Your Drink Might Not Taste Sweet, But it Packs a Whole Lot of Punch

It's not just overly sweet mixed drinks and cocktails. Turns out that even the most classic of alcoholic beverages—from a pint of beer to a gin and tonic—contain a surprising amount of sugar.

Apparently, that beer you're sipping to look effortlessly cool at a bar can contain up to nine teaspoons of sugar. (Are you mourning all those kamikaze shots you've turned down over the years? Because I am.) To confirm this, I checked out the nutrition label on the beer in my refrigerator—oh wait, beer bottles do not have nutrition labels, and I've been consuming the beverage for nearly a decade and never noticed. So that's great.

The Daily Mail also reported (opens in new tab) that a typical gin and tonic can include five teaspoons of sugar (at least that is somewhat closer to how I take an average cup of tea), but that clear alcohols like gin and vodka contain very little sugar unless they're combined with a mixer. (I'm now realizing this is why my friends always order club soda and not tonic while we're out).

Wine, on the other hand, contains far less sugar (except for the mulled variety, which you are probably only consuming at your parents home on Thanksgiving, Christmas, or during a polar vortex). And the best news of all? Champagne is still low in calories, low in sugar, and tons of fun. Just ask J.Law.