What's in your drink?

Your favourite tipple may help you unwind and put you in a festive mood, but not without adding to your waistline. Most hard alcoholic beverages are high on calories. What’s worse is that these are empty calories, which means they contain no nutrition.

Vodka
Traditionally drunk neat, Vodka is mostly made by distilling wheat or rye, though some still use potatoes and even sugar and fruit. A shot of Vodka (25 ml) contains 55 calories and the spirit has no carbs, which makes it a great drink for weight-watchers. However, the catch is that since it’s odourless and flavourless and blends well, people tend to consume it not neat but as a base in cocktails. Adding sugary juices and cream liqueurs to Vodka reduces its low-calorie property. The trick is to drink it on the rocks or with a tonic. The good news is, since Vodka has fewer congeners than most alcoholic drinks, it is less likely to cause hangovers.

Wine
Wine is considered good for the heart and supposedly helps fight dementia, strokes and even common old. But if it’s your weight you are worried about, you may want to cut down on your daily dose of wine. A medium glass of red wine has the same amount of calories as a slice of cake. And since you are likely to pair your wine with cheese, it becomes more fattening that any other sugary cocktail. Wine is generally made of fermented grape juice and can have an alcohol content of anywhere between four per cent and 14 per cent. The good news is it’s rich in flavonoids and resveratrol — which supposedly helps fight diabetes and obesity. However, it is advisable to keep your consumption to one glass with dinner.

Dark rum
If you’re serious about watching your weight, it’s a good idea to go slow on your “rum and colas” this winter. Rum is mostly made from sugarcane juice, or molasses, which has high sugar content. A glass of rum and coke has about 240 calories; if you chose to go for diet coke you may save yourself from some 140 calories. Also, it may be a good idea to steer clear of flavoured rum since it consists of added sugar.

Scotch
Scotch is made of fermented grain mash of barley, rye, wheat or corn. A peg has zero fat and negligible carbs but it contains about 60 empty calories. If you’re a puritan, you are most likely to have scotch on the rocks, so drinking in moderation will be light on your tummy, if not on your pocket.