Calories in a Shot: Vodka, Tequila, Whiskey, Fireball and More

Ninety-seven calories is the number that answers most versions of this question. It is the energy in a 1.5 oz shot of any 80-proof spirit, and vodka, tequila, whiskey, gin and white rum are very often bottled at exactly that strength. A shot of Tito’s, a shot of Jack Daniel’s and a shot of blanco tequila therefore land within a calorie or two of one another, because the figure depends on how much alcohol is in the glass rather than on what the spirit was distilled from.

Where the calories come from

Unflavored distilled spirits contain essentially no carbohydrate, fat or protein, so nearly all of their energy comes from ethanol itself. Ethanol supplies about 7 kcal per gram, which places it between carbohydrate at 4 and fat at 9. Its density is about 0.789 g/ml, so a given volume weighs a little less than the same volume of water. Those two constants are enough to calculate the calories in any straight pour:

calories ≈ milliliters poured × ABV × 0.789 × 7

A US shot of 1.5 oz is about 44 ml, and at 40% ABV that pour holds roughly 17.7 ml of ethanol. That ethanol weighs about 14 grams and carries 97 to 98 kcal, which matches the figure the USDA lists for a jigger of 80-proof spirit. The remaining 60% of the liquid is water, which contributes nothing.

Because ethanol is the only variable, proof is the only thing that moves the number, and it moves it in a straight line. The spirit category, the brand and the price make no meaningful difference. Barrel aging adds congeners and a little color to whiskey and reposado tequila, yet their contribution amounts to a fraction of a calorie. Gin is the category in which strength varies most, because bottlings run from 37.5% in some markets to navy strength at about 57%, which moves a 1.5 oz pour from roughly 92 to roughly 140 kcal.

Calories by proof and pour size

The table applies the formula above, rounded to the nearest calorie, to the strengths found on most American shelves.

Pour size usually matters more than proof. A home “shot” poured into a tall glass is often closer to 2 oz than to 1.5, which adds about a third to every figure in the middle column. For converting pours into bottles, how many shots in a fifth does the arithmetic for every common size.

Liqueurs add sugar

The formula undercounts liqueurs, which combine a lower alcohol content with a substantial amount of sugar, and in cream liqueurs some fat as well. Brands do not always publish nutrition panels, and recipes vary by market, so the figures below are approximate ranges for a 1.5 oz pour.

• Fireball (33% ABV in its whisky version): roughly 105–120 kcal, of which about 80 come from alcohol and the rest from sugar. A lower-strength, malt-based Fireball is sold in some grocery and convenience stores, and its count is lower still, so the label is worth checking.
• Jägermeister (35% ABV): roughly 145–155 kcal, since its herbal flavor is backed by a good deal of sugar.
• Kahlúa (20% ABV in the US): roughly 135–150 kcal, most of it from sugar rather than alcohol.
• Baileys Irish Cream (17% ABV): roughly 140–150 kcal, because cream, sugar and alcohol all contribute.

Flavored vodkas sit between the two groups. Most add only a little sugar while being bottled at a slightly lower proof, so they generally come out near or just below the 80-proof figure. Layered and mixed shots simply add their components together, which is why a three-liqueur shooter can reach 150 kcal in a glass that holds barely more than an ounce. Our Fireball shots collection shows how quickly a cinnamon-heavy party menu stacks up.

The mixer usually matters more

Once a shot becomes a drink, the mixer frequently contributes as much energy as the spirit, and sometimes more. Regular cola runs about 140 kcal per 12 oz can and orange juice about 110 per 8 oz. Tonic water, which is sweetened, adds roughly 120–130 per 12 oz, while soda water and diet sodas contribute effectively nothing.

The consequence is visible in two drinks that look nearly identical. A Vodka Soda, built from vodka, soda water and a squeeze of lime juice, stays close to the 97 kcal of its spirit. A Vodka Tonic, which is vodka topped with tonic water, can easily pass 200 kcal in a tall glass. Swapping regular tonic for a diet or light version removes most of that difference, and the same logic drives our list of low-calorie cocktails, such as a gin and tonic lightened by the choice of tonic.

When the question is which lighter drinks the bar at home can already make, CocktailBuilder matches the bottles on hand, soda water and diet mixers included, to recipes that use them.

The lime wedge, the salt rim and a dash of bitters add little or nothing, so the garnish is never the problem, whereas a single ounce of simple syrup, at roughly 50–60 kcal depending on its ratio, can outweigh half a shot of whiskey.

Last modified on October 4, 2026