Rum and vodka are two popular distilled spirits that are commonly consumed in cocktails and mixed drinks. While both contain alcohol, many people wonder if one is more fattening than the other. This article will compare rum and vodka in terms of calories, carbs, sugar, and other factors to determine which one is more likely to contribute to weight gain.
Calorie Content
One of the biggest factors that contributes to a drink being fattening is its calorie content. Here is a comparison of the calorie content of rum and vodka:
| Drink | Serving Size | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Rum (80 proof) | 1.5 oz | 97 |
| Vodka (80 proof) | 1.5 oz | 97 |
As you can see from the table, a standard serving of straight rum or vodka contains 97 calories. This means there is no difference in calories between rum and vodka when consumed straight.
Calories in Mixed Drinks
However, rum and vodka are rarely consumed straight. They are usually mixed into cocktails and other drinks that contain additional ingredients like fruit juices, sodas, simple syrups, etc. These added mixers can impact the calorie content of the final drink.
For example, a rum and coke made with 1.5 oz rum and 8 oz coke has about 180 calories. The additional 83 calories come from the coke. Meanwhile, a vodka soda made with 1.5 oz vodka and 8 oz soda water has only about 110 calories.
Since mixers vary so widely based on personal preferences and recipes, it’s impossible to definitively say whether rum or vodka drinks contain more calories overall. However, vodka is more likely to be mixed with lower calorie options like soda water, tonic, or diet soda. Rum tends to be mixed with more caloric mixers like cola, fruit juices, and sweet liqueurs.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are another nutrient that impacts how fattening a drink is. Alcohol alone does not contain carbs, but many mixers and ingredients added to cocktails do.
An average 1.5 oz serving of rum or vodka contains 0g carbs. However, some flavored rums or vodkas may have added sugars and carbohydrates. For example, a 1.5 oz serving of Malibu coconut rum contains 7g carbs.
Again, other ingredients added to drinks can increase carb content. A rum and coke made with cola would contain about 26g carbs from the soda. A vodka cranberry made with 4 oz cranberry juice would have 12g carbs from the juice.
Overall, flavored rums are more likely to contain extra carbs than unflavored vodka. But rum mixed drinks would only contain more carbs than vodka drinks if especially sugary mixers were used.
Sugar Content
Sugars are closely related to carbohydrates and have a big impact on the fattening potential of drinks. Straight rum and vodka both contain 0g of sugar per serving. However, here are some examples of the sugar content of flavored rums vs. vodkas:
| Drink | Serving Size | Sugar (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Malibu Coconut Rum | 1.5 oz | 6.3 |
| Captain Morgan Spiced Rum | 1.5 oz | 0 |
| Absolut Citron Vodka | 1.5 oz | 0 |
| Smirnoff Whipped Cream Vodka | 1.5 oz | 7.1 |
As you can see, flavored rums and vodkas can sometimes contain added sugars while unflavored varieties do not. Some flavored rums like Malibu contain slightly more sugar than flavored vodkas like whipped cream Smirnoff. But overall, there is not a huge difference in inherent sugar content between rum and vodka.
Any sugars from mixers would depend entirely on what’s added to the drink. A rum and ginger ale would have minimal added sugar. But a rum and fruit juice cocktail could have much more.
Natural Sugars vs Added Sugars
It’s also worth noting the difference between natural sugars and added sugars. While fruit juices contain natural occurring sugars, soda and syrups contain added sugars that are generally considered less healthy.
So a rum punch made with fruit juices would contain natural sugars while a rum and coke made with soda would have added sugars. Vodka sodas, on the other hand, would contain very minimal sugars overall.
Fat Content
Fat is the most concentrated source of calories, providing 9 calories per gram compared to 4 calories per gram from carbs or protein. Straight rum and vodka contain no fat. The only way these drinks would obtain fat is from added cream-based liquors or ingredients like coconut milk.
Some examples of fat content in rum vs vodka cocktails:
| Drink | Fat (g) |
|---|---|
| Piña colada (made with coconut milk) | 15 |
| Moscow mule (made with ginger beer) | 0 |
Since rum cocktails more commonly contain ingredients like coconut milk or cream of coconut, they are more likely to have a higher fat content than clear vodka drinks. So in terms of fat specifically, rum drinks tend to be higher.
Other Factors
Aside from nutritional content, there are some other factors that determine how fattening an alcoholic beverage is. These include:
Alcohol by Volume (ABV)
Drinks with higher alcohol content typically contain more calories. For example, a shot of overproof rum at 70% ABV contains 105 calories vs. 97 calories for standard 80 proof rum.
Since most rums and vodkas are around 40% ABV, this doesn’t make a huge difference between the two. But higher proof rums provide slightly more calories.
Added Flavors
As mentioned above, flavored rums and vodkas can sometimes contain added sugars that increase calorie content. Products like whipped cream vodka, vanilla rum, and coconut rum tend to be higher in calories than unflavored varieties.
Mixers & Recipe
The ingredients used in cocktails and mixed drinks have a very high impact on fattening potential. Soda, fruit juices, simple syrups, and cream-based liquors add substantial calories, carbs, sugar, and fat.
Some examples of calorie counts in mixed drinks:
| Drink | Calories |
|---|---|
| Rum and coke | 180 |
| Vodka cranberry | 170 |
| Mojito | 160 |
| Vodka soda with lime | 110 |
While the rum vs. vodka choice makes a small impact, using low-calorie mixers like sparkling water or diet soda makes a much bigger difference.
Serving Size
Larger serving sizes mean more calories, carbs, sugar, and fat. A double shot of rum contains nearly twice as many calories as a standard 1.5 oz pour. Similarly, a 16 oz daiquiri is higher in calories than an 8 oz daiquiri.
So while rum and vodka contain roughly equal calories per serving, consuming more generous portions results in a higher caloric intake.
Conclusion
When comparing rum and vodka side-by-side, neither product has a significant caloric advantage. A serving of straight rum vs. vodka contains 97 calories and 0g carbs, sugar, and fat in both cases.
However, when used in cocktails and mixed drinks, the ingredients added to rum drinks are slightly more likely to increase calories, carbs, sugar, and fat compared to vodka drinks. Specifically:
- Some flavored rums contain extra sugars and carbs while most unflavored vodkas do not.
- Common rum mixers like fruit juices, cream of coconut, and soda contain more calories than vodka mixers like club soda or diet soda.
- Rum drinks more often include fatty ingredients like coconut milk or cream liqueurs.
That being said, the recipe and ingredients have a much bigger impact on calorie content than the base spirit alone. Diet soda, soda water, lemon, and lime are low-calorie mixers that can be used with either rum or vodka.
Overall, there is no major inherent difference between rum and vodka’s impact on weight gain or fat loss. Drinking rum is not necessarily fattening if sensible mixers and portion sizes are used. However, vodka drinks tend to have slightly fewer calories on average in common mixed drink recipes.
