12 Of The Unhealthiest Drinks You Can Order At The Bar

Even if you have a regular stable of drinks you typically order, it's not uncommon to change things up a bit and stray from your usual. Whether it's because you're exploring the menu at a new location, out celebrating with friends, or unwinding on vacation, it can be fun to indulge your curiosity while your trusty bartender does all of the heavy lifting. Unfortunately, despite whatever positive vibes might've gotten you in the door, there's no denying that alcohol consumption of any kind isn't celebratory for your health: Most recently, former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory in January warning of a link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk.

But even if you have no plans to start teetotaling, there are still other considerations tied to your drink order. Many cocktails go well beyond excessive when it comes to sky-high calorie counts, boatloads of sugars and syrups, and high amounts of saturated fats — with some ticking off even more than one of those boxes. Here are some of the unhealthiest drinks you might want to reconsider the next time you're out on the town.

If you're taking it at face value, it shouldn't be all that surprising that this novelty cocktail is appealing to practically everyone. After all, a mudslide is rich, chocolatey, and loaded with heavy cream — or even ice cream if you're going all out with a frozen version. But if you're being honest about what you're consuming, it's best to think of this blended or shaken beverage for what it really is: a boozy milkshake. The calorie count falls in step with its virgin dessert drink counterpart, clocking in at about 670 calories per drink when you include vanilla ice cream as an ingredient, which makes it about a third of the daily recommended intake of 2,000.

There's another glaring problem when it comes to the sweet tooth appeal of this drink, too. Along with the added sugar from using ice cream, the drink's three boozy ingredients (vodka, Irish cream liqueur, and coffee liqueur) add heftily to the sweetness, bringing the full-fledged version to a whopping 61 grams of sugar — which is already much more than the FDA-recommended daily intake of 50 grams. Research has shown that added sugar in food and drinks can lead to health problems, including cavities, weight gain, heart disease, and diabetes. In any case, it's safe to say mudslides are best kept as a "once in a while" bar treat.

Even if you can't board a flight, there are times when the idea of ordering a Piña Colada can become the shortcut to a mental vacation. The rum-based drink has become synonymous with leisure and relaxation thanks to its reliance on coconut and pineapple flavors. But while well-made versions can be sumptuous and surprisingly easy to drink, things can get a little bit less relaxing when you realize this cocktail is heavy when it comes to added sugar. The combination of fruit juices, syrups, and rum tally up to a whopping 81 grams per 12-ounce drink, which far surpasses the daily suggested intake of 50 grams in just a single serving.

Unfortunately, that's not the only rain that ruins this sunny libation. Because it relies on cream of coconut as a staple ingredient, Piña Coladas are also surprisingly high in saturated fats, with one cocktail packing 6.1 grams out of the suggested daily 20. Medical research has found that higher consumption of saturated fats can raise LDL (or "bad") cholesterol, which in turn increases the risk of stroke and heart disease. It's best to keep these as a short trip rather than a long getaway and consider switching to another option after you finish your first round.

Arguably one of the most self-explanatory drinks on a menu, Rum punch is a serious crowd-pleaser that often makes for a great pre-batched option. But while some people may tweak their own recipes, this seriously quaffable cocktail is still always based on a blend of fruit juices and flavored syrups that translates into—you guessed it—a ton of sugar making its way into your glass. A single drink using a combination of light and dark rums, orange juice, pineapple juice, lime juice, and grenadine syrup reaches roughly 27 grams per 12 ounces. This basically puts it on par with a glass of Kool-Aid fruit punch.

Part of the deception of this drink lies in its use of a fruit juice base. While it might seem like OJ and pineapple are a healthier alternative to sodas, doctors warn that even 100% fruit juices can be brimming with added sugar by the time they make it to the shelf and cut out all of the healthy fiber that comes with eating piece instead. When you also consider the fact that most bars are usually stocking juices made from concentrate, fruit punches, or fruit cocktails that can contain as little as 10% real juice, the situation becomes even worse. Doctors warn that having too many sweet beverages in a row can lead to spikes in your blood sugar, which can cause health issues with the kidneys, eyes, and heart over time.

When made well, a mai tai is a bonafide tiki classic that provides a beautifully balanced flavor. Part of this is thanks to its exacting traditional recipe that relies on ingredients like orgeat, orange liqueur, lime juice, and a mix of high-quality light and dark rums. However, the cocktail's popularity has forced many short-stocked bars to improvise, creating something of a broken telephone effect on the output over time. These days, ordering one at the wrong well-intentioned establishment could result in a concoction of sugary juices that actually borders on a rum punch.

Normally, a little bartender improvisation can actually be pretty commendable if the results work out. However, these simplified recipes made with pineapple juice, orange juice, and grenadine not only swap in candy sweetness for subtlety and nuance, but also contain roughly 300 calories and 18 grams of sugar per cocktail. And besides the myriad health issues already mentioned, studies in Circulation have shown that increased consumption of sweetened beverages correlated with an increased mortality rate in the long term. If you plan on enjoying this drink the way it was intended, make it a point to seek out a bar specializing in classic recipes beforehand.

It's hard to conceive of a cocktail with a more tarnished reputation than the Long Island Iced Tea. The famously boozy-as-it-gets beverage is a veritable run up and down the bar rail, made with vodka, rum, tequila, gin, and orange liqueur topped off with a dash of Coke and bar lime mix for good measure. But besides being slightly embarrassing to order in public, it also packs a relatively unhealthy punch with roughly 28 grams of sugar (thanks in no small part to the rums and Coke used as ingredients), which is just over half your daily recommended intake.

Still, it's not just the added sugars that make this a relatively problematic libation. The volume of booze to mixer makes it much higher in alcohol content than your average order — while arguably still being easier to drink than other spirit-forward cocktails like Manhattans and martinis. Besides the immediate effects of overindulgence, long-term heavy drinking can lead to a host of other serious health issues, including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, stroke, and digestive problems, according to the CDC.

Mojitos already have something of a bad reputation amongst busy bartenders who loathe the labor-intensive muddling required for this rum-based drink. But besides the professional animosity, you could probably be excused for assuming that this drink is on the healthier side. After all, it relies on mixers like club soda and lime juice along with its rum base, which might suggest a relatively low calorie count.

But as you might've guessed, there's another key ingredient that spoils the outcome: a pretty heavy dose of sugar. Just one of the relatively straightforward cocktails can contain as much as 28 grams per drink, which is often in the form of simple syrup for the sake of easy mixing. Unfortunately, even swapping in a seemingly healthier alternative for traditional white sugar such as turbinado sugar or honey won't lessen the glycolic outcome, no matter what the base of the cocktail may be. If you're craving something refreshing, you might want to forgo the sweetness entirely and stick to a rum and club soda with a spritz of lime instead.

Let's be honest: If you're out ordering this drink at a bar, there's a very good chance you recently rewatched "The Big Lebowski." After all, this simple stirred cocktail made with vodka, Kalua coffee liqueur, and heavy cream was famously the drink of choice for the film's main character. But if you're going to be drinking one anywhere nearly as regularly as the Dude does in the movie, you won't be doing your health any favors. With a full ounce of full-fat cream in each drink, you're looking at 15 grams of saturated fat per cocktail.

While saturated fats occur naturally in many foods, experts warn that they shouldn't exceed more than 10% of your daily calorie intake. To simplify the math a bit, that sets the goal somewhere around 20 grams for a 2,000-calorie diet to avoid increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease brought on by higher cholesterol. Fortunately, you can lessen the impact without altogether forgoing that rich, creamy texture by making use of dairy alternatives such as almond milk or soy milk instead.

One of the best things about a frozen daiquiri is that you can pretty much make it any flavor you like. Whether it's strawberry, raspberry, something unexpected, like dragon fruit, or a classic Hemingway, all it takes is swapping out one fruit for another to get the perfect drink. With their relatively simple preparation technique, these icy drinks stand out alongside piña coladas as a decadent beverage you might sip on while taking PTO. But before you get too excited, there's more to consider here than just brain freeze: Since many frozen machine recipes rely on high amounts of sweet syrups to maintain their slushy consistency, you can expect upwards of 20 grams of sugar per serving.

Of course, it gets even unhealthier if you're ordering from a bar using sweetened purees instead of fresh fruit or grabbing one in an oversized novelty cup. These can sometimes more than double the serving size, all but assuring you're far surpassing your daily suggested sugar intake. It bears repeating that studies have established a link between excess sugar consumption and health issues such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and fatty liver disease.

Whether you take yours frozen or on the rocks, with or without salt, margaritas practically exist in a tier of their own when it comes to popularity. The good news here is that on paper, a traditional margarita isn't actually all that unhealthy in practice if you're using the tequila, lime, triple sec, and dash of simple syrup the classic recipe calls for. Unfortunately, the popularity of this prolific cocktail can make it anything but healthy — especially if you're working with a frozen option or using a store-bought mix instead of fresh ingredients.

In the worst cases, these seemingly convenient pre-packaged pours can get as high as 740 calories per drink and be loaded with as much as 31 grams of sugar. Things get even unhealthier if you indulge in an oversized novelty glass. Thankfully, it's relatively easy to transform this cocktail into a "skinny" version by swapping out orange liqueur for a dash of orange juice and agave nectar to cut back on the added sugar. Aside from it being a bit healthier, you'll also be surprised by how much better it will taste when you make it for yourself using freshly squeezed limes!

Is it festively delicious? Repulsively thick? Somewhere in between? No matter where you stand on the divisive signature holiday cocktail, there's likely no one questioning whether or not Eggnog is healthy for you. Recipes vary from brandy, bourbon, and rum spirit bases (or a combination thereof), but the rest of the drink is built using sweet and high-fat ingredients such as raw eggs, cream, and sugar. Potential food poisoning aside, this actually makes it one exception to the rule where it's possible a store-bought mix could be less disastrous for your health than an in-house version made at a bar (even though they're still not great).

Besides being something of a gross-out factor for some drinkers, the addition of raw eggs along with cream spikes the amount of cholesterol in this beverage. In fact, just a single egg yolk can provide more than the 200 milligrams of the daily suggested limit. While this certainly isn't the most difficult cocktail to avoid, you can still cut back on some of the more problematic elements with a dairy alternative.

The Cuba Libre exemplifies how simplicity can often provide some of the best results behind the bar: After all, this cocktail is nothing more than a serving of white rum mixed with Coke (one of the most popular alcohol-soda combinations) over ice with a healthy squeeze of lime. This also means you're very unlikely to find a bar that can't make you one. However, the main mixer poses a serious problem when it comes to sugar content — especially if you're having more than one.

Besides baked desserts and dairy treats, sweetened beverages like Coke are one of the worst perpetrators when it comes to overindulging in added sugars. Similar to saturated fats, Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests keeping your daily intake to just 10% of your total daily calories. An obvious solution is to swap in a diet soda for a full-sugar one — which is often easier to work with if you bring in even more lime juice.

Sometimes, the bleeding over from the dessert menu to the bar menu isn't hard to spot. As the name suggests, chocolate martinis are an unabashedly sweet cocktail that openly appeals to chocolate fanatics and sweet tooths alike. Like any great dessert, there are multiple versions of this confectionary cocktail. However, almost all of them rely on syrupy or creamy ingredients such as Irish creme liqueur, creme de cacao, chocolate liqueur, cream, cocoa powder, and/or chocolate drizzle.

Just like the edible confection it's named after, it doesn't take a cocktail expert to know these components make the chocolate martini a decadently sweet beverage that's high in calories, sugar, and fat. On the more moderate side, one 6-ounce serving can still run up over 370 calories, more than 5 grams of saturated fat, and 33 grams of sugar. Unfortunately, the very nature of this drink makes it a hard one to replace with something healthier. As you would with any piece of dessert, it's best to enjoy these sparingly or on a special occasion instead of making it your go-to order.