Beer

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  A 12-oz. can of regular beer can contain anywhere from 150 to 200 calories; light beer can have as few as 100 calories. The nutritional content of beer--which, if store-bought, is readily found on the packaging--depends on factors such as ingredients and the brewing process. Beer is known to be a good source of silicon, which can contribute to increased bone mineral density (stronger bones.) Some lagers and dark beers even contain from 2 to 3.5 grams of soluble fiber per liter.
  
  

Hard Drinks

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  Hard drinks, or hard liquor, are distilled spirits such as whiskey, gin, rum or vodka. Hard drinks can contain anywhere from 95 to 110 calories per 1.5 fluid ounces, or about one shot. An alcohol's "proof" number is approximately double the libation's alcohol-by-volume (ABV) percentage number; for example, Jim Beam's Bourbon Whiskey 80 Proof is 40 percent alcohol.
  
  

Weight Management

• Weight gain, loss and maintenance are based on a simple equation: calories in, calories out, whether the calories are in solid or liquid form. If calorie intake exceeds the number of calories burned on a daily basis, weight gain is likely. A deficit of calories may cause weight loss. The amount of gain or loss is highly individual, since it can also depend on age, gender, metabolism, activity level or other health-related factors.
  
  

Ethanol

• One gram of ethanol, or pure alcohol, contains seven calories, compared to four calories per gram for carbohydrates and protein, and nine calories per gram for fat. Ethanol has no nutritional value. Furthermore, it delays the digestive process, because the body processes ethanol before processing other nutrients being consumed, such as carbohydrates or fats. This increases the chances of those nutrients being stored as fat on your body instead of being used for fuel, as they otherwise would.
  
  

Healthy Intake

• Health benefits attributed to alcoholic drinks are due primarily to the raw materials (barley, fruits and so on) used to make the libation. According to the American Dietetic Association, these benefits can include increasing good cholesterol, lowering bad cholesterol and potentially reducing the risk of blood clots, type 2 diabetes and gallstones. Moderate consumption is defined as one drink--any drink containing 0.6 fluid oz. of pure alcohol--per day for women, and two for men.