Weight gain is an unfortunate and inescapable side effect to the otherwise wondrous world of drinking. But there must be ways to be health-conscious without being a teetotaler.

Many people have claimed that the lightest way to drink is to go for a clear liquor–no muss, no fuss, less calories. Others say that light beers hold the secret. Here’s the official boozebuzz findings:

Glimpse into the future or cautionary tale?

Beer. Light is the way to go to cut calories. Beer calories are going to have a wide range depending on how the beer’s brewed, with calories increasing along with abv. But your average regular beer has around 150 calories and your average light beer has around 100. Even though they’re lower in abv, light beers will save you a bit of beergut (though, keep in mind you’ll have to drink more light beers to get as drunk and this will cost more money).

Wine. Because there are so many types of wine, caloric intake has a wide range. Look for the alcohol content and the residual sugar of the wine to tell you how caloric it is. Most reds, whites and blush wines will fall into the 120-130 calorie range for a 6 oz glass (making it a better choice than regular beer, in most cases). But dessert wines and sweet wines like a Riesling could have more than 250 calories for that 6 oz glass. Most champagnes are around 160 calories at that amount.

Spirits. Most of your basic spirits (vodka, whiskey, rum, gin) will have around 100 calories for a 1.5 oz shot. This makes shooting your best bet for cutting down calories and still getting drunk. But beware of cocktails–mixing with sugar or pop will send the calories skyward. Liqueurs have a higher calories because of their usual sugar content but will vary. If you’re not shooting straight, mixing with a no-calorie mixer will do the best job of cutting calories.

The verdict. Your best bet is shooting without a chaser or mixing with a no-calorie option. Drinking light beer will yield basically the same caloric content. Most wines will be better than most beers, while any wine or liqueur with sugar is bad news.