We love a few beers after work, while watching the footy and sharing a bottle or two with our partner on a Friday night. These are regular drinking habits that have become the norm for many of us.

Many people think beer and wine are packed full of sugars, but this is not quite true. The sugars found in the fruits and bases that make up many drinks are actually fermented and converted into alcohol.

Alcohol itself contains 27kJ per gram (almost seven calories). These calories are metabolised in the liver, well before the nutrients from food we consume is processed.

This means that while you are busy burning off the alcohol in your drinks, any calories consumed in food such as potato chips, pre-dinner snacks, fried food or heavy restaurant meals are more likely to be stored. For many of us, this is what links drinking to weight gain.


Some drinks like cider and spirits served with mixers - like a bourbon and coke - are high in sugar.

These contain a double whammy - the alcohol, as well as energy dense calories. Often a small drink can contain the same number of calories as a small meal.

With all that in mind, here's a list of the most popular alcoholic drinks and the calories and sugar they contain.