Plain distilled vodka is one of the rare alcoholic drinks that is genuinely sodium-free — a standard 1.5-ounce shot contains about 0 mg of sodium. But very few people drink vodka completely alone, and that is where the sodium math gets interesting. Tonic water, salted tomato juice, sour mix, and even some club sodas can add meaningful amounts of sodium to a single cocktail.
This calculator splits your drink into two parts — the vodka and the mixer — then adds them up. It works in fluid ounces, milliliters, or shots, accounts for flavored vodka, and includes a custom option so you can enter sodium values straight from a Nutrition Facts label. You will see total sodium per drink, the percentage of the 2,300 mg daily value, and a sodium-per-100 ml figure for easy comparison between drinks.
It is built for anyone tracking sodium for blood pressure, kidney health, athletic hydration, or everyday micronutrient logging — and for anyone curious why their vodka drink sometimes turns out saltier than expected.
🍸 Vodka
🥤 Mixer
⚙️ Options
Step-by-Step Guide
Start by entering the vodka volume into the first field. You can type fluid ounces, milliliters, or shot (1.5 oz) equivalents. Next, set the mixer amount and choose the mixer style from the dropdown. If you are drinking vodka neat or on the rocks, leave the mixer at None. For a beverage not on the list, select Custom and enter the sodium value listed on the product's Nutrition Facts panel — usually expressed as mg per 100 ml. Mark the flavored vodka checkbox if the bottle is infused or flavored, since these vodkas often contain small amounts of added sodium. Press Calculate Sodium to see the total per drink, the percentage of the 2,300 mg Daily Value, and a sodium-per-100 ml comparison.
How It Works
Plain, unflavored distilled vodka contains essentially no sodium — a standard 1.5 ounce pour contributes about 0 mg. The sodium in a vodka drink therefore comes almost entirely from the mixer. The calculator treats each mixer as having an average sodium concentration (mg per 100 ml), converts the entered volumes to milliliters, and adds the two contributions together.
The core formula is: Sodium per drink = (vodka volume in ml × vodka sodium per ml) + (mixer volume in ml × mixer sodium per ml). For the Daily Value percentage, the calculator divides the total by 2,300 mg and multiplies by 100. The final per-100 ml value is simply total sodium divided by total drink volume times 100, which lets you compare different beverages on an equal basis.
Worked Examples
Reference: Sodium in Common Mixers
| Mixer | Average sodium (mg / 100 ml) |
|---|---|
| Plain water / vodka on the rocks | 0 |
| Cranberry juice cocktail | 2 |
| Orange juice | 1 |
| Sour mix | 8 |
| Cola / diet cola | 11 |
| Tonic water | 12 |
| Club soda / seltzer | 20 |
| Tomato / vegetable juice | 240 |
Values are typical averages. Always check the label of your exact brand, especially for tomato juice, where sodium can range from 180 to 360 mg per 100 ml depending on the manufacturer. For more precise per-brand data, the USDA FoodData Central database is a reliable public reference.
Tips & Best Practices
- Measure your mixer as well as the vodka. Four ounces of tomato juice is a modest pour, but a restaurant Bloody Mary often contains six to eight ounces and can push one drink past 400 mg of sodium.
- When drinking at a bar, ask for cocktails made with plain soda water, fresh citrus, or low-sodium mixers if you are watching your sodium.
- Flavored vodkas vary widely. Some are sodium-free; others contain added sodium from flavoring or mineral content. Use the checkbox as a rough estimate, and read the label on your specific bottle when available.
- If you are comparing drinks, rely on the per-100 ml figure instead of the per-drink total, since serving sizes differ.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does plain vodka contain sodium? No. Distilled vodka is almost entirely ethanol and water; a standard serving contains 0 mg of sodium. Mineral impurities are negligible in most commercial vodkas.
Why does my vodka drink taste salty? Usually the mixer is the source. Tomato juice, tonic water, and even some club sodas have added sodium. Salt-rimmed glasses also add a few milligrams per drink.
Why is the flavored vodka option here if most vodka is sodium-free? Flavored vodkas may include small amounts of added sodium from natural or artificial flavors. Adding about 10 mg per 100 ml is a reasonable estimate when no label is available.
How accurate is the 2,300 mg Daily Value? The 2,300 mg figure is the FDA's Daily Value for sodium, based on the recommendation that most adults limit sodium to less than 2,300 mg per day. People with hypertension, kidney disease, or other conditions often receive lower personal targets from their healthcare provider.