Updated April 2026.
A 1.5-ounce pour of 80-proof vodka is about 97 calories and 0 g sugar (USDA 80-proof spirits). Regular Schweppes tonic water is 130 calories and 33 g sugar per 12 fl oz on the US product facts panel. An 8-ounce tonic mixer is about 87 calories and 22 g sugar. Combined: roughly 184 calories for a 1.5 oz vodka + 8 oz regular tonic. Diet or zero tonic leaves the 97.
The vodka is not the dessert. The tonic is. Pour size is the other lever: a 2-ounce house vodka is 1.33 standard drinks and ~129 kcal before the mixer. This is not a weight-loss plan. See vodka drink count.
Calories by pour (80-proof vodka + Schweppes US tonic)
| Build | Std drinks | Approx. kcal | Sugar from tonic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 oz vodka, no mixer | 1.00 | ~97 | 0 g |
| 1.5 oz + 4 oz Schweppes | 1.00 | ~140 | ~11 g |
| 1.5 oz + 6 oz Schweppes | 1.00 | ~162 | ~17 g |
| 1.5 oz + 8 oz Schweppes | 1.00 | ~184 | ~22 g |
| 1.5 oz + 12 oz can Schweppes | 1.00 | ~227 | 33 g |
| 1.5 oz + diet / zero tonic | 1.00 | ~97 | 0 g if the can is 0 |
| 3 oz vodka + 6 oz regular tonic | 2.00 | ~259 | ~17 g |
Math: Schweppes 130 kcal / 12 oz scales linearly. Other brands differ — Fever-Tree and store brands print their own panels. Older USDA “tonic water” rows are closer to 80 kcal / 12 oz; the can in your hand wins. MedlinePlus lists a 7-ounce “vodka and tonic” at 189 kcal as a mixed-drink estimate, not a Schweppes lab sheet.
Club soda or seltzer is 0 kcal. Tonic is sweetened and contains quinine. A vodka soda is not a vodka tonic. Flavored vodka adds sugar the USDA 80-proof line does not include. For mixer context see vodka sodas.
Sources
- USDA 80-proof distilled spirits: ~97 kcal, 0 g carb / 1.5 fl oz.
- Schweppes US tonic (Keurig Dr Pepper product facts): 130 kcal, 33 g sugar / 12 fl oz.
- NIAAA standard drink (December 2025): 1.5 oz of 40% = 14 g alcohol.