Rum Nutrition: Calories, Carbs, Spiced and Overproof

By the DrinkLeader team · Published 2026-10-13 · Data updated 2026-10-12 · 8 min read

Rum is a low-carb, mid-calorie spirit: the catalog average is 0.6g of carbs and 101 calories per 1.5 oz pour. Despite coming from sugarcane, distilled rum carries almost no sugar into the bottle. The things that change the numbers are ABV, which is highest in overproof rums, and sweeteners added to spiced, flavored and coconut products.

Why rum has almost no carbs

Rum is distilled from fermented sugarcane juice or molasses. Fermentation consumes most of the sugar, and distillation leaves the remaining solids behind. The result is ethanol and water with flavor compounds, and in an unflavored rum there is little for a nutrition label to count. The catalog's average of 0.6g for 112 rums is close to that of vodka (0.6g).

The NIAAA defines a US standard drink as 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is 1.5 fl oz of 80-proof spirits at about 40% ABV. With alcohol supplying about 7 calories a gram, a standard pour of rum comes to roughly 100 calories. The catalog average of 101 reflects the mix of strengths, with some sweetened bottles at 35% or lower and some bottles higher than 40%.

Lowest-carb rums

The lowest-carb list is led by unflavored rums at 0g, and several of them are overproof, so read the ABV column as well:

For unflavored rum the numbers follow ABV: the 75.5% bottles in the table carry far more calories than the 50% ones, with the same 0g of carbs. Where two bottles share a proof, they usually share a calorie figure.

Overproof rum: where calories jump

Some rums are bottled well above 40% ABV, and calories rise in step. A 1.5 oz pour of a 75% ABV rum holds far more alcohol than a standard drink, so it counts as nearly two standard drinks in one glass. These are the strongest rums in the catalog:

These bottles are normally used in small amounts, as a float or in flaming drinks, but if you pour a full measure, count it as the strength it is. The standard drink guide has the formula for converting pours at any ABV.

Spiced rum

Spiced rums add spices, vanilla and sometimes sugar. The result is a range, as seen here:

Some listed spiced rums are at 0g to 1g and others near 3g. Brand and ABV both matter, and the high-proof ones in the table also have notably more calories. A spiced rum and diet cola is low in carbs, while a spiced rum and regular cola is not.

Coconut and flavored rums

Coconut rums are often lower in alcohol and, depending on the brand, sweetened. Here is how they compare:

Lower-proof coconut rums have fewer calories than a standard rum because there is less alcohol in the glass, even if they list a few grams of sugar. This is a good example of why the catalog shows carbs and calories together: sugar and alcohol pull in opposite directions. Flavored rums with the most added sugar are the ones listed with 3g or more:

For comparison, liqueurs average 9.8g of carbs per serving in the catalog, so these flavored rums sit between a plain spirit and a liqueur.

Rum in a drink

Almost every popular rum drink adds sugar: the mojito's syrup, the daiquiri's sweetener, the piña colada's cream of coconut, the cola in a rum and Coke. If you want rum with the carbs left out, order it with soda water and lime, or with a zero-sugar mixer. The low-calorie cocktail guide lists lighter ways to order, and the rum keto page shows the carb view across the category.

How to choose

• For the fewest carbs, choose unflavored white, gold or dark rum.
• For the fewest calories, choose the lower-ABV bottle, but check the sugar if it is flavored.
• Treat overproof as a stronger drink than its glass size suggests.
• Watch the mixer. The sugar in a rum cocktail is usually in the mixer, not the rum.
• Browse the under 2g of carbs list to see where rum sits against other drinks.

This page is information, not medical advice. The CDC defines moderate drinking as up to two drinks a day for men and one for women when adults choose to drink, and says that drinking less is better for health than drinking more. See the methodology page for how catalog numbers are collected and rescaled.