Alcohol is highly calorific in content. Located in Lexington, Kentucky and Denver, Colorado, Brewing and Distilling Analytical Services (BDAS) offers comprehensive alcohol caloric content testing for beer, wine, and spirits. BDAS helps our clients craft exceptional beverages. Our chemists are TTB certified and participate in proficiency testing to remain in compliance by the certifying body. Our testing lab offers a wide range of services for beverage manufacturing that extend beyond beer and wine to also include distilled spirits, ciders, seltzers, and mixed drinks.
Brewing and Distilling Analytical Services (BDAS) is a full servicefull-service contract laboratory offering a wide range of alcohol caloric content testing services. Our expertise and years of experience as a chemical testing lab enable us to select the correct analytical approaches and generate the accurate data needed for proper testing. Our lab capabilities enable us to analyze a wide variety of samples. We have a wide array of analytical testing instruments to investigate the critical questions or concerns you might have.
Alcohol contains 6.9 calories per gram – nearly the same number of calories found in a gram of fat. With high ABV products, the calories can quickly add up, especially when you consider the additional calories from any mixers used.
Whether drinking a shot of gin, rum, tequila, vodka or whiskey, there are roughly the same number of calories. One serving (or shot) is 1.5 fl. oz. The higher the alcohol content (or proof), the higher calorie count.
Here’s how it breaks down:
• 80-proof contains 40% alcohol by volume and 64 calories per ounce. So, one serving is 96 calories.
• 90-proof contains 45% alcohol by volume and 73 calories per ounce. One serving is 110 calories.
• 100 proof contains 50% alcohol by volume and 82 calories per ounce. One serving is 123 calories.
The addition of sugars, either in their raw form or as fruit purees, will increase the caloric content.
Alcoholic beverages, like beers and spirits, are subject to numerous regulations and standards, especially when they are intended for export. To meet these requirements, alcohols and spirits must be analyzed by a governmentally accredited laboratory, like Brewing and Distilling Analytical Services (BDAS).
The TTB will periodically review label claims, and that includes calorie claims!
The TTB occasionally take random samples of alcoholic beverages for validation purposes. The calorie claim on the label is considered acceptable by the TTB if it falls within a certain tolerance. For calories, the actual value may be lower than what is declared on the label but may not be more than 20% above that claim. For example, if the label claims 100 calories per serving, the product can be in specification if it is found to have no more than 120 calories per serving. BDAS labs can assist by accurately testing products for calorie content to assure label claims match the actual product.
Many alcoholic beverages (hard seltzers, beers sold in restaurant chains) may require FDA nutritional label testing. This increases the need for accurate methodology. It is important that alcohol products be analyzed to determine the alcohol, extract, sugar, and fat content to calculate caloric content most accurately. In our quality control testing at BDAS, we use standard, industry accepted instruments and methodology to accurately analyze products.
As product details are finalized, the original formula will most likely change. Any change in ingredients will require another round of testing to validate all nutritional information. To avoid additional costs and delay, it is recommended to only order a nutritional test once all your product details are finalized. In the product development phase, money can be saved by using nutrition database facts and calculations. Once the product is ready to be in front of consumers, that’s the time to invest in a validated nutrition facts panel.
For more information about the caloric content testing of alcoholic products at Brewing and Distilling Analytical Services (BDAS), contact us in Lexington, Kentucky at (859) 278-2533 or in Denver, Colorado at (720) 450-7066.