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Data Study

What We Found After Comparing Sugar and Calories Across 999 Cocktail Recipes

Across 966qualifying cocktails in WhatDrink's governed dataset, sugar content showed a strong positive associationwith calories per U.S. standard drink (Spearman ρ = 0.78). The relationship remained strong under sensitivity testing. This is an observational analysis — it does not claim that sugar causes the difference.

Published August 26, 2026 · Observational data study · Population: 999 governed cocktails (966 in the primary analysis)

Reviewed by Suggest a correction

Key findings

ρ = 0.78
Spearman rank correlation between sugar and calories per standard drink (n = 966)
999
Governed cocktails analyzed; 966 in the primary correlation
89 – 535
Range of calories per U.S. standard drink (min–max); median 151
r = 0.66
Pearson (linear) correlation for the same pair — consistent with the rank result
  • Sweeter cocktails carried more calories per unit of alcohol; spirit-forward, low-sugar drinks carried the fewest.
  • Calories per standard drink and ABV were negatively associated (ρ = −0.62), but this is partly definitional — ABV sits in the metric's denominator, so we draw no health conclusion from it.
  • The sugar association strengthened as we excluded low-alcohol drinks (ρ rose from 0.76 to 0.82), indicating it is not a denominator artifact.

Charts

Below: the sugar vs calories-per-standard-drink scatter, the distribution of calories per standard drink, and the sensitivity of the correlation. Every value is read directly from the governed analysis artifact — no illustrative or synthetic data.

Scatterplot: sugar content versus calories per U.S. standard drink200 governed cocktails (deterministic sample of 966) plotted by grams of sugar per serving on the horizontal axis against calories per U.S. standard drink on the vertical axis. Higher-sugar drinks sit higher on the calories-per-standard-drink axis.010020030040050005101520253035404550556065703 Wise Men: 0 g sugar, 103 kcal per standard drinkBourbon and Water: 0 g sugar, 99 kcal per standard drinkGentle Ben: 0 g sugar, 95 kcal per standard drinkSake Martini: 0 g sugar, 100 kcal per standard drinkLong Island Iced Tea: 0.1 g sugar, 94 kcal per standard drinkGin and Soda: 0.2 g sugar, 95 kcal per standard drinkDry Martini: 0.4 g sugar, 95 kcal per standard drinkQuarter Deck Cocktail: 0.5 g sugar, 99 kcal per standard drinkBrown Cocktail: 0.9 g sugar, 99 kcal per standard drinkCowboy Cocktail: 1 g sugar, 136 kcal per standard drinkRum Rickey: 1 g sugar, 103 kcal per standard drinkRum Martini: 1.2 g sugar, 99 kcal per standard drinkGin Toddy: 1.4 g sugar, 97 kcal per standard drinkHennessy Martini: 1.5 g sugar, 117 kcal per standard drinkBuckjones: 1.6 g sugar, 107 kcal per standard drinkWhiskey Sour: 1.9 g sugar, 106 kcal per standard drinkCaesar: 2.1 g sugar, 105 kcal per standard drinkManhattan: 2.2 g sugar, 107 kcal per standard drinkBull's Eye: 2.4 g sugar, 119 kcal per standard drinkTequini: 2.4 g sugar, 106 kcal per standard drinkJamaica Glow Cocktail: 2.6 g sugar, 119 kcal per standard drinkGin Sour: 2.9 g sugar, 103 kcal per standard drinkCorpse Reviver No. 1: 3 g sugar, 146 kcal per standard drinkJack-In-The-Box: 3 g sugar, 133 kcal per standard drinkGin Fizz: 3.1 g sugar, 103 kcal per standard drinkPlaza Cocktail: 3.1 g sugar, 118 kcal per standard drinkTequila Sour: 3.3 g sugar, 107 kcal per standard drinkPink Lady: 3.5 g sugar, 128 kcal per standard drinkEspresso Martini: 3.6 g sugar, 115 kcal per standard drinkBlack Velvet: 3.7 g sugar, 209 kcal per standard drinkIrish Whisky Cocktail: 3.7 g sugar, 114 kcal per standard drinkAdam: 3.8 g sugar, 106 kcal per standard drinkMountain Cocktail: 3.9 g sugar, 120 kcal per standard drinkAviation: 4.1 g sugar, 113 kcal per standard drinkPlain Vermouth Cocktail: 4.1 g sugar, 155 kcal per standard drinkRum Cobbler: 4.3 g sugar, 106 kcal per standard drinkIrish Whiskey Highball: 4.4 g sugar, 111 kcal per standard drinkTchoupitolas Street Guzzle: 4.5 g sugar, 155 kcal per standard drinkFrench Negroni: 4.7 g sugar, 151 kcal per standard drinkPaloma (Natural): 4.7 g sugar, 112 kcal per standard drinkVesuvio: 4.8 g sugar, 140 kcal per standard drinkGin Swizzle: 5 g sugar, 112 kcal per standard drinkScrewdriver: 5 g sugar, 115 kcal per standard drinkStinger: 5.2 g sugar, 130 kcal per standard drinkRum Dubonnet: 5.5 g sugar, 115 kcal per standard drinkCanal Street Daisy: 5.7 g sugar, 155 kcal per standard drinkCharles Cocktail: 5.9 g sugar, 127 kcal per standard drinkFrench Martini: 6 g sugar, 146 kcal per standard drinkBasin Street: 6.1 g sugar, 119 kcal per standard drinkMonkey Wrench: 6.2 g sugar, 122 kcal per standard drinkChicago Fizz: 6.3 g sugar, 136 kcal per standard drinkAcapulco: 6.5 g sugar, 132 kcal per standard drinkStone Cocktail: 6.5 g sugar, 116 kcal per standard drinkTipperary: 6.7 g sugar, 112 kcal per standard drinkPorto flip: 6.8 g sugar, 163 kcal per standard drinkWaikiki Beachcomber: 7 g sugar, 140 kcal per standard drinkAlexander: 7.2 g sugar, 356 kcal per standard drinkBull Shot: 7.4 g sugar, 175 kcal per standard drinkThe Debonair: 7.4 g sugar, 123 kcal per standard drinkClove Cocktail: 7.6 g sugar, 180 kcal per standard drinkBijou Cocktail: 7.8 g sugar, 119 kcal per standard drinkPoppy Cocktail: 7.8 g sugar, 127 kcal per standard drinkThe Crux: 7.9 g sugar, 152 kcal per standard drinkFavorite Cocktail: 8.1 g sugar, 141 kcal per standard drinkVagabundo: 8.1 g sugar, 135 kcal per standard drinkBloodhound Cocktail: 8.3 g sugar, 128 kcal per standard drinkGrape Vodka Froth: 8.3 g sugar, 132 kcal per standard drinkBlue Margarita: 8.4 g sugar, 137 kcal per standard drinkApple Pie with A Crust: 8.7 g sugar, 158 kcal per standard drinkBrave Bull: 8.9 g sugar, 129 kcal per standard drinkMojito: 8.9 g sugar, 116 kcal per standard drinkPollyanna Cocktail: 8.9 g sugar, 122 kcal per standard drinkRum Highball: 9 g sugar, 118 kcal per standard drinkOrchid Cocktail: 9.1 g sugar, 169 kcal per standard drinkGrapefruit Cocktail: 9.5 g sugar, 140 kcal per standard drinkZaza Cocktail: 9.5 g sugar, 123 kcal per standard drinkCuba Libre: 9.8 g sugar, 122 kcal per standard drinkYale Cocktail: 9.8 g sugar, 127 kcal per standard drinkThe Duboudreau Cocktail: 10 g sugar, 124 kcal per standard drinkBijou: 10.4 g sugar, 118 kcal per standard drinkPeggy Cocktail: 10.4 g sugar, 122 kcal per standard drinkVodka Stinger: 10.4 g sugar, 154 kcal per standard drinkBaltimore Bracer: 10.6 g sugar, 163 kcal per standard drinkVerboten: 10.6 g sugar, 168 kcal per standard drinkSnake Bite (UK): 10.7 g sugar, 349 kcal per standard drinkYellow Rattler: 10.8 g sugar, 135 kcal per standard drinkPornstar Martini: 11 g sugar, 198 kcal per standard drinkGodchild: 11.2 g sugar, 240 kcal per standard drinkGin Squirt: 11.4 g sugar, 134 kcal per standard drinkBramble: 11.6 g sugar, 149 kcal per standard drinkCarrol Cocktail: 11.8 g sugar, 136 kcal per standard drinkRob Roy Cocktail: 11.8 g sugar, 130 kcal per standard drinkViva Villa: 11.9 g sugar, 180 kcal per standard drinkWhy Not?: 12 g sugar, 139 kcal per standard drinkXanthia Cocktail: 12.2 g sugar, 132 kcal per standard drinkRum Screwdriver: 12.4 g sugar, 155 kcal per standard drinkRussian Spring Punch: 12.6 g sugar, 183 kcal per standard drinkFat Like Buddha: 12.9 g sugar, 121 kcal per standard drinkHot Toddy: 13.1 g sugar, 141 kcal per standard drinkSand-Martin Cocktail: 13.3 g sugar, 116 kcal per standard drinkMexican Monk: 13.4 g sugar, 125 kcal per standard drinkKir Royale: 13.5 g sugar, 167 kcal per standard drinkIrish Russian: 13.9 g sugar, 187 kcal per standard drinkPrairie Oyster Cocktail: 14.1 g sugar, 461 kcal per standard drinkHarvey Wallbanger: 14.4 g sugar, 167 kcal per standard drinkA1: 14.8 g sugar, 116 kcal per standard drinkFancy-Free Cocktail: 14.8 g sugar, 136 kcal per standard drinkSpanish Town Cocktail: 14.8 g sugar, 132 kcal per standard drinkWidow's Dream Cocktail: 14.9 g sugar, 165 kcal per standard drinkCoffee Grasshopper: 15.3 g sugar, 293 kcal per standard drinkPretty In Pink: 15.4 g sugar, 139 kcal per standard drinkMaiden's Prayer: 15.5 g sugar, 135 kcal per standard drinkSpring Feeling Cocktail: 15.5 g sugar, 114 kcal per standard drinkAce: 15.7 g sugar, 163 kcal per standard drinkGuadalajara: 16 g sugar, 116 kcal per standard drinkSea breeze: 16.3 g sugar, 159 kcal per standard drinkNutty Irishman: 16.5 g sugar, 333 kcal per standard drinkRye Whiskey Cocktail: 16.6 g sugar, 140 kcal per standard drinkThunder and Lightning Cocktail: 16.7 g sugar, 226 kcal per standard drinkThe Philosopher: 16.9 g sugar, 142 kcal per standard drinkFunk and Soul: 17.2 g sugar, 127 kcal per standard drinkRococo: 17.3 g sugar, 159 kcal per standard drinkWhite Lady Cocktail: 17.6 g sugar, 216 kcal per standard drinkHawaiin Cocktail: 17.7 g sugar, 138 kcal per standard drinkSputnik: 17.7 g sugar, 350 kcal per standard drinkCablegram Highball: 18 g sugar, 150 kcal per standard drinkOrange Gin Fizz: 18 g sugar, 146 kcal per standard drinkHeather's Kiss: 18.3 g sugar, 156 kcal per standard drinkSaratoga Cocktail: 18.5 g sugar, 148 kcal per standard drinkBrandy Flip: 18.8 g sugar, 293 kcal per standard drinkSpace Odyssey: 18.9 g sugar, 127 kcal per standard drinkDepth Bomb: 19.2 g sugar, 167 kcal per standard drinkNapoleon: 19.5 g sugar, 136 kcal per standard drinkSeptember Morn Cocktail: 19.7 g sugar, 236 kcal per standard drinkSmile Cocktail: 20 g sugar, 212 kcal per standard drinkPink Rose Fizz: 20.3 g sugar, 234 kcal per standard drinkOrange Push-up: 20.6 g sugar, 182 kcal per standard drinkEl Profesor: 20.7 g sugar, 173 kcal per standard drinkPrince's Smile Cocktail: 20.7 g sugar, 145 kcal per standard drinkT.N.T. Cocktail No. 1: 20.7 g sugar, 142 kcal per standard drinkSuissesse Cocktail: 20.9 g sugar, 229 kcal per standard drinkWebster Cocktail: 21.1 g sugar, 160 kcal per standard drinkAquarius: 21.3 g sugar, 148 kcal per standard drinkDubonnet Fizz: 21.5 g sugar, 250 kcal per standard drinkThe Wink: 21.6 g sugar, 148 kcal per standard drinkMonte Carlo Imperial Highball: 21.7 g sugar, 150 kcal per standard drinkCreole Lady: 22 g sugar, 145 kcal per standard drinkClamato Cocktail: 22.2 g sugar, 161 kcal per standard drinkBlue Devil Cocktail: 22.7 g sugar, 183 kcal per standard drinkRed Apple: 22.8 g sugar, 167 kcal per standard drinkAmante Picante: 23 g sugar, 175 kcal per standard drinkSweet Maria: 23.1 g sugar, 225 kcal per standard drinkLumination: 23.4 g sugar, 241 kcal per standard drinkSaint Lucy Bracer: 23.7 g sugar, 154 kcal per standard drinkCadiz: 24.3 g sugar, 241 kcal per standard drinkCognac Coupling: 24.4 g sugar, 151 kcal per standard drinkThe Old Cuban: 24.6 g sugar, 165 kcal per standard drinkFlander's Flake-Out: 24.9 g sugar, 201 kcal per standard drinkCappuccino Cocktail: 25.3 g sugar, 157 kcal per standard drinkPhoebe Snow: 25.4 g sugar, 153 kcal per standard drinkPetit Zinc: 25.7 g sugar, 168 kcal per standard drinkTia Juanathan: 26.4 g sugar, 133 kcal per standard drinkPink Paradise: 26.9 g sugar, 165 kcal per standard drinkOrange Gin Highball: 27 g sugar, 171 kcal per standard drinkRouxby Red: 27.4 g sugar, 202 kcal per standard drinkBourbon A La Creme: 28.1 g sugar, 141 kcal per standard drinkRum Coooler: 28.4 g sugar, 255 kcal per standard drinkLychee Lucy: 28.6 g sugar, 265 kcal per standard drinkBlack Hawk: 29 g sugar, 163 kcal per standard drinkJacqueline: 29.3 g sugar, 167 kcal per standard drinkTropica Cocktail: 29.4 g sugar, 184 kcal per standard drinkQuick-sand: 29.8 g sugar, 348 kcal per standard drinkGrizzly Bear: 30.8 g sugar, 255 kcal per standard drinkKnock-Out Cocktail: 31.9 g sugar, 181 kcal per standard drinkManila Fizz: 32.5 g sugar, 216 kcal per standard drinkWhiskey Toddy (cold): 33.1 g sugar, 184 kcal per standard drinkAT&T: 34.3 g sugar, 197 kcal per standard drinkMay Blosson Fizz: 34.8 g sugar, 287 kcal per standard drinkApple Pie: 35.5 g sugar, 259 kcal per standard drinkPurple Twister: 35.6 g sugar, 231 kcal per standard drinkGeorgia Peach: 36.2 g sugar, 186 kcal per standard drinkMillion-Dollar Cocktail: 36.4 g sugar, 174 kcal per standard drinkSherry Sangaree: 37.3 g sugar, 264 kcal per standard drinkChamps Elysees Cocktail: 37.7 g sugar, 162 kcal per standard drinkSaxon Cocktail: 38 g sugar, 149 kcal per standard drinkMorning Glory Fizz: 39 g sugar, 180 kcal per standard drinkStupid Cupid: 39.9 g sugar, 184 kcal per standard drinkRum Daisy: 41.4 g sugar, 214 kcal per standard drinkPopped cherry: 41.9 g sugar, 197 kcal per standard drinkRum Collins: 43.4 g sugar, 220 kcal per standard drinkViolet Fizz Juice: 43.5 g sugar, 254 kcal per standard drinkGaugin: 43.9 g sugar, 234 kcal per standard drinkThe Bone: 44.8 g sugar, 234 kcal per standard drinkThyme Collins: 46.6 g sugar, 232 kcal per standard drinkYellow Rose Of Texas: 49 g sugar, 194 kcal per standard drinkHarvard Cooler: 51.9 g sugar, 267 kcal per standard drinkCasco Bay Lemonade: 52.9 g sugar, 313 kcal per standard drinkRuby Fizz: 54.5 g sugar, 422 kcal per standard drinkThe Groupie: 59.3 g sugar, 257 kcal per standard drinkAmaretto Sour: 66.5 g sugar, 499 kcal per standard drinkSugar per serving (grams)Calories per U.S. standard drink
A deterministic, evenly-spaced sample of 200 of 966 qualifying cocktails (deterministic evenly-spaced by x, 1 of every ~4.8 (sorted by display_sugar_g, tie by slug)). Each point is a real recipe with its governed sugar and calories-per-standard-drink values. Observational; not a causal claim.
Distribution of calories per U.S. standard drinkHistogram of calories per U.S. standard drink across 966 qualifying cocktails, in 40-calorie bins. Bar heights are the actual count of cocktails in each bin and sum to 966.80–120 kcal/std: 216 cocktails80120–160 kcal/std: 347 cocktails160–200 kcal/std: 170 cocktails160200–240 kcal/std: 117 cocktails240–280 kcal/std: 51 cocktails240280–320 kcal/std: 24 cocktails320–360 kcal/std: 19 cocktails320360–400 kcal/std: 6 cocktails400–440 kcal/std: 6 cocktails400440–480 kcal/std: 4 cocktails480–520 kcal/std: 5 cocktails480520–560 kcal/std: 1 cocktailsCalories per U.S. standard drink (n = 966)
Actual counts across all 966 cocktails in the primary population, in 40-calorie bins. Bar heights are the empirical frequency and sum to 966.
Sensitivity of the sugar correlation to the standard-drink floorSpearman rank correlation between sugar and calories per standard drink at ≥ 0.25 (n=993, rho=0.76); ≥ 0.50 (n=966, rho=0.78); ≥ 0.75 (n=903, rho=0.82).0.000.250.500.751.00std ≥ 0.25 (n=993)ρ = 0.76std ≥ 0.50 (n=966)ρ = 0.78std ≥ 0.75 (n=903)ρ = 0.82Spearman ρ (sugar vs kcal per standard drink)
The association is not an artifact of a few low-alcohol drinks: raising the minimum-standard-drink floor strengthens the correlation.

Illustrative low and high examples

The tables below are a de-duplicated presentation of the ranking tails. Figures are estimates in calories per U.S. standard drink. Drinks near the low end deliver more alcohol per serve; drinks near the high end are typically sweet and lower in alcohol, so a smaller alcohol-per-serve also lifts the ratio.

Fewest calories per standard drink
Cocktails with the fewest estimated calories per U.S. standard drink
Pink Gin~89 kcal/std
Gin Cocktail~91 kcal/std
Long Island Iced Tea~94 kcal/std
Gentle Ben~95 kcal/std
Gin and Soda~95 kcal/std
Vesper~95 kcal/std
Dry Martini~95 kcal/std
Most calories per standard drink
Cocktails with the most estimated calories per U.S. standard drink
Zima Blaster~535 kcal/std
Eggnog Supreme~512 kcal/std
Amaretto Sour~499 kcal/std
Cherry Flip~486 kcal/std
Amaretto Rose~483 kcal/std
Orange Blossom Cocktail~462 kcal/std
Zambeer~442 kcal/std

Data-quality note: the “Martini” and “Dry Martini” entries are the same recipe under two names and are shown once. Several high-end drinks sit just above our 0.5-standard-drink floor, so their exact rank is influenced by a small alcohol-per-serve; we present these as illustrative rather than a precise leaderboard.

Robustness checks

Before publishing, we stress-tested the headline association three ways against the governed dataset. The relationship held under every specification.

Same-denominator check

The headline compares sugar per serving with calories per standard drink. When both sides are put on the same basis, the association is preserved — and is strongest when both are normalised to the standard-drink basis.

  • Sugar per serving vs calories per serving: ρ = 0.695
  • Sugar per standard drink vs calories per standard drink: ρ = 0.912
  • Headline comparison: ρ = 0.783
Serving-size sensitivity

A few high-ranking drinks sit just above the 0.5-standard-drink floor, where a small alcohol-per-serve lifts the ratio. Removing the four flagged near-floor drinks leaves the correlation essentially unchanged.

  • Primary (n = 966): ρ = 0.783
  • Without four flagged drinks (n = 962): ρ = 0.781
Canonical recipe-content deduplication

Multiple slugs in the governed dataset carry the same normalised recipe-item payload (for example the Martini and Dry Martini entries). We identify these by their canonical recipe content — not by nutrition figures, which distinct recipes can share — and recompute the correlation over the de-duplicated set. The official population is unchanged; this is a robustness check only, and the result is materially unchanged.

  • 11 content clusters covering 23 rows; 966 rows → 954 de-duplicated rows
  • Correlation: ρ = 0.783 → 0.781

What this finding does and does not mean

It does show
  • A strong, consistent statistical association between sugar and calories per standard drink.
  • That the pattern holds across sensitivity thresholds.
  • That normalising by alcohol reveals a spread most per-cocktail calorie lists hide.
It does not show
  • That sugar causes the difference — this is observational, not experimental.
  • That any cocktail is “healthy,” “healthier,” or suitable for weight management.
  • That higher-ABV drinks are a better choice; that association is partly definitional.

Methodology

This is an observational, cross-sectional analysis of recipe reference data — not a controlled experiment.

Where cocktail calories come from.A cocktail's calories are the sum of several sources — most importantly alcohol (about 7 kcal per gram) and carbohydrate/sugar (about 4 kcal per gram), plus smaller contributions from ingredients such as cream or egg. Sugar is therefore one component of total calories, not the only one. This study measures the association between sugar content and total calculated calories per standard drink; it does not claim that sugar accounts for all of a drink's calories, nor that it causes the difference. Because sugar contributes calories directly, somepositive relationship is mechanically expected — that in itself is not surprising. The useful result is the magnitude and consistency of the relationship across a large governed cocktail population and across multiple robustness specifications.
  • Source: WhatDrink's governed public detail view (vw_public_prepared_drink_detail_v1).
  • Eligibility gate: collection = cocktails, published candidate, not needing review, not adult-flagged, nutrition block shown, nutrition quality “good” or “partial,” and 100% of recipe quantities parsed.
  • Population: 999 cocktails meet the gate. The primary correlation uses the 966 with at least 0.5 U.S. standard drinks; 33 below that floor are excluded because a near-zero denominator inflates the ratio.
  • Metric: calories per U.S. standard drink = estimated calories ÷ estimated U.S. standard drinks (14 g pure alcohol each). Both are governed WhatDrink fields.
  • Statistics: Pearson (linear) and Spearman (rank) correlation. Spearman is the primary statistic because it is robust to non-linearity and outliers; ties are handled with averaged ranks.
  • Sensitivity: recomputed at 0.25 / 0.50 / 0.75 standard-drink floors (n = 993 / 966 / 903; ρ = 0.76 / 0.78 / 0.82). The association persisted, and strengthened, as the floor rose.
  • Same-basis check: the association was also computed with sugar and calories on the same denominator — per serving, and per standard drink — so it does not rely on the serving-vs-standard-drink pairing (see Robustness checks).
  • Missing data: a missing value is never treated as zero — recipes lacking a required figure are excluded and counted, not defaulted.
  • De-duplication: recipe duplicates are identified by their normalised canonical recipe-item payload — not by nutrition figures, which distinct recipes can share — and the correlation is reported over both the full and de-duplicated population (a robustness check; the official population is unchanged). Duplicate names are collapsed in the presentation tables.

The exact figures depend on the governed nutrition estimates, which are documented in how WhatDrink calculates cocktail nutrition and strength. The analysis is reproducible from the governed database (it never re-crawls public pages).

Dataset limitations

These are estimates, not measurements. Calories, sugar and ABV are estimated from standard recipe quantities and ingredient reference data. Actual values depend on brand, pour size, preparation and ice dilution, which is not modelled.

Correlation is not causation. This is an observational analysis. Sugar is one of several calorie sources, and the relationship shown is statistical association only.

Not health guidance. Nothing here indicates that any drink is healthy, unhealthy, or suitable for any diet. Do not use these figures for medical, dietary, or allergy decisions. For responsible-drinking guidance, refer to your national guidelines.

Coverage. The 999-cocktail population reflects recipes that pass WhatDrink's data-quality gate at the analysis date; it is not the entire universe of cocktails.

Cite this study

WhatDrink. “What We Found After Comparing Sugar and Calories Across 999 Cocktail Recipes.” Published August 26, 2026. https://www.whatdrink.com/drink-guides/cocktail-sugar-and-calories-study

Key figure to quote: “Among 966 qualifying cocktails in WhatDrink's governed dataset, sugar content was strongly associated with calories per U.S. standard drink (Spearman ρ = 0.78).” Please link to this page as the source.

Common questions

Does sugar cause a cocktail to have more calories per standard drink?

This is an observational analysis, so it does not establish causation. What it shows is a strong statistical association: across the 966 qualifying cocktails, drinks with more sugar tended to have more calories per U.S. standard drink (Spearman ρ = 0.78). Sugar is one calorie source among several, and the two measures are correlated, not proven to be cause and effect.

Why report calories per standard drink instead of calories per cocktail?

Total calories mix together two different things — how sweet a drink is and how much alcohol it delivers. Normalising by U.S. standard drink (14 g of pure alcohol) puts every recipe on the same alcohol footing, so the comparison reflects calorie load per unit of alcohol rather than serve size. It is a fairer basis for comparing very different drinks.

Are higher-alcohol cocktails 'healthier' because they scored lower?

No. Calories per standard drink and ABV are negatively associated in the data, but that is partly definitional — ABV sits in the denominator of the metric. A lower calories-per-standard-drink figure is not a health rating and says nothing about the risks of alcohol. WhatDrink figures are for comparison and discovery, not dietary or medical decisions.

How large is the dataset and how was it selected?

The governed population is 999 cocktails that pass WhatDrink's publish and nutrition-quality gate. The primary correlation is computed on 966 of them — the ones with at least 0.5 U.S. standard drinks — because drinks below that floor have a near-zero denominator that inflates the ratio into a math artifact. The relationship held, and strengthened, under sensitivity testing at 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 standard drinks.

Explore the data

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