Is Whiskey Better Than Beer? Which Is Healthier?

by Dane Wilson | Last Updated: July 20, 2022

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When it comes to drinking alcohol, it can be easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer choice you have. There are so many options, so many categories, and so much pressure to make sure you choose the right drink. Okay, arguably that last one is not true. There’s not that much pressure! The stakes aren’t that high, but you still want to know what to choose before you spend too long thinking. If you’re thinking about choosing a nice cold beer or a delicious strong whiskey, you might want to know which is better before you buy.

Table of Contents

• What To Drink When Being Healthy?
  • Is Beer A Healthy Option?
  • Hard Spirits Are The Way To Go
  • Is Wine Healthy?
• Is Going Dry A Better Choice?
  • FAQs On Whiskey Vs Beer

What To Drink When Being Healthy?

While I could sit here and say that “everything is healthy in moderation” I will choose not to as it is understandable that sometimes, you want to go on a night out and not worry about being moderate. Sometimes you want to go out and drink as much as you can. While that isn’t anywhere near as healthy as it would be to not do this, you will probably want to know what you can drink on your night out to remain as relatively healthy as you can.

Nothing hurts more than feeling guilty AND hungover.

Is Beer A Healthy Option?

While it may come as a shock to you, some beers have incredible health benefits. A dark stout such as Guinness contains a type of polyphenol called flavonoids. These fight inflammation in the body and are quite healthy. However, to produce the bright and clear color that most beers have, the removal of these healthy antioxidants is required.

On top of this, beer is very high in calories and is likely to undo all the progress you’ve made at the gym. There is a reason for the term ‘beer belly’ and this is precisely it. You can opt for a light beer that has fewer calories but still, it is only a minimal decrease of about 50 calories per pint.

If you are looking for something to really cut back on calories, a spiked seltzer can quench your thirst while having minimal calories and barely any sugar. If you are trying to gain weight then this is not an issue at all but for people who are concerned about weight loss, beer is not the choice for you.

Hard Spirits Are The Way To Go

Hard liquor such as whiskey, vodka, and rum is a brilliant choice for anyone trying to cut excess calories from their diet. Spirits are great as they have a reduced calorie count and more alcohol in them, but it is essential to leave out the mixers such as soda as the avoidance of these will ensure you have fewer carbohydrates in your diet.

Not only are they a healthy choice, but hard liquor is also a quicker solution to getting a buzz than beer or wine is. Drinking beer not only has loads of calories, but it is a lot of liquid too. A shot of alcoholic drinks with a high alcohol content will get you that buzz really quickly while also not being that much liquid, so you can drink water as well.

Out of all the alcoholic beverages that are under the category ‘hard liquor’, tequila is the best choice. You can drink whiskey instead if you want but tequila is proven to be the healthiest for anyone that wants to lose weight or have an improved diet.

Vodka soda might be a tempting choice but any drink with a mixer is more likely to negatively affect your blood sugar levels. One drink will not harm you, but they add up quickly. Moderate alcohol consumption is a lot more difficult to keep track of when you are mixing your drinks such as beer and shots. Yet, when the only thing you drink is tequila shots, you can keep an eye on it a lot easier.

Beer has a lot less alcohol in it than other alcoholic drinks such as hard liquor yet it also has so much more sugar in it, which is why hard liquor such as tequila or whiskey is the only alcoholic beverage you will need.

Is Wine Healthy?

As it has already been discussed, spirits are the healthiest option for cutting down your caloric intake. However, a good middle point for this is red wine. White wine and rose have more sugar in them, while red wine is relatively healthy.

Not only are the calories in red wine quite low, but the drink also has a lot of health benefits that might surprise you. One drink, or two, of red wine, is known to boost your healthy gut bacteria which can reduce cholesterol levels and also prevent obesity.

Additionally, the same flavanoids spoken about earlier are found in abundance in red wine. Red wine is very rich in antioxidants that are known to help with heart health and cardiovascular issues.

Is Going Dry A Better Choice?

If you are serious about being as healthy as possible, then it may be best to just go dry and cut alcohol completely from your diet. There is overwhelming research that promotes alcohol being more harmful than it is helpful for our health.

While it is healthier, life is not all about physical health. If you have the social craving to go drinking with your friends, you should not let this stop you. It is your choice and the pros and cons should be weighed up before making any huge decisions like this.

FAQs On Whiskey Vs Beer