Updated April 2026. and USDA energy figures.
Gin calories track ethanol, not a “diet” ranking. US gin is a juniper spirit at ≥40% ABV (TTB). One 1.5-ounce pour of 40% / 80-proof spirit is about 97 kcal on the USDA 80-proof distilled-spirits row — and one NIAAA standard drink. A 47% US Bombay Sapphire pour is more ethanol (about 1.18 drinks / ~114 kcal if you scale 97 × 47/40). A 44% US Hendrick’s pour is about 1.10 drinks. We will not invent a 2026 “10 best low-cal gins” scorecard or reprint the 2022 list that put a sloe gin at #1.
Sloe gin is a liqueur (fruit + sugar), not London Dry. Sweetened SKUs add carbohydrate calories the USDA 80-proof row does not include. Mixer calories are the usual trap — tonic is not zero: vodka tonic calories. Related: gin guide, Hendrick’s, Bombay Sapphire, does gin go bad, gin and tonic gin, low-calorie drinks in a can, low-calorie seltzer.
Math, not a ranking
| Pour | ABV | ~Std drinks | ~kcal (ethanol only)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 oz US gin at the 40% floor | 40% | 1.00 | ~97 |
| 1.5 oz if the neck is 44% (common US Hendrick’s, read label) | 44% | 1.10 | ~107 |
| 1.5 oz if the neck is 47% (common US Bombay Sapphire) | 47% | 1.18 | ~114 |
| Sloe / sweetened “gin” | Label | Scale | Ethanol + sugar. Not the 97-kcal row |
| Soda water + lime | 0% extra | Same as the gin | Gin only |
*USDA 80-proof spirits ~97 kcal / 1.5 fl oz, scaled by ABV. Not a TTB calorie label. Four 40% pours are four drinks and about 388 kcal from ethanol. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. Do not drive.
Sources
- TTB gin identity (40% US floor). NIAAA standard drink (December 2025).
- USDA FoodData Central: distilled spirits, 80 proof, ~97 kcal / 1.5 fl oz.
- US Bombay 47% and Hendrick’s 44% from prior official/control-board tiles — brand pages often omit ABV., read the neck.
- No invented brand calorie table or 2026 ranking. 2022 “Monkey 47 Sloe #1” dropped — sloe is a liqueur.