Keto Alcoholic Drinks To Keep You In Ketosis

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Being on a ketogenic or low-carb diet doesn’t mean that you can never enjoy a glass of alcohol. After all, many practise it as a lifestyle rather than for a specific duration of time which means that it needs to be sustainable. We’ve got tips for finding and making Keto-friendly alcoholic drinks.

The keto diet is inherently a very low-carb diet with most people only consuming a maximum of 25 net carbs (total carbs minus fibre) per day. With such a low carb allowance, Ketonians cannot afford to drink their calories without considering the effects it may have on continued weight-loss or sustained maintenance. 

Instead, the masses are turning to low-carb alcoholic beverages with less than 5g net carbs per drink and we’ve listed those types of alcoholic beverages that would be deemed safe to consume while trying to lose weight. These can be drunk alone or mixed into keto alcoholic drinks following some simple tips.

Keto Alcoholic Drinks

Here are our top-rated alcoholic beverages that will keep you in the state of ketosis:

Keto Wine

Wine is going to be the best choice of alcohol for drinking a low-carb alcoholic beverage. Even so, a regular glass of red wine can contain 4g net carbs so be sure to always know what your calorie goals are for fat loss or weight maintenance. 

If your inclination is towards white wine, always try to go for a dry white wine as a glass contains between 3-5g net carbs as opposed to the sweeter white wines such as Riesling, White Zinfandel, and Moscato which contain between 5-8g net carbs. 

If in doubt, a low in-take is best, with an occasional glass here and there.  

The table below lists the carb content for the most commonly sourced wines at bars and restaurants within a 2-5 net carb count and based on an average size wine glass of 5oz. 

In addition to this, it’s always good practice to check the serving size at your particular restaurant as these can differ substantially. 

Please note: The figures below have been sourced from MyFitnessPal which is an exercise and calorie counting App as well as Nutritionix. 

Keto Beer 

If you love your beer but still want to stick to your keto or low-carb diet, then these beers listed below are a great way to do just that! These popular beers have a much lower carb count than a vast majority on the market making them a perfect keto alcoholic beverage. 

To give you a better idea, most bottles of beer (which are 12oz or 350ml) contain a net carb count of 12g to 18g while the lighter variety contains 2g to 7g net carbs per bottle. That is a major difference often dismissed by many people yet if you are careful in your selection you can still enjoy your alcohol of choice. 

Here are popular beers that have a more acceptable carb count for keto and low-carb dieters. 

Please note: The figures below have been sourced from MyFitnessPal which is an exercise and calorie counting App. 

Keto Hard Liquor & Mixers

Hard liquors drunk neat have a very low carb and sugar content. The problem comes in when various mixers are added to the equation as these are notorious for their high sugar content. A perfect example is tonic water (high in sugar and carbs) that is mixed with gin.  

The table below will show you just how few carbs (if any) are found in hard liquor. 

To ensure that you don’t throw yourself out of ketosis by adding a mixer with a high carb and sugar count, here are some types of keto-friendly mixers that you should start stocking your liquor cabinet with:

Tips For Consuming Keto Alcoholic Beverages

Now that you have a better idea of the types of beverages that are low-carb and keto-friendly,  here are some additional tips that will help you to stay the course and drink wisely!

Tip #1. Don’t over consume

While it may be tempting to drink more than one alcoholic beverage because of its low-carb content, it will pretty quickly add up to your total daily carb allowance, resulting in a greater likelihood of you falling out of ketosis. 

Instead, eat and drink in moderation even when enjoying keto alcoholic drinks. Have one drink instead of 2 or 3.

Tip #2: Ask what’s in your cocktail

If you are ever unsure of the ingredients in your cocktail of choice, don’t be shy to ask your bartender so that you can make an educated decision specific to your calorie requirements. 

Tip #3: Pair your alcoholic beverage with water

Having a glass of water with your alcoholic beverage will help you keep hydrated as well as make your drink last longer which is great when you are out with friends who are having more than one drink. 

Tip #4: Be mindful of your goals and drink accordingly

When you do drink alcoholic beverages it should always be with your health goals in mind. That will differ from person to person and whether you are wanting to lose weight or just maintain. Having the goal of weight loss will require more of a calorie deficit than if you are just wanting to maintain your weight. Regardless, keeping this in mind will ensure that you make better decisions for yourself. 

Tip #5: Substitute a normal mixer with a healthier version

A great example of this is substituting your tonic water with lemon or lime juice and adding it to your gin or alcohol of choice.

Tip #6: Make keto alcoholic drinks at home

Let’s be honest, regardless of how accommodating your bartender is, you are likely not going to know the exact quantities of all ingredients added to your cocktail. These hidden ingredients are likely to include added sugars and syrups which have the potential of kicking you out of your hard-earned state of ketosis. Instead, try out some low-carb versions of cocktails that you can make yourself from the comfort of your home. 

This low carb strawberry lemonade mojito is a great example of how you can still enjoy your favorite cocktail while still keeping to your diet. It doesn’t just look good but tastes like the real deal and is only 2g net carbs with a total of 108 calories per serving. Not bad at all!!

See the recipe here. 

Tip #7: Use calorie counting apps

There are a plethora of apps on the market (free and paid versions) that will assist you in understanding the carb count of your drink and total calories which will then allow you to make informed choices of beverage. Check out some online resources like Cronometer, FatSecret and MyFitnessPal. 

As you can see, there are quite a few keto alcoholic drinks that you can still enjoy while still adhering to your daily calorie limits, and this list that we’ve provided isn’t even an exhaustive one!

If ever in doubt, use the tools and resources that are readily available to you from this post and with carb counting apps to ensure that that next alcoholic beverage is one you can happily enjoy guilt-free!