How Many Calories in a Martini Cocktail ?

A classic martini contains between 120 and 180 calories, depending on how it’s made and how much you pour. The two main variables are the type of spirit (gin or vodka) and the amount of vermouth you use. Serving size plays a bigger role than most people realize, especially when bartenders pour generously or you’re mixing at home.

The Basic Calorie Breakdown

Classic Gin Martini

A standard gin martini served in a 2.5 oz pour contains roughly 140 to 155 calories. That breaks down to about 2 oz of gin (around 220 calories total, at roughly 110 calories per ounce) plus half an ounce of dry vermouth (30 to 35 calories). The gin itself accounts for the bulk of the calorie load.

Gin’s botanical profile doesn’t significantly change its caloric content compared to vodka, but the slight variation comes from different distillation methods and proof levels across brands.

Vodka Martini

A vodka martini in the same 2.5 oz serving lands between 135 and 150 calories. Vodka typically contains 97 to 110 calories per 1.5 oz shot, depending on the brand and proof. The difference between a gin and vodka martini is marginal, usually less than 10 calories.

If you’re choosing vodka over gin for calorie reasons, you’re splitting hairs. The real difference is flavor, not your waistline.

What Actually Changes the Calorie Count

Serving Size Matters Most

Here’s where things get tricky. Bar pours vary wildly, from a modest 2 oz cocktail to a hefty 4 oz pour in an oversized martini glass. Restaurant servings tend to be generous, often landing at 3 to 4 oz total liquid. At home, most people pour even more without measuring.

Every additional ounce of spirit adds roughly 65 to 75 calories. A 4 oz martini can easily hit 250 to 300 calories, double what you’d expect from a standard recipe.

Vermouth Ratio

The amount of vermouth changes both the flavor and the calorie count, though not as dramatically as serving size does.

An extra dry martini with minimal vermouth (a 1:8 spirit-to-vermouth ratio or less) clocks in around 125 to 135 calories. A classic dry martini using a 1:6 ratio sits at 140 to 155 calories. Go for a wet martini with a 1:4 ratio and you’re looking at 160 to 175 calories.

A perfect martini, which uses both dry and sweet vermouth, lands at 165 to 180 calories due to the added sugar in sweet vermouth.

Variations That Add Calories

A dirty martini with olive brine adds only 5 to 15 calories, a negligible amount despite the salty punch. The brine itself is mostly water and salt, not a calorie bomb.

Garnishes barely register. Olives contribute a few calories at most, and a lemon twist adds essentially zero. A Gibson, garnished with a pickled onion instead of olives, has the same calorie profile as a classic martini.

Comparing a Martini to Other Cocktails

A martini sits on the lower end of the calorie spectrum for classic cocktails, mainly because it skips sugary mixers, fruit juices, and cream.

Here’s how it stacks up:

Martini: 120 to 180 calories
Old Fashioned: 150 to 180 calories
Manhattan: 160 to 190 calories
Mojito: 160 to 220 calories
Margarita: 200 to 300 calories

The martini’s simplicity works in its favor. Two ingredients, no added sugar, and you’re done.

Does Shaken vs. Stirred Change Calories?

No. Shaking or stirring a martini doesn’t alter the calorie count because you’re using the same ingredients either way. The method changes dilution, temperature, and texture, but not the calories.

Shaking introduces more water from melted ice, which increases the drink’s total volume but doesn’t add calories. The same amount of alcohol and vermouth goes into the glass whether you shake it or stir it.

How to Make a Lower-Calorie Martini

If you want to trim a few calories without sacrificing the drink entirely, here’s what actually works.

Use 80-proof spirits instead of higher-proof options. The lower the alcohol content, the fewer calories per ounce. Stir or shake longer to increase dilution, which adds water volume and effectively reduces calories per sip, though the drink itself remains the same total.

Go extra dry by using minimal vermouth. This saves 10 to 20 calories compared to a wetter preparation. Skip flavored vodkas, which often contain added sugar and can sneak in extra calories.

The honest truth? These tweaks save you 10 to 20 calories at most. If calorie control is a serious priority, managing portion size or frequency matters far more than adjusting the recipe.

The Real Question: Is a Martini a Low-Calorie Choice?

Alcohol is calorie-dense by nature, packing 7 calories per gram. That’s nearly as much as fat, which has 9 calories per gram. A martini doesn’t have added sugar, juice, or cream, which puts it ahead of most cocktails from a “clean” ingredient perspective.

But those are still empty calories with no nutritional value.

For context, a standard martini has roughly the same calorie count as one slice of pizza or two light beers. It won’t derail a balanced diet if you’re enjoying one occasionally, but it’s not a “light” drink just because it looks elegant and clear.

Most martinis land between 120 and 180 calories, with serving size being your biggest variable. Understanding what’s in your glass helps you make choices that fit your goals without overthinking it. Now you know exactly what you’re drinking.