can be lost by running for 6 minutes.

How many of you actually know how many calories there are in different cocktail drinks? The answer may just change your night out plans.

The English doctors of the Royal Society of Public Health led a small, rather pleasant, experiment. Essentially, they asked volunteers to spend an evening playing and drinking in a bar. They explained to the participants that their objective was to determine the effect of various cocktails (as well as the amount of alcohol consumed) on their cognitive capacities. The games required some coordination and became more and more delicate as more alcohol was drunk. However, in reality, the researchers had a completely different objective in mind. They separated the volunteers in two groups, and offered very different cocktail menus to each. One was a classic menu, while the second indicated the calories contained within each drink. At the end of the evening, the scientists were able to notice that the participants informed about the calorie amount in their glass, consumed two times fewer calories than those who were not aware of this information.

WOULD LABELING COCKTAILS WITH THEIR CALORIFIC VALUE HELP IN THE FIGHT AGAINST OBESITY?

The researchers consider that drinkers absorb approximately 10% of their weekly energy intake via alcohol. In order to prevent abuse and inform consumers, they want nutritional labeling to be applied to alcoholic drinks as it is currently done to food products. Their small experiment showed that it could work. To support their demand, they also conducted street interviews – three-quarter of those surveyed did not know how many calories are in a cocktail, or even in a beer. However, it is not only the calories that worry the doctors. They believe alcohol plays an important role in the weight-gain process because it modifies behavior and dietary preferences. Beyond the problems of alcoholism, they are aiming for a reduction of alcohol consumption and better knowledge of alcohol’s role in the obesity epidemic.

Sources: Royal Society for Public Health, Vision, Voice and practice, Nov. 2014, drinkaware.co.uk.

Maureen Diament

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Mojito, vodka tonic and co: Do you know how many calories are hidden in cocktails?

WOULD LABELING COCKTAILS WITH THEIR CALORIFIC VALUE HELP IN THE FIGHT AGAINST OBESITY?

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