Summer. It’s a time when people flock to parks and outdoor green spaces with friends and family. If you grew up in the UK (like us!), you’ll know that when the sun’s out, we make the most of it. Unsurprisingly, this often involves enjoying alcoholic beverages.
While sunny weather may be a rarity, drinking alcohol is not. So when you’re following the keto diet, how do you know which drinks to choose? Let’s find out.
Table of contents
Introduction to alcoholic beverages
Drinking low carb alcoholic beverages is possible on the keto diet, but choosing the right options is key.
The keto diet is a low carbohydrate diet, focussing on high quality proteins and fats[1].
There has been much confusion about whether alcohol is permissible on the keto diet, and how much it impacts ketosis.
You may have read our article on understanding alcohol on the keto diet, which shows that alcohol has a minimal impact on ketosis (when consumed in moderation). Further, alcohol has minimal impacts on fasting blood glucose, and can even improve insulin sensitivity[2][3].
Now wait just second before you go rushing out to buy a 6-pack.
Not all alcoholic beverages are created equal. Many drinks have a high number of carbs, which could be detrimental to your keto diet.
So if you’re going to drink alcohol while on the keto diet, read on to find out which options are best, and which to avoid.
Best alcoholic beverages on the keto diet
Alcohol itself is not a carbohydrate, but many alcoholic beverages contain a high number of carbs[4].
It’s therefore important to choose the right options.
Note: Table data sourced from USDA FoodData Central database.
Pure spirits, including vodka, tequila and whiskey
When following the keto diet, some of the best options are spirits.
Spirits like vodka, whiskey and tequila have high ABV percentages, and contain almost no carbohydrates[5][6][7].
Spirits typically have an ABV of 35-40%. As a result, much smaller volumes of spirits provide the equivalent alcohol to significantly more voluminous alcoholic beverages. For example, 50mL of whiskey contains roughly the same amount of alcohol as a pint (568mL) of beer[5][6][7].
Spirits can be drunk neat, or mixed with sugar-free mixers, such as diet coke. While spirits are low in carbs, they still contain calories (alcohol contains 7kcal per gram). So it’s important to moderate your intake[4].
Red and white wine
Wine is made through the fermentation of grapes, and is often low in carbs.
Creating wine involves the conversion of the sugar in grapes into ethanol, via the action of yeast[8].
Wine is another potential option on the keto diet, as some wines contain low amounts of carbohydrates. For example, one glass of white wine (180g) contains about 4.7g of carbohydrate[9].
Wine may also be a good option on the keto diet due to the presence of numerous bioactive compounds[10].
Of particular interest is resveratrol.
Resveratrol is polyphenol that is abundant in grapes, and is associated with a host of potential health benefits. These include protection against oxidative stress, reduced inflammation and even potential benefits against diseases like cancer[11].
The protective effects may be greater in red wine compared to white. For example, some cardio-protective effects have been noted to be increased in red wine drinkers, compared to white wine drinkers. This is thought to be due to the high level of polyphenols in red wine, such as resveratrol, anthocyanins, and catechin[12].
It is worth considering however, that wine does contain carbohydrates. Regularly drinking wine can increase total dietary carbohydrates, and potentially impact your keto diet. Occasional drinking however, can help strike a balance and ensure your keto goals remain on track.
Low-carbohydrate beer
Beer is generally higher in carbohydrates than other forms of alcohol, and should therefore be avoided on the keto diet[13].
Although beer is high in carbs, there are many ‘light’ or low carb beers which have a significantly reduced carbohydrate content[14].
These beers are commonly created by the addition of the enzyme, glucoamylase. Glucoamylase is added during or before fermentation and metabolises residual carbohydrates, breaking them down to fermentable sugars[14].
Added yeast can then turn these sugars into alcohol. The beer is then generally watered down to return to a more moderate ABV percentage[14].
This results in a beer that has reduced carbohydrate and caloric content. Low carb / light beer contains about 3.5 – 7.9g of carbohydrate per bottle (16 fl oz / ~470ml), compared to around 17g for the same volume of regular beer[15][16][17].
Different types of light beer can contain different amounts of carbohydrates. Although light beer contains fewer carbs, they still contain carbs. They also tend to contain less alcohol which makes it easier to drink more than usual[15][16][17].
If you choose to drink light beer, ensure you limit yourself, as the carbs can easily pile up.
Sugar-free cocktails
Sugar-free cocktails contain significantly less sugar, and can be keto-friendly.
The key difference between sugar-free cocktails and regular cocktails is in the mixer. The alcohol in cocktails is usually a spirit, such as vodka or rum. By themselves, these alcohols do not contain any carbohydrates[5].
However, the mixers are often sweetened beverages which contain a large amount of sugar. Switching the mixers to sugar-free versions (e.g. going from coke to diet coke), can make them a keto-friendly option.
These sugar-free options are sweetened with low-sugar sweeteners, that provide the sweet taste, without the calories.
To learn more about low-sugar sweeteners, check our guides on natural and artificial sweeteners on the keto diet.
Worst alcoholic beverages to drink
Now that we’ve covered some of the best alcoholic beverage options on the keto diet, let’s talk about what you should avoid at all costs.
Note: Table data sourced from USDA FoodData Central
Beer
Beer is one of the worst alcoholic beverages for the keto diet.
Regular beer is rich in carbohydrates from hops and barley (and in some cases wheat), resulting in around 15-20g of carbohydrates per pint. For example, a pint (568ml) of Kronenburg 1664 contains 21.5g of carbohydrate[18].
Due to the high carbohydrate content, beer also contains a large number of calories. A pint typically contains 200 – 230 calories. As a result, beer consumption can easily lead to weight gain and put a serious dent in your keto diet[13].
Therefore, beer is definitely to be avoided while on the keto diet.
Sugar-containing cocktails
Sugar-containing cocktails can contain a large amount of sugar, and should be avoided on keto.
Cocktails are created by combining spirits like whiskey and vodka with sweet mixers, such as coke. The mixers help dilute the alcohol concentration, and the sweetness tends to make the drinks more palatable[19].
For example, cocktails such as a gin and tonic, can easily contain upwards of 15-20g of sugar, depending on the volume. This can be avoided by using sugar-free alternatives[19].
Some cocktails also contain syrups, which are very concentrated sugars. Again, these should be avoided on the keto diet.
Sweetened liquors
Sweetened liquors should also be avoided on keto.
Sugars have a sneaky way of making their way into alcoholic beverages. This is commonly seen in sweetened liquors.
Some alcoholic beverages are sold pre-blended. For example, certain spiced rums may already be mixed with cola or ginger beer, leading to a high amount of sugar.
This is also commonly found in flavoured spirits, such orange or lemon flavoured gin. The lemon ‘flavour’ contained in these beverages is often the result of blending with tonics, which contain sugar.
These types of drinks are incompatible with the keto diet and should generally be avoided.
If consumed, the high sugar content of these beverages would result in an increase in blood glucose concentration, and a subsequent spike in insulin[1].
This process would prevent the synthesis of ketone bodies, as glucose metabolism would be prioritised. The switch to glucose metabolism would result in leaving the state of ketosis, which could impact your keto diet[1][20].
This would have particularly detrimental effects if consumed regularly. It’s important to be mindful when selecting alcohol, and choose pure spirits or sugar-free options to ensure carbohydrate content is kept to a minimum.
Intake of alcoholic beverages should be moderated
Although there are many low carb alcohol options for the keto diet, moderation should still be the goal.
Alcohol still contains a high number of calories (7kcal per gram), which do not provide any nutritional benefit. This can quickly add up, and lead to weight gain and obesity[4].
For example, a 6-year study investigating the drinking habits of 9,318 adults found that drinking >7 drinks per week was strongly associated with becoming overweight or developing obesity. Importantly, this was shown for both beer and spirit drinkers, suggesting overconsumption of even low carb alcohol can lead to significant weight gain[21].
This is further supported by an 8-year study in 49,324 women, which showed heavy drinking resulted in significant weight gain compared to light-moderate drinkers and abstainers[22].
As briefly highlighted in our article on understanding alcohol on keto, heavy alcohol consumption is also associated with a host of chronic health conditions. This includes heart disease, liver disease and some forms of cancer[23].
As a result, even for low carb options, it is important to only drink occasionally and not overindulge.
Concluding remarks
With a bit of thought and care, drinking alcohol can be integrated into a keto diet plan. Sticking to low carb options such as spirits and some wines is a safe bet, and will minimise the impact to your diet.
Having said that, it is important to follow a moderate approach, and limit yourself to occasional drinking. Alcohol still contains calories, which can quickly accumulate and lead to weight gain. In addition, the harmful health effects of over-consuming alcohol need to be acknowledged.
Only occasionally drinking doesn’t mean you have to miss social occasions. You just need to be more mindful. There are also many non-alcoholic options too, such as sugar-free soft drinks, which can be used as alcohol substitutes.
If you would like to better understand alcohol on the keto diet, feel free to check out our article here.
