How Many Carbs Are in Vodka?

If you are on a low-carb diet, vodka could be your drink of choice. Like other distilled liquor we sell at Joe Canal’s in Lawrenceville, NJ, vodka has no carbohydrates. Although it is made from foods high in carbohydrates, including potatoes and wheat, the fermentation process and distilling eliminate them. But vodka does have calories and sugar-flavored or sweetened vodkas may also contain some carbs.

While Vodka Has No Carbs, It Does Contain Calories

Compared to some other alcoholic beverages such as beer or wine, vodka is considered a low-calorie drink. Of course, once you mix it with another beverage, both the calorie content and carbohydrates will go up.

For a shot of vodka, the calorie content goes up with the proof or percentage of alcohol in the liquor. Eighty-proof vodka is 40 percent alcohol and contains 96 calories in a shot of 1.5 ounces. When you bump that up to 100-proof vodka or 50 percent alcohol, the calorie content jumps to 124 calories.

The calories come from the alcohol itself, which contains approximately seven calories per gram. The vodka brand name is irrelevant to the caloric content. Whether you choose Grey Goose, New Amsterdam, Deep Eddy, or Smirnoff, there are no carbohydrates, and the calorie content is the same per proof.

Are There Carbohydrates in Flavored Vodkas?

While some may assume that flavor-infused vodkas do contain carbohydrates, they don't. Quality flavored vodkas also contain about the same calorie count as their unflavored counterpart.

Flavoring agents such as vanilla, citrus, mango, or watermelon are added at the beginning of the distilling process. The essence of that flavor remains afterward, but the calories and carbohydrates are eliminated.

Some of the less expensive syrup-flavored vodkas, however, may have a different flavoring process where the syrup is added after fermentation and distilling, which may up the calorie content and add carbohydrates. If you want to stick to no carbohydrates, read the label or ask the bartender.

How Does Vodka's Zero-Carbohydrate Content Compare to Other Forms of Alcohol?

Other distilled liquors such as whiskey, rum, gin, and tequila also are free of carbohydrates. Although some brands of rum add sugar and spices to sweeten the flavor, which would also change the nutritional content and add carbohydrates.

Turning to other types of alcoholic beverages, you will find some carbohydrates in beer, wine, and champagne. Twelve ounces of beer contains 11 grams of carbohydrates, while 12 ounces of light beer contains only seven.

A five-ounce glass of wine contains approximately five grams of carbohydrates. Yet a four-ounce glass of champagne has only 1.6 grams of carbs. We suggest, however, that if you are enjoying a celebratory glass of champagne, you don't worry about the carbs, anyway!

Some Favorite Vodka Mixed Drinks and the Carbohydrate Content

Here are a few vodka drink recipes, and how many carbs they contain.

The Classic Screwdriver

One of the easiest vodka drinks remains a time-honored favorite. Simply mix two parts of orange juice with one part of vodka, mix with some ice, and garnish with an orange slice. Depending upon the drink size, the carbohydrate count is around 19 grams for a typical serving. Although that does not include the orange slice. If you eat that, you’ll consume a couple of grams of carbs.

The Cape Codder

Cape Cod's concept of replacing orange juice with cranberry juice and switching out the orange slice with a lime slice will amount to just under 10 grams of carbs. Eating the lime slice adds a minute amount of carbs since the entire lime has just over five grams, the slice will come in under one.

A Traditional Vodka Tonic

Typically, a vodka tonic is made of 1½ ounces of vodka and four ounces of tonic over ice with a slice of lemon or lime on the edge. The carbohydrate content is 15 grams. Surprised? Remember, a tonic is more than soda water. It contains added sugars and a touch of dissolved quinine.

The Black Russian

Mixing a bit more than two to one vodka to coffee liqueur for a four-ounce drink and pouring it over ice cubes or cracked ice is going to cost you nearly 22 grams of carbs! There is no way to get around it, the coffee liqueur may take up most of your daily carbohydrate allotment.

When You Want a Drink But With Few Carbs

Vodka is a viable choice for having a drink while watching your carbohydrates. However, you need to be aware of what you are mixing it with. Vodka with club soda and a squeeze of lemon or lime amounts to next to zero on the carbohydrate meter. An alternative is to mix your vodka with diet soda.

When looking for the best pricing on alcohol and beverage mixers, stop in Joe Canal's Discount Liquor Outlet of Lawrenceville, NJ. Our staff is always ready to make recommendations to meet your preferences and to answer your questions, including carbohydrate and caloric content for various forms of beverages. We offer delivery and curbside service, and now also ship across New Jersey and beyond, where legally permitted.