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From Health magazine
For now, the Feds will keep you guessing how many calories are in your favorite drink. But we won't.
And that's something the National Consumers League (NCL) and the Center for Science in the Public Interest aim to change.
They, along with 67 other consumer groups, are urging the government to require labels that list not just calories and alcohol content, but also how many servings each container has and what its ingredients are. That way, people can steer clear of allergens like the nuts and dairy that are often found in cocktail mixes.
Right now, liquor labels are a mishmash of confusing regulations and information, explains Linda Golodner, president of NCL. Wine and hard liquors list alcohol content, but it is not mandatory for beer. And while "light" beer and low-alcohol wines list calories, regular beer, wine, and hard liquors generally don't. Golodner argues that consumers need basic label information to make smart choices about what they drink, just as they do about the food they eat.
Liquor lowdown
Some beverage companies are already listing details voluntarily. That's particularly true of distilled-spirits makers, who are happy to point out that their products have fewer carbs or calories. "We're adamant about the need for putting alcohol content on labels," says Monica Gourovitch, PhD, senior vice president of scientific affairs at the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, a trade group that includes producers of rum, vodka, and other spirits. But Gourovitch says her group wants listing nutrients and ingredients to be done on a voluntary basis, and left up to the individual producers.
Until the Feds sort out what to make mandatory on labels for your favorite microbrew or sauvignon blanc, here's our cheat sheet to help you figure out whether to order that second round of mojitos. After all, you do want to fit into that cocktail dress.
How many calories are in that drink? Here's our happy-hour cheat sheet: