
November 25, 2002
Meal Planning, Food and Diet
Question from New Delhi, India:
What is the sugar content in different kinds of alcohol? Which kind of alcohol has the lowest sugar content in it?
Answer:
That’s a good question. Here is a breakdown of the carb content of various alcoholic beverages:
BEVERAGE
AMOUNT
CARB CONTENT
regular beer
12 ounces
11-15 grams
80 proof liquor
0.5 ounces
0 grams
liqueur
1.5 ounces
10-25 grams
dry white wine
4 ounces
1-2 grams
sweet wine
4 ounces
7 grams
wine cooler
12 ounces
12-17 grams
bloody mary
5 ounces
5 grams
dry martini
2.5 ounces
2 grams
A cautionary reminder: the American Diabetes Association recommends no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks per day for men. A drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of a hard liquor. Check blood sugars before drinking as well as after drinking and combine food with alcohol as it can cause hypoglycemia.
JMS