A single vodka, lime and soda is about 55 to 60 calories; a double is about 110 to 120. Nearly all of it is the vodka: 25ml of 40% spirit is roughly 55 calories, soda water is zero, and a wedge of fresh lime adds one or two. Swap the fresh lime for lime cordial and you add about 30 calories a glass.
It is the drink people order when they are watching calories and still want a drink, and the reason it works is simple: the mixer contributes nothing. Here are the numbers for singles, doubles, cordial versus fresh lime, the tequila and gin versions, and how it compares with wine, beer and a G&T.
Alcohol carries about 7 calories per gram, and a 25ml measure of 40% vodka contains about 8 grams of pure alcohol. That is where the 55 calories come from, and it is the same for every 40% vodka on the shelf: Smirnoff, Absolut, Grey Goose and Belvedere all land within a calorie or two of each other. Brand changes the taste, not the count.
The rest of the glass:
| Serve | Vodka | Lime | Calories (approx.) | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single, fresh lime | 25ml at 40% | Wedge | 55–60 | 1.0 |
| Single, lime cordial | 25ml at 40% | 25ml cordial | 85–90 | 1.0 |
| Double, fresh lime | 50ml at 40% | Wedge | 110–120 | 2.0 |
| Double, lime cordial | 50ml at 40% | 25ml cordial | 140–150 | 2.0 |
| Single, 37.5% vodka | 25ml at 37.5% | Wedge | 52–55 | 0.9 |
| Pint of lime and soda (no vodka) | None | Standard cordial | 30–45 | 0 |
| Pint of lime and soda, sugar-free cordial | None | Sugar-free cordial | 2–5 | 0 |
Pubs in the UK pour 25ml or 35ml singles depending on the house measure. A 35ml single is about 77 calories and 1.4 units.
The spirit barely matters, because what counts is the alcohol. A tequila, lime and soda made with 38–40% tequila is about 55 calories a single, the same as vodka. Gin and soda is the same again. Whisky and soda is identical for a 40% whisky, and a 43% or cask-strength bottle only adds a few calories. The drinks that cost you calories are the ones with sugar in the mixer, not the ones with a different spirit.
| Drink | Serve | Calories (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Vodka, lime and soda | Single, fresh lime | 55–60 |
| Vodka and slimline tonic | Single | 60–65 |
| Gin and tonic | Single, regular tonic | 110–120 |
| Vodka and Diet Coke | Single | 55–60 |
| Vodka and Coke | Single | 125–135 |
| Vodka and cranberry | Single, 150ml juice | 120–130 |
| Champagne or prosecco | 125ml flute | 80–90 |
| White wine | 175ml glass | 150–160 |
| Red wine | 175ml glass | 155–165 |
| Lager | Pint | 180–200 |
| Mojito | One | 200–240 |
| Espresso martini | One | 250–300 |
So a single vodka, lime and soda has roughly a third of the calories of a pint and under half those of a large glass of wine. The gap closes quickly with doubles, though: two doubles is 220 to 240 calories, about the same as a mojito, and 4 units.
Not in any meaningful way. The soda is calorie-free and the cordial is a tablespoon or two of sugar syrup. A pint with standard cordial is about the same as a biscuit; with sugar-free cordial or fresh lime it is close to nothing. It is one of the lowest-calorie things you can order in a pub that is not plain water.
Fill a highball with ice, add 25ml or 50ml of vodka, squeeze a wedge of lime in and drop it in the glass, then top with chilled soda water. Use fresh lime rather than cordial if you want to keep it under 60 calories a single. A plain, clean vodka works best because there is nothing to hide it behind: Grey Goose, Belvedere and Absolut all suit it. We stock soda water, ice and limes alongside the vodka range, delivered across London in 30–45 minutes, 24 hours a day.
About 55 to 60 for a single with fresh lime, and 110 to 120 for a double. Soda water has no calories, so almost all of it is the vodka.
About 110 to 120 with fresh lime, or around 140 to 150 if it is made with lime cordial.
About 30 to 45 with standard lime cordial, or 2 to 5 with sugar-free cordial or fresh lime. The soda itself is zero.
One of the lowest. Any single spirit with a zero-calorie mixer is about 55 calories, well under a small glass of wine, a pint or a regular G&T.
They are all about the same. Calories come from the alcohol, so every 40% vodka is roughly 55 per 25ml regardless of brand. A 37.5% vodka is slightly lower, and sweetened flavoured vodkas can be higher.
About 55 for a single of 38–40% tequila, and about 110 for a double, the same as the vodka version.
Related: the 10 lowest-calorie alcoholic drinks, low-calorie cocktails and how many units in a bottle of prosecco.
Calorie figures are typical values and vary by brand and measure. Please drink responsibly. Drinks House 247 operates a Challenge 25 policy: you must be 18 or over to order. For guidance on units, see Drinkaware.
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