Do You Know How Much Sugar Is In Your Favorite Cocktail?
Can you recall the last time you had one-too-many of your favorite cocktail? Okay, you may not be able to remember every second of the night — but one thing you'll never forget is the nasty hangover you felt the next morning. If your favorite cocktail tends to make you sicker than most, we're here to tell you that sugar is most likely the culprit.
If you're drink of choice is something along the lines of a whiskey on the rocks, a gin and tonic, or a martini — you're in luck. Drinks like these involve relatively no mixers, and if they do, they're lower in sugar count than most mixers. Take tonic water, for example. It isn't sugar-free, but a 12-ounce serving of regular tonic water contains between 8 and 8.25 teaspoons of sugar, while a can of soda can range from 10 to 15. To look at sugar intake in nothing but numbers? A 12 ounce can of Pepsi contains 41grams of sugar and a 12 ounce bottle of Schwepps Tonic Water includes 33.
If you have the option, it is always best to have the least amount of sugar as possible in your drinks.
Looking to steer clear of a sugar crash and an awful hangover? Here's three common cocktails you should probably be avoiding.
Piña Cola
Another frozen cocktail makes the list! Though these guys are utterly refreshing and delicious, we're sad to say that they don't do great things for your bikini body. (Ironic, isn't it?) Your average 5 ounce Piña Colada can hit high at 245 calories and 31.5 grams of sugar. Say it aint' so, Rupert Holmes!
Long Island Iced Tea
The sugar and calorie intake in a Long Island Iced Tea comes from both the mixer and the crazy amount of booze. Think about it — a cocktail filled with soda, rum, gin, triple sec, and sweet and sour mix? That sounds like a recipe for disaster. To get the numbers straight, an 8 ounce Long Island Iced Tea roughly contains 275 calories and 33 grams of sugar.
Margarita
The calorie intake of a margarita depends a lot on how it's prepared. If you're visiting one of those hole-in-the-wall Mexican joints who serve them in those big ol' glasses that are the size of your head, you're asking for trouble. A 32 ounce frozen margarita will get you roughly 600 calories, 120 grams of carbohydrates, and 156 grams of sugar. Someone, pass the hangover remedies!
The accompanying slideshow is provided by Juliet Tierney.