Whether it's made from potatoes, corn or rye, vodka's calorie content depends on the alcohol level rather than the main ingredient. All vodkas are created by fermenting a starch and then distilling the result. The alcohol is purified during the distilling process, while the fermented potato or grain stays behind.
But even though vodka doesn't contain any carbs, it does contain calories. (After all, a shot of vodka may look like water, but — as you've probably noticed — that's where the similarities end.)
You generally won't see calorie info listed on a bottle of vodka, but you will see the alcohol percentage, as well as the proof. Doubling the alcohol percentage gives you the proof number. A vodka labeled 40 percent alcohol, for example, is 80 proof.
Each gram of pure alcohol contains 7 calories, so the higher the percentage of alcohol in your favorite brand of vodka, the higher the proof and the more calories you'll get.
Keep this handy fact in mind whenever you're trying to figure out how many calories are in a type of alcohol.
The ingredients in vodka are mainly water, vodka and sometimes flavorings. There are small amounts of potassium, phosphorus and sodium in vodka, but it is not a significant source of any nutrient and provides 0 percent of your Daily Value for them.
The calories in vodka come from alcohol, not carbs, and there are no carbs in vodka. Every gram of pure alcohol contains 7 calories, according to the USDA. (To put that into perspective, 1 gram of fat has 9 calories, 1 gram of carbs has 4 calories and 1 gram of protein has 4 calories.) The more alcohol your vodka contains, the more calories it will have.
Generally, a single shot of vodka, which is about 1.5 ounces, contains:
- 96 calories
- 0 g carbs
A standard 1.5-ounce drink is about 40 percent alcohol (or "80 proof"), according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Here's a breakdown of the calorie and carb counts in different serving sizes of vodka:
1 shot (1.5 oz.)
Half-pint (8 oz. or 5.3 shots)
Pint (16 oz. or 10.6 shots)
Fifth (25 oz. or 17 shots)
Because there are 10.6 shots in a pint and 17 shots in a fifth (750-milliliter bottle), that means there are 1,027 calories in a pint of vodka and 1,605 calories in a fifth of vodka.
But you definitely shouldn't drink that much alcohol in one sitting. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests sticking to two drinks or less in a day for adults assigned male at birth and one drink or less in a day for adults assigned female at birth.
Here is the amount of calories in some of the most popular brands of vodka in the U.S.
Potato Vodka Calories and Carbs
Just like other types of vodka, there are 97 calories and 0 grams of carbs in potato vodka per 1.5-ounce shot. Remember, it doesn't matter if you're comparing potato vodka vs. grain vodka because calories are determined by alcohol content, not the original ingredient of the alcohol.
Grey Goose Vodka
Grey Goose is a vodka brand that's produced in France. There are 98 calories in a shot of Grey Goose Vodka, which also contains 0 grams of carbohydrates. Like the vast majority of vodkas, Grey Goose vodka is 80 proof, meaning it contains 40 percent alcohol.
Ketel One Vodka
Kettle One hails from the Netherlands and is distilled from wheat in copper pot stills. A 1.5-ounce serving of Ketel One Vodka contains around 97 calories and 0 grams of carbs. Like most vodkas, Ketel One Vodka is 80 proof and contains 40 percent alcohol.
The manufacturer also produces Ketel One Botanical, which is a vodka that has been distilled with botanicals and infused with fruit essences (such as peach and orange blossom and cucumber and mint). It has a lower proof, so each serving contains 73 calories and 0 carbs.
Svedka is a Swedish vodka brand owned by U.S.-based Constellation Brands. "There are 0 grams of carbs and 97 calories in Svedka Vodka, which is 40 percent alcohol (80 proof).
Svedka's Pure Infusions line contains an average of 70 calories and 0 grams of carbs per 1.5-ounce serving.
Ciroc Ultra-Premium Vodka, which is made from French grapes, is 40 percent alcohol (80 proof) and contains 97 calories and 0 grams of carbs.
However, flavored varieties contain different amounts of calories and carbs. For example, there are 94 calories in Ciroc Coconut Vodka, which is 35 percent alcohol (and that's why it's lower in calories), and 2.3 grams of carbs. Ciroc Peach Vodka has 100 calories and 0 grams of carbs.
Pinnacle is a vodka brand that's distilled in France and bottled in the U.S. Pinnacle Original Vodka is 40 percent alcohol (80 proof) and contains 97 calories and 0 grams of carbs.
The brand is known for its variety of decadent flavors. Here are the carb and calorie counts in a shot of various Pinnacle Vodka flavors:
Burnett's vodka is a brand of distilled vodka bottled by Sir Robert Burnett Co. in Kentucky. Burnett's Original Vodka contains 40 percent alcohol (80 proof), meaning that it has 97 calories and 0 grams of carbs.
Taaka vodka is produced and marketed by the Sazerac Company of New Orleans. It's available in 80, 90 and 100 proof versions.
Check out the calories in Taaka vodka per various proofs:
Remember, the higher the alcohol content, the more calories you'll get.
Three Olives Vodka
The Three Olives Company was created in 1998 in the United Kingdom. It was then sold to Proximo Spirits, which distributes the liquor in the U.S.
Jeremiah Weed Sweet Tea Vodka
British-based brand Diageo owns Jeremiah Weed, which sells mostly whiskey-based beverages. However, they introduced a Sweet Tea Vodka in 2011. Jeremiah Weed Sweet Tea Vodka, Original and Peach, contains brewed tea, cane sugar and is 35 percent alcohol by volume. It is an alcoholic version of the Southern-style iced tea beverage, sweet tea.
A 1.5-ounce shot of Jeremiah Weed Sweet Tea Vodka has 155 calories and 9 grams of carbs.
Adding Mixers = More Calories and Carbs
Adding mixers to your vodka drink will increase the calorie and carb count if your mixer contains sugar.
For example, a vodka cranberry made with a shot of vodka and 4 ounces of cranberry juice has about 156 calories. And a vodka lemonade made with a shot of vodka and 4 ounces of lemonade has about 152 calories.
Keep in mind that these vodka cranberry calories and vodka lemonade calories come from alcohol and sugar.
See below for popular mixers and their nutrition facts per 4 ounces.
If you're avoiding adding carbs and calories, stick to unsweetened 0-calorie mixers such as seltzer.
Mixer (4 oz.)
- USDA: “Alcoholic Beverage, Distilled, All (Gin, Rum, Vodka, Whiskey) 80 Proof”
- Britannica: "Learn How to Make Vodka"
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: "What Is a Standard Drink?"
- Grey Goose Vodka: "How Many Calories Are There in Grey Goose Vodka?"
- Walmart: "Ketel One Vodka"
- Ketel One: "Ketel One Botanical"
- Svedka: "Svedka 80 Proof"
- Calorie King: "Ciroc Ultra-Premium Vodka"
- Drizly: "Pinnacle Original Vodka"
- USDA: "Alcoholic Beverage, Distilled, All (Gin, Rum, Vodka, Whiskey) 100 Proof"
- USDA: "Vodka"
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "Dietary Guidelines for Alcohol"