Everclear is a brand name of neutral grain spirits that are bottled at extremely high proof levels, typically 151 proof (75.5% alcohol by volume) and 190 proof (95% alcohol by volume). With such high alcohol contents, many people wonder just how many calories are contained in a serving of Everclear, especially the 190 proof variety which is the highest proof spirit available for consumer purchase.
What is Proof and How Does it Relate to Alcohol Percentage?
Proof is a measurement of alcohol content in spirits. In the United States, proof is defined as twice the alcohol percentage by volume. So a spirit that is 50% alcohol by volume is 100 proof. A spirit that is 75.5% alcohol by volume (like standard 151 proof Everclear) is 151 proof. And a spirit that is 95% alcohol by volume (like 190 proof Everclear) is, you guessed it, 190 proof.
The higher the proof, the higher the amount of alcohol and, in turn, the higher the calorie count. This is because alcohol contains roughly 7 calories per gram, compared to 9 calories per gram for fats and 4 calories per gram for carbohydrates and proteins. The more alcohol in a spirit, the more calories it will contain.
Calorie Count of 190 Proof Everclear
Given its extremely high alcohol percentage, 190 proof Everclear packs a very hefty caloric punch. Here is the calorie breakdown for a 1.5 ounce (one shot) serving of 190 proof Everclear:
– Proof of 190 Everclear: 95% alcohol by volume
– Amount of alcohol per 1.5 oz shot: approximately 1.4 ounces (since 95% of 1.5 oz is alcohol)
– Calories per gram of alcohol: 7 calories
– Grams per ounce of alcohol: 29.6 grams (since alcohol has a density of 0.79 g/mL)
– Calories per 1.5 oz shot: 1.4 oz * 29.6 grams/oz * 7 calories/gram = 289 calories
So a single 1.5 ounce shot of 190 proof Everclear contains a whopping 289 calories! This is far more than a typical 1.5 ounce shot of 80 proof spirit like vodka, rum, tequila or gin, which would contain around 100 calories.
The calorie count for a standard 1.5 ounce shot of 151 proof Everclear would be slightly less at around 230 calories. But 190 proof packs the biggest caloric punch of any commercially available spirit.
Everclear Calorie Count Comparison
To put Everclear’s calorie count into perspective, let’s compare it to some other popular high-proof spirits:
| Spirit | Proof | Calories (1.5 oz shot) |
|---|---|---|
| Vodka | 80 proof (40% ABV) | 97 calories |
| Gin | 94 proof (47% ABV) | 123 calories |
| Rum | 94 proof (47% ABV) | 123 calories |
| Tequila | 80-100 proof (40-50% ABV) | 97-120 calories |
| Everclear | 151 proof (75.5% ABV) | 230 calories |
| Everclear | 190 proof (95% ABV) | 289 calories |
As you can see, Everclear’s calorie count is in a league of its own compared to other popular liquors. The 190 proof variety contains over 2.5 times the calories of a standard 80 proof vodka.
Does Mixing Everclear with Other Mixers Change the Calorie Count?
Everclear is rarely consumed straight. It is most often mixed into alcoholic punches, gelatin shots, or other mixed drinks. But does diluting it with other non-alcoholic mixers reduce Everclear’s calorie count?
The answer is: only very slightly. Since nearly all of Everclear’s calories come from the alcohol itself, diluting it even 50/50 with non-alcoholic mixers will only reduce the calorie count by around half.
For example, if you mix 1.5 oz of 190 proof Everclear with 1.5 oz of orange juice, the calorie count comes to:
– 1.5 oz Everclear: 289 calories
– 1.5 oz Orange Juice: around 60 calories
– Total Calories: 289 + 60 = 349 calories
Compared to the 289 calories in a shot of neat Everclear, mixing a shot with juice only reduces the calories by around 20%. The high alcohol concentration still accounts for over 80% of the total calorie count.
The same logic applies to mixing Everclear with any non-alcoholic beverage like juice, soda, lemonade, etc. The diluting mixers add some calories, but the majority still come from the Everclear itself.
How Many Calories in Other Serving Sizes of 190 Proof Everclear?
We’ve focused on the 1.5 ounce shot as a standard serving size. But what about the calorie counts for other serving sizes of 190 proof Everclear?
Here is a breakdown of calories for some common serving sizes:
| Serving Size | Calories |
|---|---|
| 1.5 oz shot | 289 calories |
| 1 oz shot | 192 calories |
| 2 oz shot | 385 calories |
| 3 oz shot | 577 calories |
| 4 oz shot | 769 calories |
| 1 cup (8 oz) | 1,538 calories |
As you can see, the calories scale linearly with the serving size since it is nearly pure alcohol. An 8 ounce cup of 190 proof Everclear contains over 1500 calories!
Daily Calorie Recommendations
To put Everclear’s calories into context for daily intake recommendations:
– The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend no more than 2 drinks per day for men and 1 drink per day for women. One drink is defined as 1.5 oz of spirit.
– For a male drinking the daily limit of 2 drinks at 1.5 oz each, this would equal 578 calories just from the Everclear alone.
– For a female drinking the daily limit of 1 drink at 1.5 oz, this would equal 289 Everclear calories.
– The recommended daily calorie intake for an average male is 2,500 calories; for an average female it is 2,000 calories.
Consuming more than the recommended daily limits of Everclear could easily lead someone to exceed their recommended daily calories. Drinking excess calories from high-proof alcohol like Everclear can contribute to weight gain over time. Moderation is key.
Does Everclear Have Any Nutritional Value?
Given Everclear’s incredibly high alcohol content, it is essentially ’empty’ calories and contains no significant nutritional value.
There are no macronutrients like carbohydrates, protein or fat. There are also no micronutrients like vitamins and minerals.
Nearly 100% of Everclear’s calories come directly from the alcohol itself. Other nutritional contents like sugars, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, etc. are only present in very tiny trace amounts.
So people certainly do not drink Everclear for any perceived nutritional benefits. It should strictly be viewed as a source of alcohol and alcohol-derived calories only.
How Does Everclear Impact Blood Alcohol Concentration?
Due to its high proof, Everclear can quickly lead to intoxication and high blood alcohol levels. Some key points:
– A standard 1.5 oz shot of 190 proof Everclear will contain nearly 1.5 ounces of pure alcohol.
– For an average weight male of 180 lbs, a 1.5 oz shot of Everclear would lead to a peak blood alcohol concentration of around 0.065%, assuming no other alcohol was consumed.
– For an average weight female of 140 lbs, a 1.5 oz Everclear shot would result in a blood alcohol level of around 0.1%.
– These BAC levels are approaching or exceeding the legal limit of intoxication of 0.08%.
– Larger serving sizes or multiple back-to-back shots can push BAC levels into dangerous territory above 0.15% very quickly.
– Everclear’s high potency allows it to be absorbed very rapidly, so blood alcohol spikes can occur swiftly after shots are consumed.
Ultimately, Everclear should be consumed slowly and in extreme moderation to avoid hazardous intoxication levels. The calories and alcohol content per serving are highly concentrated compared to standard spirits.
Is Everclear Considered Food or Fuel?
While it does technically contain calories, Everclear is not considered a food product. It is classified as an alcoholic beverage or intoxicating liquor.
The FDA requires that calories and other nutritional values be included on food labels. But since Everclear is not intended to provide food energy or nutrients, it does not contain an FDA-regulated food label.
However, since calories from alcoholic drinks can contribute to daily energy intake and affect weight management, some producers voluntarily provide calorie estimates on their liquor packaging as a courtesy to consumers.
But ultimately Everclear is intended strictly as an alcoholic drink, not as a food or source of fuel like carbohydrates, fats or proteins. So its calorie content does not imply any real ‘food energy’. The calories simply represent the energy content inherent in ethanol alcohol itself, which provides intoxicating effects rather than nutritional value.
How Do You Burn off the Calories from Everclear?
Given Everclear’s high calorie count, a natural question is how much exercise it would take to burn off those calories.
Here are some estimates for calorie burn from various activities for a 190 lb male:
| Activity | Calories burned per hour |
|---|---|
| Walking (3 mph) | 204 calories |
| Hiking | 368 calories |
| Running (6 mph) | 704 calories |
| Swimming (freestyle laps) | 612 calories |
| Cycling (12-14 mph) | 544 calories |
Based on these estimates:
– Burning off a 1.5 oz shot of Everclear (289 calories) would take around 1.5 hours of walking, 46 minutes of hiking, 24 minutes of running, 28 minutes of swimming, or 32 minutes of cycling.
– Burning off an entire 8 oz cup of Everclear (1,538 calories) would take around 8 hours of walking, 4 hours of hiking, 2 hours of running, 2.5 hours of swimming, or 2.75 hours of cycling.
As you can see, working off an entire day’s worth of Everclear calories requires a quite substantial amount of exercise. This demonstrates how dense the calories are for such a small volume of liquid. Moderation is key if you want to balance out Everclear’s calories.
Low Calorie Mixers for Everclear
To reduce the calorie impact of Everclear drinks, you can mix it with lower calorie beverages:
– Diet soda or zero calorie sodas like Coke Zero or Pepsi Zero
– Sparkling water instead of juice or regular soda
– Sugar-free energy drinks like Rockstar Zero Carb
– Unsweetened tea
– Water with fresh lemon or lime
– Diet tonic water for low calorie gin & tonics
Pairing Everclear with low or zero calorie mixers avoids adding excessive calories on top of the Everclear itself. Be aware of high sugar fruit juices, regular sodas, and sweetened teas which can quickly amplify the drink’s calorie count.
Is Everclear Keto-Friendly?
The ketogenic or ‘keto’ diet relies heavily on low carb eating for achieving a state of ketosis. On paper, pure alcohol like Everclear could be considered keto-friendly since it contains zero carbs or sugar.
But alcohol consumption does disrupt ketosis due to alcohol being metabolized as a priority fuel source over fat. So even though Everclear contains no carbs, it can still kick you out of ketosis.
Excessive alcohol also impairs fat burning until it is cleared from the system. So overdoing it on Everclear is not ideal if you’re trying to burn fat and stick to the keto diet.
That said, reasonable consumption in moderation may not fully derail ketosis. Just don’t make a habit of having multiple servings back-to-back as the alcohol will override fat burning.
Is Everclear Considered Empty Calories?
Yes, the calories obtained from consuming Everclear would be considered empty calories because they provide little to no nutritional value.
Empty calories simply refer to calories that come from nutrients lacking in beneficial macro or micronutrients. Since Everclear is made up primarily of alcohol with no macros, vitamins, minerals or fiber, its calories would be considered empty.
This doesn’t necessarily mean you should avoid Everclear altogether. But from a nutritional standpoint, its calories only contribute to your daily energy intake without providing any additional nutritional benefits.
If trying to eat healthy or lose weight, Everclear’s empty calories should be accounted for and balanced out through a nutrient-rich diet and/or exercise. Moderating intake to 1-2 drinks minimizes empty calorie impact.
Does Everclear Have Carbs?
Everclear has a negligible amount of carbohydrates, essentially zero grams per serving. This is because it is comprised almost entirely of just ethanol alcohol and water.
There are no sugars or starches like with beer or flavored liqueurs. Any trace amounts of carbs would be under 0.5 grams and could be considered zero.
So Everclear is technically a zero-carb beverage. This makes it appealing to low carb diets like keto, provided consumption is kept moderate to prevent alcohol from slowing down ketosis.
Should Everclear Be Avoided on a Diet?
Everclear does not necessarily need to be completely avoided when dieting or trying to lose weight. As long as intake amounts are sensible.
Here are some tips for making Everclear work as part of a reduced calorie diet:
– Stick to 1-2 servings max to limit excess empty calories. One serving is 1.5 oz.
– Be diligent about tracking Everclear’s calories as part of your daily intake.
– Balance out the alcohol calories by reducing calories from food for the day.
– Mix with zero calorie beverages instead of sugary mixers to prevent boosting calorie counts.
– Drink on a full stomach so the alcohol isn’t sitting directly on top of hunger.
– Stay well hydrated before, during and after drinking to mitigate appetite stimulation from alcohol.
– Avoid drinking late at night – consume earlier in the day to prevent overeating or bingeing later.
Through mindful drinking habits, Everclear can be incorporated sensibly into a diet targeting sustainable weight loss over time. Just be extra diligent given the higher caloric density compared to other alcohols.
Conclusion
Everclear, particularly the 190 proof variety, packs an extremely concentrated dose of calories due to its unusually high alcohol percentage. A single 1.5 oz shot equates to nearly 300 calories, over 2.5x more than a standard liquor.
Diluting Everclear with non-alcoholic mixers only slightly reduces the calorie count since the majority of calories come from the alcohol itself. Moderating intake to 1-2 servings and mixing with zero calorie beverages are best practices for dieting.
Overall, Everclear should be treated as an occasional indulgence on a healthy diet, not a daily habit. Being mindful of its empty calories and alcohol strength is key to balancing enjoyment while avoiding excessive intake. As long as consumption is responsible, Everclear can be incorporated into an active, balanced lifestyle.
