Unflavored vodka can be too much for some people to handle, but when the vodka has a fruit flavor, it quickly becomes more palatable. Smirnoff's green apple flavor of vodka is one of a number of flavored Smirnoff vodkas that you can enjoy in a wide range of mixed drinks, such as martinis and appletinis.

Though some alcoholic beverages may be called "light," all alcohol contains calories. Unfortunately, you cannot avoid calories if you want to enjoy an alcoholic drink. You can, however, decrease your caloric intake by choosing drinks that contain limited amounts of carbohydrates.

Alcohol-containing beverages can be flavorful complements to meals or social gatherings, but they also contain calories without the benefit of nutrients.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, rum and vodka contain the same amount of calories, depending on "proof." The amount of alcohol in liquor is designated by proof – liquor that is labeled 80 proof has 40 percent alcohol by content.

Alcohol provides your body with calories, although these calories do not typically provide nutritional benefits such as protein, minerals or vitamins. Therefore, the calories consumed in alcohol are considered to be nutritionally empty.

The Captain Morgan brand of flavored rum is easily identified by its label, which features a grinning pirate with one leg propped on a barrel. Inspired by a seventeenth-century pirate, Sam Bronfman established the company in 1945.

If you drink and are trying to lose weight or decrease your body fat percentage, you may benefit from reducing your intake of alcohol or avoiding alcohol altogether.

Since alcohol is largely a fermented drink of starches and sugars, its nutritional benefit is relatively minimal -- alcohol doesn't contain vitamins or minerals that can offset the caloric intake. However, alcohol also has mild anesthetic or tranquilizing properties that can make it attractive at the end of a long day.

Jose Cuervo's traditional margarita mix is a non-alcoholic blend that you serve with tequila and ice. Although the margarita mix tastes like limes, it offers none of the citrus fruit's nutritional benefits. Like many mixed drinks, margaritas tend to be higher in calories than plain beer or wine.

Bourbon is a type of whiskey, a distilled alcoholic beverage, first made in and connected historically to Bourbon County in Kentucky. As a source of nutrition, Bourbon has little value, containing no vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats or carbohydrates.

Nutritional drinks may help fill nutrition gaps in your diet. Seniors require a nutrient-dense diet -- one rich in protein, vitamins D, B12 and calcium. For those unable to meet their nutrient needs, dietary supplements, in the form of fortified beverages are an option.

Vodka and wine are two alcoholic beverages that you might be able to consume without wrecking your diet, as both are fairly low in calories. Remember, though, that moderation is the key, particularly when it comes to alcohol, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture warns can have harmful effects if consumed heavily.