Along with food, a big part of healthy tailgating on game day comes down to the drinks. Most people want to consume the perfect amount where they have a good time before the game without needing a halftime nap.
When choosing your beverage on game day, you have to carefully choose the right beverage to drink all day with a moderate amount of alcohol content.
But making the choice on game day drinks has another hurdle because those who are watching their waistlines don’t want to add unnecessary calories. Craft beer is usually out of the question because of the high calorie count (some as much as 1,000 calories per glass!) and outside of taking straight shots, mixed drinks are also a big caloric culprit.
To avoid adding unnecessary calories, you can make simple adjustments that won’t add 20 pounds by the end of the season but still allow you to have a damn good time.
Check out the best and worst drinks to have on game day below…
Top 10 Drinks with the Most Calories
LONG ISLAND ICED TEA
Serving Size: ≈ 7 oz.
Calories: up to 780
Ingredients: 1 part rum, 1 part gin, 1 part triple sec, 1.5 parts sweet and sour mix, splash of coke
MARGARITA
Serving Size: ≈ 8.5 oz.
Calories: up to 740
Ingredients: 4 oz. limeade (usually premixed), 4 oz. tequila, .5 oz. triple sec
PIÑA COLADA
Serving size: 6 oz.
Calories: up to 644
Ingredients: 3 oz. light rum, 3 tbsp. coconut milk, 3 tbsp. crushed pineapples
MAI TAI
Serving size: 9 oz.
Calories: up to 620
Ingredients: 3 oz. light rum, 2 oz. dark rum, 1 oz. crème de almond, 1 oz. triple sec, 1 oz. sweet & sour mix, 1 oz. pineapple juice
MUDSLIDE
Serving size: 12.5 oz.
Calories: up to 594
Ingredients: ¼ cup Irish cream, ¼ cup coffee liqueur, 1 cup vanilla ice cream, 1 tbsp. chocolate syrup
GRASSHOPPER MARTINI
Serving size: 7 oz.
Calories: up to 525
Ingredients: 6 oz. vanilla vodka, ½ oz. Godiva white chocolate liqueur, ½ oz. green crème de menthe
CHOCOTINI
Serving size: 6 oz.
Calories: up to 438
Ingredients: 2 oz. vodka, 2 oz. chocolate liqueur, 2 oz. cream, ½ oz. dark crème de cacao, melted chocolate confectionery coating
WHITE RUSSIAN
Serving size: 5 oz.
Calories: up to 425
Ingredients: 2 oz. vodka, 1.5 oz. coffee liqueur, 1.5 oz. heavy cream
BRANDY EGGNOG ON THE ROCKS
Serving size: 7 oz.
Calories: up to 422
Ingredients: 1.5 oz. brandy, ¼ oz. sugar syrup, ¼ oz. tawny port, 3.5 oz. milk, ¾ oz. cream, 1 egg yolk, ice cubes, nutmeg
KEY LIME PIE MARTINI
Serving size: ≈ 5 oz. Calories: 323
Ingredients: 1.5 oz. key lime liqueur, 1.5 oz. Absolute vanilla vodka, .3 oz. lime juice, .3 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice, 1½ oz. half-and-half.
Top 10 Drinks with Least Calories
RUM & DIET COKE
Serving size: 6 oz. Calories: 65
Ingredients: 1 oz. rum, 5 oz. Diet Coke
ANHEUSER BUSCH, NATURAL LIGHT
Serving size: 12 oz.
Calories: 95
SHOT OF JOSE CUERVO
Serving size: 1.5 oz.
Calories: 97
MIKE’S LIGHT HARD LEMONADE
Serving size: 11.2 oz.
Calories: 98 calories
GIN & DIET TONIC
Serving size: 7.5 oz.
Calories: 115 calories
Ingredients: 1.5 oz. gin, 6 oz. diet tonic
COSMOPOLITAN
Serving size: 3 oz.
Calories: 150
Ingredients: 1.5 oz. vodka, ½ oz. triple sec, ½ oz. lime juice,
½ oz. cranberry juice
APPLE MARTINI
Serving size: 3 oz.
Calories: 148 calories
Ingredients: 1 oz. each of vodka, sour apple and apple juice
MOJITO
Serving size: 6 oz.
Content: 160 calories
Ingredients: 2.5 oz. light rum, club soda, 1 tsp. lime juice, 2 tsp. sugar, fresh mint sprigs
BLOODY MARY
Serving size: 10 oz.
Calories: up to 180
Ingredients: 2 oz. vodka, 8 oz. tomato juice, dash of Tabasco sauce and black pepper
JÄGERBOMB
Serving size: 6.2 oz. (if using an 8.4 oz. can of Red Bull)
Calories: 200
Ingredients: ½can Red Bull, 2 oz. Jägermeister