How the C2AR Score Works
A single number that answers: how much of this drink is actually alcohol?
The Big Idea
Calorie counts alone are misleading. A 200-calorie craft beer and a 200-calorie vodka soda both show the same number — but they're wildly different drinks. The beer's calories are mostly sugar carbs; the vodka soda's are almost entirely alcohol. The C2AR (Calorie-to-Alcohol Ratio) cuts through that noise by measuring the percentage of calories that actually come from the alcohol itself.
A higher score means more of your calorie budget is going toward the alcohol you actually want — less toward empty sugars and fillers.
Seeing the Difference
Same vibe, very different score. The piña colada isn't bad because it's strong — it's scoring low because most of its calories are coconut cream and pineapple sugar.
The Formula
163.5 kcal is the energy in one oz of pure ethanol. The 1.6355 factor converts ABV% to oz of ethanol per oz of liquid.
The Grade Scale
| Grade | C2AR | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 95–100% | Nearly all calories from alcohol. Pure spirits + zero-cal mixers. |
| A | 90–94% | Excellent. Spirits with a splash of something low-cal. |
| A- | 85–89% | Great. Light beers, dry wines, simple cocktails. |
| B+ | 80–84% | Good. Most craft light beers and dry whites land here. |
| B | 75–79% | Decent. Dry reds, IPAs, simple mixed drinks. |
| B- | 70–74% | OK. Higher-carb beers and most margaritas. |
| C+ | 65–69% | Mediocre. Sweetened cocktails, malt beverages. |
| C | 60–64% | Below average. Significant sugar calories. |
| C- | 55–59% | Poor. Dessert wines, sweet mixers dominate. |
| D+ | 50–54% | Bad. More carb calories than alcohol calories. |
| D | 45–49% | Very bad. Mostly sugar. |
| D- | 40–44% | Terrible. Heavily sweetened drinks. |
| F | <40% | Avoid if watching calories. Mostly empty carbs. |
Quick Reference by Drink Type
| Drink Type | Typical Score | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Vodka Soda / Tequila Soda | A+ | Zero-cal mixer, pure spirit |
| Straight spirit / shot | A+ | No mixer dilution at all |
| Dry white wine | A– / B+ | Low residual sugar |
| Light beer | A– / B+ | Low ABV but few carbs |
| Regular beer / IPA | B / B– | More malt carbs |
| Dry red wine | B | Slightly more residual sugar than white |
| Gin & Tonic / Margarita | B– / C+ | Tonic sugar / triple sec |
| Spiked seltzer | A / A– | Minimal carbs, clean fermentation |
| Rum & Coke / Whiskey Coke | C | Regular Coke adds ~100 sugar cal |
| Sweet cocktail (LITs, Hurricanes) | D / F | Multiple sugary mixers |
| Piña Colada / Mudslide | F | Cream, coconut, and juice dominate |