Units and calories in vodka

Vodka, like all spirits, is a strong alcoholic drink.

A typical-strength single (25ml) measure of vodka will have one unit of alcohol in it. And if your drink has a double measure (50ml), it will have two units of alcohol.¹

The UK Chief Medical Officers' (CMOs’) low risk drinking guidelines recommend that it’s safest for both men and women to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread over three or more days with several drink-free days, and no bingeing.²

So, drinking more than seven double measures of vodka in a week would put you above the low risk drinking guidelines.

Drinking above the low risk drinking guidelines increases your risk of developing long-term health problems including seven types of cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, liver disease, and stroke.³ It can also affect your skin, fertility, and is linked to low mental health.^4,5,6

How much alcohol is in vodka?

For a drink to be sold as vodka in the UK, it has to be at least 37.5% Alcohol By Volume (ABV).⁷ That means 37.5% of the drink is pure alcohol.

But the alcoholic strength of vodka is often higher – many widely bought vodka brands are 40% ABV or above, and some can be even stronger.

Checking a vodka’s ABV will tell you how strong it is. Look out for the ABV on the label, which shows what percentage of the drink is alcohol, or ask at the bar.

You can work out how many units of alcohol there are in any drink by multiplying the size of the serving (in ml) by its ABV percentage and dividing the result by 1,000. Strength (ABV) x volume (ml) ÷ 1,000 = units

Check the strength of your drink

A mixed vodka drink, like a vodka and coke, made with a single 25ml measure of 40% ABV vodka contains one unit of alcohol.

If you’re drinking at home, it’s important to keep an eye on the measures you are pouring. If you're measuring 'by eye’ your drink might be a lot bigger than the standard measures used in pubs – these are normally 25ml for a single or 50ml for a double.

How many calories are in vodka?

It’s a myth that clear spirit drinks are low in calories. Alcohol contains around seven calories a gram – almost as many as a gram of fat. A double measure (50ml) of 40% vodka could contain 100 calories.⁸

In fact, you might be surprised to hear that a double vodka and cola made with a 50ml measure of vodka contains around 168 calories.⁹ Even switching to a diet mixer will still mean a high calorie drink – a double vodka and diet cola is estimated to have 108 calories.¹⁰

Just like other alcoholic drinks, these are ‘empty calories’ with no nutritional value, so don’t benefit your body in any way.¹¹

What’s more, the calories people consume through alcohol tend to be additional to the calories they consume in the rest of their diet, rather than a replacement. That means you could be having lots of extra calories ‘passively’, or without thinking about it, which can lead to weight gain.¹²

You can track your alcohol units and calories using the free MyDrinkaware app. Download it now to see how many units and calories are in each drink, set goals to stay motivated, and plan and celebrate drink-free days.

Are there alcohol-free alternatives for vodka?

There are more alcohol-free alternatives to vodka than ever before. If you fancy something other than a ‘traditional’ soft drink, you could choose from a range of alcohol-free substitutes that are designed to mimic the taste of vodka, but without the high alcohol content.

In the UK, there is government guidance that recommends anything labelled as alcohol-free should be no more than 0.05% ABV¹³ (although some drinks labelled alcohol-free contain up to 0.5% ABV). This means, because they can still contain some alcohol, alcohol-free isn’t suitable if you need or want to avoid alcohol completely.

They are designed to go with traditional mixers – why not try swapping your regular vodka for an alcohol-free alternative with a diet mixer to enjoy the flavour, but with less alcohol and calories?