Alcohol Facts, according to the CFA, is designed to help consumers follow the Dietary Guidelines’ advice that men limit their consumption to two drinks a day and that women restrict their consumption to one drink per day.

Alcohol Facts also tries to explain what constitutes a “standard drink” -- 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine and 1.5 ounces of 80-proof (40%) distilled spirits. (eesh. so those drinks I've been pouring are like two in one). According to the Dietary Guidelines, these amounts represent moderate drinking. Public health officials warn that consuming too much alcohol contributes to dependence, obesity and a range of diseases, such as liver cirrhosis and cancers of the upper gastrointestinal tract.

“Right now, consumers really have no way of knowing the most basic information about alcoholic beverages,” said Chris Waldrop, Director of the Food Policy Institute at the Consumer Federation of America. “It’s time to end the confusion so consumers can make informed and responsible purchasing and consumption decisions. We’re making information available today on some of the top selling brands, but the federal government needs to require standardized and complete alcohol labeling on all alcoholic beverages.”

So if you're reminded with a label on your beverage of choice that tells you how many calories you're consuming, would you consume less, think twice about consuming more or ignore it? I have to say that when McDs started sharing how many calories each tasty morsel packed, I was far more thoughtful about what I was eating there and how often. (sigh)... sometimes, I miss those blissfully ignorant days when their french fries called out to me.

Stay tuned, a less fuzzy graphic to come... OK. I gotta say, I've been fiddling with this graphic all morning and the DT magic just isn't working for me. If you go to this CFA Web page and click on the Alcohol Facts poster link, it'll take you to a clear graphic so you can figure out how many calories you consumed this weekend. I'm still not sure about my calorie count since I'm not exactly sure what went into Fantastic Fred's (yes, Mr. Rasmussen of the famed obit desk and historical column) Marvelous Manhattans on Friday night.