Beer vs. Mixed Drinks: A discussion for people who aren't giving up their adult beverages

kickstandup

So I am trying to cut back on the beer, but I still like to have a drink in the evenings and wind down. I have begun the new hobby of mixology. I am interested to see if there is any kind of a difference not only in the amount I consume, but also in the gut that tends to go along with beer. I would love to hear your thoughts.

yarwell

Me and a mate switched from beer to spirits with diet coke. The carb belly reduced significantly.

MelaniaTrump

My thought: You drink a lot more when you drink the hard stuff.
Plus, with the hard stuff, you often use sugar tonics which just adds even more calories.

lynn_glenmont

Depending on the mixer you choose and the type of beer you normally drink, it's possible to drink cocktails for a lot fewer calories than beer. When I drink beer, I tend to prefer darker, heavier-bodied, higher ABV craft beers, which can easily cost me 250 calories or more for one. If you mix one or two ounces of an 80 or 90 proof spirit with a no-calorie (seltzer, diet soda) or low-calorie (tomato or V-8 juice) mixer, or have it neat or on the rocks or with a brine chaser (pickleback), you can have a drink more in the neighborhood of 100 to 150 calories. If you start making drinks with simple syrup, liqueurs, fresh squeezed juices (other than lemon and lime), cream, etc., you'll probably quickly find you're not saving any calories.

Another thing to consider is whether you will tend to consume more beers or more mixed drinks in a session. For some people, the large volume of a beer will mean they drink fewer. Others may perceive the mixed drink to be stronger, because it's more concentrated, and that may slow them down. (ETA: and for others the fact that beer can frequently be a lot less expensive than spirits will lead them to drink more if they're drinking beer.)

"Beer gut" is from the total calories consumed. People who drink beer and have noticeably large abdomens got that way from consuming too many calories, in some cases with a large percentage of their calories coming from beer ("liquid bread"). (Before refrigeration, widely available clean water, and somewhat improved rat control, turning wheat into beer solved a number of problems related to food safety, hydration, and food storage.) If someone who has a beer gut switches to mixed drinks and continues to consume and expend the same number of calories, it's unlikely to make any difference in the size of his or her gut.