What's the healthiest liquor to drink?

October 24, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the World Health Organization, there is no safe amount of alcohol that does not affect health. If you are going to drink, however, understanding what's the healthiest liquor to drink means focusing on options with fewer calories and additives.

Quick Summary

This guide explores alcoholic options with lower calories, less sugar, and other mitigating factors like antioxidants. It compares liquors and cocktails like red wine, clear spirits, and light beers, highlighting the crucial role of moderation for minimizing health impacts.

Key Points

Moderation is Essential: No alcohol is truly healthy; the key is consuming any type in moderation to minimize health risks.
Prioritize Low-Calorie Mixers: Pairing spirits with zero-calorie options like soda water or diet tonic is crucial for keeping calorie and sugar intake low.
Clear Spirits are Low in Congeners: Vodka, gin, and tequila contain fewer congeners than darker spirits, potentially leading to less severe hangovers.
Red Wine Contains Antioxidants: Red wine offers polyphenols like resveratrol, which have been linked to heart and gut health, but only with moderate consumption.
Choose Dry Over Sweet: Opting for dry wines and avoiding sugary cocktails can significantly reduce your sugar intake and prevent calorie spikes.
Light Beer is a Lower-Calorie Option: Light beers offer a way to enjoy beer flavor with significantly fewer calories and carbohydrates than regular brews.
Stay Hydrated to Mitigate Effects: Drinking water between alcoholic beverages helps to slow consumption and prevent dehydration.

What Defines a "Healthy" Liquor?

It is crucial to preface this discussion with the understanding that no alcoholic beverage is unequivocally healthy. The term 'healthiest' is relative and typically refers to drinks that are lowest in calories, sugar, and additives, or offer some potential mitigating compounds like antioxidants. Factors that contribute to a beverage being a 'healthier' choice include:

Lower Calorie Count: Fewer calories from alcohol and mixers means less impact on weight management.
Minimal Sugar and Carbohydrates: High sugar intake from cocktails or sweet wines can lead to blood sugar spikes and weight gain.
Antioxidant Content: Some beverages, most notably red wine, contain antioxidants from their source ingredients.
Lower Congeners: Congeners are chemical byproducts of fermentation that may contribute to hangovers. Clearer liquors generally contain fewer congeners than darker ones.
Purity: Avoiding artificial flavors and high-fructose corn syrup is always a better option.

Leading Contenders for the 'Healthiest' Title

When evaluating different liquors, a few consistently rise to the top for those looking to minimize negative health impacts.

Red Wine

Red wine is often celebrated for its potential health benefits, largely due to its high concentration of polyphenols, powerful antioxidants found in grape skins. The most famous of these is resveratrol, which has been linked to potential cardiovascular benefits and improved gut health. Choosing a dry red wine helps to minimize sugar content. However, moderation is key, as excessive intake negates any potential health perks and can harm the liver.

Clear Spirits (Vodka, Gin, Tequila)

Pure, distilled spirits like vodka, gin, and silver tequila contain no carbs and are virtually free of sugar. They are a clean slate for creating healthier, low-calorie drinks when paired with zero-calorie mixers. Vodka, in particular, is noted for its low congener content. Tequila, made from the blue agave plant, is naturally low in sugar and can be enjoyed simply with a squeeze of lime. The calorie count remains low as long as high-sugar juices and sodas are avoided.

Champagne and Light Wines

Dry sparkling wines like Brut Champagne offer a lower-calorie and lower-sugar option compared to many other wines. The carbonation may also help you feel full, potentially slowing your drinking pace. For still wines, drier varieties like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio are better choices than sweeter options.

Light Beer

For beer enthusiasts, switching to a light beer is a simple way to reduce calorie and carbohydrate intake. Many light beers contain fewer than 100 calories per serving. While regular beer contains B vitamins, the health risks of excessive consumption outweigh these minor benefits.

Comparison of Common Alcoholic Drinks


Drink Type	Calories (Approx.)	Potential Benefits	Health Considerations
Red Wine	125-150 (per 5 oz)	Antioxidants (resveratrol), gut health	Higher sugar than spirits, tannins can cause headaches
Clear Spirits (Vodka, Gin, Tequila)	~100 (per 1.5 oz shot)	Low calories, no sugar/carbs, low congeners	Mixer choices are critical; high ABV means easy to over-consume
Light Beer	~100 (per 12 oz)	Lower calories/carbs than regular beer	Moderate consumption essential to avoid weight gain
Champagne (Brut)	80-100 (per 4 oz)	Low calories/carbs, effervescence may promote satiety	Antioxidant content is lower than red wine
Whiskey	~105 (per 1.5 oz shot)	Antioxidants from grains (in moderation)	Higher congener content than clear spirits
Bloody Mary	~120 (per 6 oz)	Antioxidants (lycopene) from tomato juice	Can be high in sodium, still contains potent spirits

How to Make Your Liquor Choice Healthier

Regardless of what you choose, how you consume it makes the biggest difference. Follow these tips for a healthier drinking experience:

Choose Zero-Calorie Mixers: Pair spirits with soda water, diet tonic, or a splash of lime instead of high-sugar juices and sodas.
Dilute Your Drink: Make a wine spritzer with soda water to reduce both alcohol and calorie intake.
Stay Hydrated: Alternate alcoholic drinks with water to pace yourself and prevent dehydration.
Eat First: Drinking on an empty stomach can lead to faster intoxication and potential overconsumption.
Embrace Moderation: Stick to recommended guidelines: up to one drink per day for women and two for men.

The Role of Moderation

While certain beverages may be less harmful than others, the most significant factor for health is moderation. The calories from alcohol are often considered 'empty calories' that can contribute to weight gain. Furthermore, excessive alcohol consumption can have detrimental effects on nearly every organ system, including the liver, brain, and heart. Choosing a 'healthier' option does not provide a license for overindulgence. As the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) explains, even low-level drinking can pose risks, and the focus should be on minimizing harm rather than seeking health benefits.

Conclusion

Ultimately, there is no single "healthiest" liquor to drink, as all alcohol poses health risks. The best approach is to practice moderation and make mindful choices. Selecting lower-calorie options like clear spirits mixed with soda water, light beer, or dry red wine can help minimize calories and sugar. When you do choose to drink, focus on smaller portions, and remember that healthy habits like staying hydrated and eating well are essential for mitigating alcohol's effects. The key is to see these options not as healthy alternatives, but as ways to enjoy alcohol with the least impact on your overall health.

Outbound Link

For more comprehensive information on alcohol's effects on the body, consider exploring the resources provided by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/alcohols-effects-body.

Frequently Asked Questions

Both liquor and wine have different pros and cons. Red wine contains beneficial antioxidants like resveratrol, but liquor has fewer calories and no carbs or sugar when consumed straight or with a zero-calorie mixer. Moderation is the most important factor for either choice.

Clear spirits like vodka, gin, and tequila are among the lowest-calorie liquors, containing roughly 100 calories per 1.5-ounce shot. The total calorie count largely depends on the mixer used.

Tequila is made from the blue agave plant and is naturally low in sugar. However, when compared to other clear liquors like vodka, the calorie and carb content is very similar. Any perception of it being 'healthier' comes from it often being consumed neat or with simple mixers, rather than in sugary cocktails.

It's a misconception that only beer causes weight gain around the midsection. Any alcoholic beverage, including liquor, provides 'empty calories' that can contribute to overall weight gain if consumed in excess. Alcohol consumption also disrupts fat metabolism.

Congeners are chemical byproducts of the fermentation process that are present in different amounts across various alcoholic beverages. Darker liquors like whiskey and brandy tend to have higher congener levels, which are believed to contribute to more severe hangovers.

While the tomato juice in a Bloody Mary provides some vitamins and antioxidants like lycopene, it should not be considered a healthy beverage. Many recipes can be high in sodium, and the drink still contains potent alcohol. Health benefits from the tomato juice do not outweigh the negative effects of the alcohol.

For a low-carb diet, clear spirits like vodka, gin, rum, or tequila are the best options because they contain 0 grams of carbs per serving. Always mix them with zero-carb beverages like soda water or diet mixers, and avoid sugary juices or syrups.