How many calories are in a beer?

A regular 12 oz beer has about 150 calories. Light beers average 103 calories, while IPAs and craft beers can have 200 or more. The calorie count depends on ABV and carbohydrate content.

How many calories are in a glass of wine?

A standard 5 oz glass of wine contains approximately 120–130 calories. Dry wines tend to be lower in calories than sweet wines, which contain more residual sugars.

Do alcohol calories cause weight gain?

Yes. Alcohol provides 7 calories per gram — more than carbohydrates (4 cal/g) or protein (4 cal/g), though less than fat (9 cal/g). Alcohol calories are metabolized before other energy sources, temporarily pausing fat burning.

What is a standard drink?

In the US, one standard drink contains 14 grams of pure alcohol. This equals roughly 12 oz of regular beer (5% ABV), 5 oz of wine (12% ABV), or 1.5 oz of distilled spirits (40% ABV).

Alcohol Calorie Calculator

Calculate calories in alcoholic drinks including beer, wine, spirits, and cocktails. Includes single drink presets, night-out tracker, weekly calorie totals, and annual weight impact estimate.

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Extended More scenarios, charts & detailed breakdown ▾

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How to Use This Calculator

Select your drink type, enter quantity and serving size in ounces.
The calculator shows total calories, alcohol grams, and standard drinks.
Use Single Drink presets for quick common drink lookups.
Use Night Out to add up to 5 different drinks.
Use Weekly Tracking to project annual calorie and weight impact from regular drinking.

Formula

Alcohol calories = ABV × Volume (oz) × 29.5735 × 0.789 × 7 kcal/g
Standard drinks = Alcohol grams / 14
Annual weight impact = (Cal/day × 365) / 3500 lbs

Example

Example: 2 regular beers (12 oz, 5% ABV). Calories = 2 × 12 × 12.5 = 300 cal. Alcohol = 2 × 12 × 29.57 × 0.05 × 0.789 = 28 g. Standard drinks = 28/14 = 2.0.

Frequently Asked Questions

A regular 12 oz beer has about 150 calories. Light beers average 103 calories, while IPAs and craft beers can have 200 or more. The calorie count depends on ABV and carbohydrate content.
A standard 5 oz glass of wine contains approximately 120–130 calories. Dry wines tend to be lower in calories than sweet wines, which contain more residual sugars.
Yes. Alcohol provides 7 calories per gram — more than carbohydrates (4 cal/g) or protein (4 cal/g), though less than fat (9 cal/g). Alcohol calories are metabolized before other energy sources, temporarily pausing fat burning.
In the US, one standard drink contains 14 grams of pure alcohol. This equals roughly 12 oz of regular beer (5% ABV), 5 oz of wine (12% ABV), or 1.5 oz of distilled spirits (40% ABV).

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Sources & References (5) ▾

NIAAA — Alcohol Facts and Statistics (2023) — National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Cederbaum AI — Alcohol metabolism. Clin Liver Dis. 2012;16(4):667-685 — Clinics in Liver Disease
Traversy G & Chaput JP — Alcohol Consumption and Obesity: An Update. Curr Obes Rep. 2015;4(1):122-130 — Current Obesity Reports
USDA — FoodData Central: Calories in alcoholic beverages — USDA
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 — Alcoholic Beverages — USDA / HHS