NEWS

9:00 P.M. Nightcap

Red wine isn't the only health hooch. Alcohol in moderation -- one or two drinks a day -- has been shown to raise HDL (good) cholesterol, boost bloodflow, and improve sugar metabolism. It's even been linked to a reduced risk of dementia and heart disease.

It can also help you drop pounds: A recent study in the journal BMC Public Health showed that people who had a daily drink were 54 percent less likely to be obese than teetotalers were. Even two drinks a day resulted in a 41 percent risk reduction.

But when you ask for that third one, your risk of obesity starts to climb. And in restaurants these days, a single "signature" cocktail can contain nearly half a day's calorie allowance and three or more servings of alcohol. It all proves that age-old adage: Think before you drink.

Worst Cocktail
Red Lobster Traditional Lobsterita
890 calories / 183 g carbohydrates
Carbohydrate equivalent: 57 Miller Lites
Of all the egregiously bad beverages we looked at in compiling this list, the Lobsterita surprised us the most. The reason? Red Lobster, the nation's beloved fish purveyor, is one of the few big players in the restaurant biz to provide customers with a wide selection of truly healthy food options. Too bad its barkeeps are mixing up bad news in the back room. Drink one of these every Friday night and you'll put on more than a pound of flab each month. Downgrade to a regular marg on the rocks and save the extra 640 calories for another day.

Drink This Instead!
Red Lobster Classic Martini with Gin
140 calories / 0 g carbohydrates
We like our booze as unadorned as possible. And not just for the 007-level sophistication, but because the sugar-spiked mixers might be more dangerous than the alcohol itself. Opt for a vodka martini if you like, but we like the herbal notes of the more traditional gin version. Bonus: The juniper berries used to make gin have been shown to have stabilizing effects on blood-glucose levels.


Worst Beer
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot
(12 oz bottle) 330 calories / 32 g carbohydrates / 9.6% alcohol
Most beers carry fewer than 150 calories, and even your average extra-heady brew rarely eclipses 200. That makes Sierra's Bigfoot the scariest beast in the beer jungle. Granted, the alcohol itself provides most of the calories, but it's the extra helping of carbohydrates (three times what you'd find in a can of Guinness) that stuffs almost 2,000 calories into each six-pack.

Drink This Instead!
Abita Amber
(12 oz bottle) 128 calories / 10 g carbohydrates / 4.5% alcohol
This trusty Louisiana label has expanded production in recent years, and you can probably find it in a cooler near you. That's great news, since you'd be hard-pressed to drink a more robust, satisfying beer for under 130 calories. Set it up next to a plate of tacos or a bowl of spicy gumbo -- after all, it's from Creole country.


Worst Light Beer
Sam Adams Light
(12 oz bottle) 119 calories / 9.3 g carbohydrates / 4.05% alcohol
There are too many good light-beer options on the market these days to settle for one with more than 100 calories. In fact, this one's only 7 calories shy of the frothy-headed god of beers, Guinness.

Drink This Instead!
Amstel Light
(12 oz bottle) 95 calories / 5.5 g carbohydrates / 3.5% alcohol
Beery brinksmanship has broken out among major brewers like Miller, Beck's, and Budweiser, who are scrambling to outdo one another in the low-calorie suds arena. But we still think it's tough to beat the flavor-to-calories ratio of Amstel.

For more tips on making smart beverage choices, pick up a copy of Drink This, Not That! by Men's Health editor-in-chief David Zinczenko, and Matt Goulding, available at bookstores and at MensHealth.com/drinkthis

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