Data ranking
How Many Calories in a Tequila Cocktail? Ranked by WhatDrink Data
The lowest-calorie Tequila cocktails in this data are T.N.T. Cocktail No. 2 (~99 kcal), Tommy's Margarita (~107 kcal), Viva Villa (~128 kcal).
Alcohol contributes roughly 7 kcal per gram, which means calorie count in cocktails tracks closely with ABV and pour size — often more than with added sugar or syrup. A lower-calorie cocktail is usually a lower-ABV or smaller-serve cocktail. We reviewed 68 nutrition-complete cocktail recipes and found 25 that fit this guide. Median for this set: 182 kcal.
68Recipes reviewed
25Matching this guide
182 kcalMedian calories
5.7gMedian sugar
21.3%Median ABV
Ranked recipes
| # | Drink | Why it ranks | Calories | Nutrition | Alcohol | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | T.N.T. Cocktail No. 2 | 99.0kcal | 99 kcal | 7.7g sugar · 7.7g carbs | 10.5% ABV · 0.71 std | Quick, easy serve |
| 2 | Tommy's Margarita | 107.0kcal | 107 kcal | 0.3g sugar · 1.3g carbs | 31.9% ABV · 1.08 std | Quick, easy serve |
| 3 | Viva Villa | 128.0kcal | 128 kcal | 11.9g sugar · 15.8g carbs | 7.7% ABV · 0.71 std | Any occasion |
| 4 | Tequila Straight | 136.0kcal | 136 kcal | 0.0g sugar · 0.0g carbs | 21.3% ABV · 1.42 std | Quick, easy serve |
| 5 | Long Island Iced Tea | 136.0kcal | 136 kcal | 0.1g sugar · 0.1g carbs | 42.5% ABV · 1.44 std | Any occasion |
| 6 | Long Island Tea | 142.0kcal | 142 kcal | 0.9g sugar · 1.9g carbs | 32.2% ABV · 1.44 std | Any occasion |
| 7 | Mexicola | 151.0kcal | 151 kcal | 1.0g sugar · 5.0g carbs | 21.3% ABV · 1.42 std | Quick, easy serve |
| 8 | Tequila Sour | 152.0kcal | 152 kcal | 3.3g sugar · 4.6g carbs | 29.9% ABV · 1.42 std | Any occasion |
| 9 | Bloody Maria | 157.0kcal | 157 kcal | 18.0g sugar · 23.4g carbs | 4.7% ABV · 0.71 std | Low-alcohol occasions |
| 10 | Margarita | 154.0kcal | 154 kcal | 4.2g sugar · 6.9g carbs | 25.8% ABV · 1.29 std | Any occasion |
| 11 | Paloma (Natural) | 159.0kcal | 159 kcal | 4.7g sugar · 5.9g carbs | 19.6% ABV · 1.42 std | Quick, easy serve |
| 12 | Sunday Confession | 176.0kcal | 176 kcal | 10.4g sugar · 15.9g carbs | 17.5% ABV · 1.17 std | Any occasion |
| 13 | Tequila Matador | 182.0kcal | 182 kcal | 6.9g sugar · 12.6g carbs | 14.2% ABV · 1.42 std | Quick, easy serve |
| 14 | Winter Rita | 182.0kcal | 182 kcal | 12.7g sugar · 14.9g carbs | 20.8% ABV · 1.28 std | Any occasion |
| 15 | Vampiro | 188.0kcal | 188 kcal | 10.9g sugar · 12.5g carbs | 18.8% ABV · 1.44 std | Any occasion |
| 16 | Tequila Manhattan | 186.0kcal | 186 kcal | 3.0g sugar · 4.1g carbs | 33.5% ABV · 1.69 std | Quick, easy serve |
| 17 | 3-Mile Long Island Iced Tea | 188.0kcal | 188 kcal | 5.7g sugar · 6.4g carbs | 32.8% ABV · 1.67 std | Any occasion |
| 18 | Vagabundo | 192.0kcal | 192 kcal | 8.1g sugar · 14.4g carbs | 10.6% ABV · 1.42 std | Any occasion |
| 19 | Gideon's Green Dinosaur | 194.0kcal | 194 kcal | 8.9g sugar · 11.1g carbs | 35.4% ABV · 1.47 std | Any occasion |
| 20 | La Ultima Palabra | 203.0kcal | 203 kcal | 13.0g sugar · 19.4g carbs | 23.6% ABV · 1.47 std | Any occasion |
| 21 | Mexican Madras | 206.0kcal | 206 kcal | 11.6g sugar · 20.2g carbs | 9.4% ABV · 1.42 std | Any occasion |
| 22 | Gentle Ben | 204.0kcal | 204 kcal | 0.0g sugar · 0.0g carbs | 42.9% ABV · 2.15 std | Any occasion |
| 23 | Tequini Cocktail | 207.0kcal | 207 kcal | 2.4g sugar · 3.6g carbs | 29.6% ABV · 1.99 std | Quick, easy serve |
| 24 | Tequini | 209.0kcal | 209 kcal | 2.4g sugar · 3.6g carbs | 29.3% ABV · 1.97 std | Quick, easy serve |
| 25 | Alamo Splash | 215.0kcal | 215 kcal | 10.0g sugar · 13.7g carbs | 14.2% ABV · 1.42 std | Any occasion |
All nutrition values are estimates based on standard recipe quantities. — = data not available.
Best picks by use case
Watch-out factors for calories
- High-ABV spirits in large pours — alcohol is 7 kcal/g, more calorie-dense than sugar
- Cream and full-fat dairy — adds significant calories per serve
- Liqueurs — sugar + alcohol together
- Double pours — a 60ml serve is twice the calories of a 30ml serve
- Tonic water — contains both sugar and flavour; not as neutral as soda water
Methodology
Is this guide right for you?
Good fit if:
- You want to compare estimated calorie counts across cocktail recipes
- You want alcohol context alongside calorie numbers
- You want a data-backed shortlist rather than a generic recipe list
Poor fit if:
- You assume lower calories automatically means lower alcohol — it does not
- You need medical, dietary, or clinical nutrition advice
- You need exact bar-specific values — these are recipe estimates
Frequently asked questions
- What does this ranking show?
- This page ranks tequila cocktails by estimated calorie count. All 25 drinks come from the WhatDrink database and pass the same recipe quality filters used on individual cocktail pages.
- What drives the calorie count in a tequila cocktail?
- Alcohol contributes 7 kcal per gram — the biggest single driver. After that, sugar-heavy mixers (liqueurs, syrups, fruit juice) add meaningful calories. A tequila cocktail at 15% ABV can have twice the calories of one at 8% ABV even with similar ingredients.
- Which tequila cocktail in this list has the fewest calories?
- Based on WhatDrink recipe data, T.N.T. Cocktail No. 2 ranks lowest in estimated calories in this list. Actual values vary by pour size and preparation.
- Does lower calories always mean a healthier drink?
- Not necessarily. Alcohol contributes roughly 7 kcal per gram. A drink with low carbs but high ABV can still be high in overall calories. Always check multiple metrics together rather than focusing on one alone.
- How should I use this page to choose a drink?
- The table lets you compare tequila cocktails side by side on calories estimates. Click through to any individual cocktail page for the full ingredient list and nutrition breakdown. The "Top picks" panel highlights the best performers across multiple criteria.
- How many tequila cocktails are on this page?
- This ranking includes 25 tequila cocktails that pass WhatDrink's recipe quality and data completeness filters. The list updates as new recipes are added to the database.
- Why focus on tequila specifically?
- Tequila is the base spirit, which sets the alcohol foundation. The mixers and modifiers around it determine most of the sugar and calorie variation, making tequila cocktails a useful controlled comparison.