Other colourless drinks, like rum, sake and gin, are similarly low in congeners (although not as low as vodka), and thus less likely to leave you feeling ill. No wonder artisan gin is having a moment.
The lowest-calorie alcohol is vodka, which only has 100 calories in a 50-millimeter shot. Other alcohols among those with the lowest calories are whisky, gin, and tequila, which all have about 110 calories per shot.
Low-alcohol drinks mix up to 10 percent alcohol by volume (ABV, 20 proof), give or take. That's about the same as a glass of wine and half the strength of boozy powerhouses like martinis and margaritas. Some are even lighter, about the strength of a beer.
Share a Flavor Profile with the Bartender and Ask for Something Low-ABV. From my own endeavors, I have often found that if you give a bartender a flavor profile, they can create a custom low- or non-alcohol drink for you.
By themselves, "clear liquors like vodka and gin have the fewest calories and the least amount of sugar," says Amy Shapiro, R.D. That means they're easier for our bodies to metabolize and may result in less intense hangovers for some people.
According to the pH level, gin, tequila, and non-grain vodkas are the lowest acidity options; choosing drinks made with these alcohols will be best on your stomach. You'll be best served by a drink made with a light juice like apple, pear, or cranberry, but sometimes you just really want that kick of citrus.
While rum has a relatively small amount of methanol congeners (up to 131mg/L), it has about 3,633mg/L of propanol congeners, the highest amount of propanol of any alcohol on this list. For this reason, it can be one of the worst types of alcohol for a hangover.
So, now on to the all-important question, which alcohol is easiest on the liver? The quick answer is, none of them. The reason is that the main liver-damaging ingredient in all types of alcohol is ethanol. It doesn't matter which alcohol you chose, be it weak beer or grain alcohol.
Experts consider one drink of alcohol to be 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounce of hard liquor. Consuming an occasional glass or 2 of an alcoholic beverage usually won't cause harmful effects to individuals with full kidney function.
But for drinkers seeking a moderate option, not abstinence, breweries are increasingly making compelling beers that weigh in at 2 and 3 percent alcohol, below the typical 4 percent floor for light lagers. (Bud Light is 4.2 percent.) Jack's Abby Craft Lagers, in Framingham, Mass., created a series of low-A.B.V.
If you choose to visit the destinations mentioned above, then your all-inclusive alcoholic drinks will be capped at 6 per day. They are often with allowed only with meals, meaning 3 with your lunch and 3 with your dinner.
NIAAA defines heavy drinking as follows: For men, consuming more than 4 drinks on any day or more than 14 drinks per week. For women, consuming more than 3 drinks on any day or more than 7 drinks per week.
What do you mean by heavy drinking? For men, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming 15 drinks or more per week. For women, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming 8 drinks or more per week.