Tricks of the Restaurant trade reveals drink calories

From fruity cocktails to vodka sodas, everyone has a favourite tipple. 

But very few of us know how many calories in the drinks we so enjoy sipping. 

Passersby were asked to rank four popular beverages in order of how many calories they contain – and results show that we could be consuming more than we think. 

None of the handful of people interviewed could correctly identify whether a can of Coke, a pint of beer, a gin and tonic or a large red wine was the most calorific.

While some correctly guessed that the gin and tonic was the least calorific, no one guessed that the large glass of red wine was the worst offender. 

Caught out: This man failed to pick a large glass of red wine as the drink highest in calories

The experiment was filmed as part of tonight’s episode of Channel 4 series Tricks of the Restaurant Trade, which explores what goes on behind-the-scenes of the food industry.

The episode drew attention to the change in the size of wine glasses served in bars and restaurants before moving on to challenge members of the public on the knowledge of their favourite tipple. 

The least calorific option was a gin and tonic, which contains 108 calories – or the equivalent of a two-finger KitKat. 

A pint of beer contained 182 calories, while a large glass of red wine, the most calorific option, contains 190 – roughly the same amount as a bag of crisps. 

Nearly there: This woman guessed that a gin and tonic contained the fewest calories

A study published earlier this year revealed how drinking twice a week adds up to an intake in excess of 110,000 calories a year.

This equates to 57 days’ worth of the amount recommended for women (2,000) and nearly 46 days for men (2,500).

This extra energy could pile on the weight equivalent to that of an average toddler. 

Tricks of the Restaurant Trade airs Monday at 8pm on Channel 4.