Alcohol calories come from two sources: the ethanol itself (7 cal/g) and any carbohydrates/sugars in the drink. This calculator uses standard drink definitions and typical nutritional data to estimate total calories from both sources.

Alcohol and Macros

Alcohol is sometimes called the "fourth macronutrient" — it provides calories but no essential nutrients. Most tracking apps let you log alcohol calories as either carbs or fat for macro purposes. A common approach: count each drink as equivalent to ~2 carb exchanges (24g carbs).