Who doesn’t love a nice, refreshing glass of gin and tonic every now and then? We sure do! But what about calories? Do you ever think about how many calories your favourite G&T might contain?
After some digging, we found out just how many calories in a typical gin and tonic and it might surprise you. A standard gin and tonic could contain around 114 calories - and although this may sound low, what if you could enjoy the same great taste and have fewer calories?
Read on to find out just how you can do that by making some simple changes.
Calories in gin and tonic
Everyone has their favourite brand of gin and tonic, and the good news is we aren’t here to tell you to stop drinking it. We just want to help you drink in a more mindful way and consider how choosing alternatives could result in cutting back on calories when enjoying a gin and tonic. One glass contains around 114 calories, and as we know, alcohol calories are empty calories that provide no nutritional value.
A 25ml shot of gin contains approximately 59 calories and one 200ml bottle of standard tonic water adds around another 55 calories. Even though tonic water is typically referred to as a healthy mixer, there can often be hidden sugars that are often overlooked and bump up that calorie count!
The gin offenders
A top tip for you, the higher the alcohol percentage, the more calories your gin is likely to contain. So if you enjoy a strong gin, calories in your drink are going to be more than 114. To make this easier, we’ve found a list of the worst offenders, the top 6 are listed below (based on 25ml serving):
- Greenall’s Gin - 96 calories
- Junipero Gin - 87 calories
- Aviation Gin - 70 calories
- Beefeater Gin - 67 calories
- Tanqueray Gin - 67 calories
- Plymouth Gin - 62 calories
Now if one of these is your all-time favourite gin, we know it would be hard to give up. Which is why it might be a good idea to switch your tonic instead!
The tonic offenders
How often have you heard that tonic water is the healthiest mixer? In some cases it is, but if you like a premium tonic it's worth considering that those premium tonics often contain around 20 calories and 7.1 grams of sugar per 100ml, so a diet lemonade may actually be better for you!
That’s not much we hear you say, but how often do you just have 100 ml of tonic? Hardly ever is the answer. When you go to a bar or restaurant, you’ll get one 200ml bottle of tonic to one 25ml shot of gin. This can make the calories in gin and tonic even higher.
If you’re looking for a gin and tonic with lower calories, these are the tonics to avoid (based on 200ml serving):
- Schweppes 1783 crisp - 74.4 calories, 18g of sugar
- Fever Tree Mediterranean - 72 calories, 14.8g of sugar
- Franklin & Sons Indian - 68 calories, 15.7g of sugar
- Double Dutch Indian - 63 calories, 14.9g of sugar
- Fentimans Indian - 59 calories, 9.8g of sugar
- Fever tree Indian - 56 calories, 14.6g of sugar
- Schweppes Indian - 43 calories, 9.6g of sugar
The good news is that all of these brands have light or slimline tonics that taste just as great but have fewer calories and sugar. So it’s a win-win!
Enjoy a lower calorie version of your G&T
Lower calorie gin or gin alternative mixed with tonic is still a great way to enjoy the refreshing drink you love without worrying about how many calories you’re drinking. And it doesn’t mean that the taste is any different, in some cases, it might actually be better.
By changing your gin and tonic to contain fewer calories, the overall total calories could go from 114, right down to 35! That’s a major saving, especially if you’re counting calories to lose weight, stay in shape or just want to be more mindful of your consumption.
The gin alternatives
When looking for a lower calorie gin or gin alternative, it’s always a good idea to look for one with lower alcohol. When the alcohol percentage is lower, so are the calories. Below is a list of the best low-calorie gins on the market (based on 25ml serving):
- LUXLO for Gin Lovers - 28 calories (this is ours, so we are a tad biased)
- Opihr Gin - 50 calories
- Sipsmith Gin - 52 calories
- Gordon’s Special Dry Gin - 52 calories
- Hendrick’s Gin - 54 calories
- Skol Gin - 54 calories
When pairing these lower calorie gins with a lower calorie tonic, you really have got a winning drink. But which tonic is best?
The tonic alternatives
There are a number of low-calorie tonics available from the brands you love. Remember to check sugar levels, as lower calories don’t always mean less sugar! Below is a list of the best lower calorie tonics (based on 200ml serving):
- Schweppes Slimline - 4 calories, 0g of sugar
- Fever Tree Light - 30 calories, 5.7g of sugar
- Fever Tree Aromatic - 35 calories, 15.6g of sugar
- Fentimans Light - 36 calories, 6.8g of sugar
- Franklin & Sons Light - 38 calories, 8.6g of sugar
- Schweppes 1783 Light - 40 calories, 9g of sugar
- Double Dutch Skinny - 42 calories, 9.2g of sugar
While these low-calorie tonics do contain some sugar, it is considerably lower than what the standard tonic waters contain.
Now that you know how many calories are in a typical gin and tonic, it will become easier for you to manage how many you drink, especially when dieting. One small change really does make all the difference. Try different tonics and flavoured gins to find your perfect lower calorie G&T.
Remember to drink responsibly, and enjoy knowing that your gin and tonic isn’t ruining your diet or the love of your G&T.
Information correct as of 21 March 2019