Whiskey is a distilled spirit, and unlike beer or wine, it contains virtually no potassium. This calculator gives you a realistic estimate based on your pour size and proof, using the standard USDA value of roughly 1 mg of potassium per 100 ml of 80-proof whiskey. It is useful for anyone tracking electrolytes, following a low-potassium diet, or simply curious about what is actually in their glass.
Enter your pour in milliliters, fluid ounces, shots, cups, or pints, pick a standard proof (or enter a custom one), and optionally add a mixer to see how cola, tonic, ginger ale, cranberry juice, or orange juice changes the total. The tool reports whiskey potassium separately from mixer potassium, so you can see exactly where the number comes from.
The result includes a step-by-step breakdown, making it easy to understand the numbers and compare different drink combinations.
Whiskey Potassium Calculator
Estimate potassium in a neat pour or a whiskey drink with a mixer.
How to Use This Tool
This calculator works in three quick steps. First, enter the amount of whiskey you poured and choose the matching unit — fluid ounces, milliliters, shots, cups, or pints. Next, select the proof of your whiskey. The presets cover the most common bottlings (80, 86, 90, and 100 proof), and the custom option lets you enter any proof or ABV you see on the label. Finally, if your drink includes a mixer, pick one from the dropdown and enter the amount. Press Calculate to see the whiskey potassium, mixer potassium, and total for the whole drink.
Once you hit Calculate, the result card shows the whiskey volume in milliliters, the potassium contributed by the whiskey alone, the mixer volume and its potassium (when a mixer is selected), and the combined total. A step-by-step breakdown underneath shows each multiplication and addition so you can follow the math yourself.
Use the quick-fill buttons under the pour field to jump straight to common serving sizes like a single shot (1.5 fl oz) or a 250 ml highball pour. The reset button returns every field to its default.
The Math Behind It
Whiskey is distilled, and nearly all of the potassium in the original fermenting grain mash stays behind in the still because potassium does not vaporize with alcohol. The USDA FoodData Central database lists 80-proof whiskey at roughly 1 mg of potassium per 100 ml. Since the mineral content of the spirit is so low, the calculation scales linearly with both volume and alcohol strength:
Whiskey potassium (mg) = volume (ml) ÷ 100 × (proof ÷ 80)
US proof is exactly double the ABV, so 80 proof equals 40% ABV and 100 proof equals 50% ABV. If you enter a custom value as ABV, the tool doubles it to get proof before applying the formula.
Worked Examples
Example 1 — Neat 100-proof pour. A 2 fl oz pour of 100-proof whiskey is 59.1 ml. Potassium = 59.1 ÷ 100 × (100 ÷ 80) = 0.74 mg. A straight pour of whiskey contributes well under 1 mg of potassium.
Example 2 — Whiskey and cola. Take 1.5 fl oz (44.4 ml) of 80-proof whiskey with 4 fl oz (118.3 ml) of cola. Whiskey: 44.4 ÷ 100 = 0.44 mg. Cola: 118.3 ÷ 100 × 2 = 2.37 mg. Total: 2.81 mg — and nearly all of it comes from the mixer.
Reference Data: Potassium in Common Mixers
The table below lists approximate potassium values per 100 ml for the mixers included in this calculator, based on typical USDA data for commercial beverages.
| Mixer | Potassium (mg / 100 ml) |
|---|---|
| Water / club soda | 0 |
| Ginger ale | 1 |
| Tonic water | 1 |
| Cola | 2 |
| Cranberry juice (from concentrate) | 50 |
| Orange juice | 180 |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Confusing ABV with proof. 80 proof is 40% ABV, not 80% alcohol. Doubling the ABV gives the US proof.
- Assuming high-proof whiskey is potassium-loaded. Even a 100-proof shot differs from an 80-proof shot by only a fraction of a milligram.
- Using fluid ounces as milliliters. 1 fl oz is about 29.6 ml, so mixing up the units roughly triples the estimated volume.
Factors Affecting Accuracy
The USDA baseline is an average, and real values vary slightly between brands. Charred new oak barrels can add trace minerals during aging, and some bottlers add small amounts of caramel color or flavoring that may contribute negligible potassium. Because each distillery releases its own recipe, treat the result as an estimate within about 1 mg for a neat pour — the calculator rounds to two decimals but the practical range is similar.
For clinical purposes, such as a strict low-potassium diet for chronic kidney disease, the exact fraction of a milligram in whiskey rarely matters; the mixer and other foods do. Always confirm with your healthcare provider if you are on a medically supervised diet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is whiskey safe on a low-potassium diet?
Plain whiskey is extremely low in potassium — typically under 1 mg per serving. Moderation and the mixer choice matter far more than the spirit itself. Check with your care team, since alcohol may be restricted for other reasons.
Does a diet-soda mixer change the potassium?
Yes. Diet sodas normally contain 0 mg of potassium, while regular cola carries about 2 mg per 100 ml. Swapping to a diet mixer drops the total to almost exactly the whiskey-only value.
Why did a nutrition app show more potassium?
Most apps record a mixed drink as a composite. If the entry includes cola, juice, or other mixers, the potassium figure is mostly coming from those ingredients, not the whiskey.
Does barrel aging add potassium?
Aging can introduce trace minerals from the wood, but the amounts are measured in fractions of a milligram per serving, so the effect is clinically insignificant.
Additional Resources
- USDA FoodData Central — search beverages for official nutrient values.
- Whiskey on Wikipedia — production process and aging overview.
- National Kidney Foundation — guidance on potassium in kidney-friendly diets.