Keto Diet Alcohol Guide
If you're a boozy babe, you're likely to ask the million dollar question: "Can I drink alcohol on the keto diet?" This keto diet alcohol guide will point you in the right direction.
First, to answer your question: yes, you most certainly can have alcohol on the keto diet.
That’s right, not all booze has carbohydrates in it!
Most spirits have 0 carbs. Take a shot or four two of vodka, tequila, or gin and you’re still sitting well below your daily carb limit.
A glass of white wine, like pinot or sauvignon blanc, only has about 3 net carbohydrates per serving.
For the most part, you're SOL with beer due to the gluten and high carb count. You'll see in the table below that you can technically make some light beers fit your macros (IIFYM-style), but I'm going to go ahead and give beer a big thumbs down as a keto-approved beverage.
In fact, I have a whole comprehensive list of alcoholic beverages sorted by carb count at the bottom of this post if you want to jump to the nitty gritty details of alcohol nutrition data. (CLICK HERE TO SKIP STRAIGHT TO THE KETO ALCOHOL LIST)
But before you run off and get white girl wasted with celebratory low carb drinks, there’s a few things you should know about drinking alcohol while you're in ketosis.
I will admit right here and now that alcohol is by far my biggest vice. While my days of telling strangers I love them, sobbing uncontrollably over nothing, and woo-ing too loudly at concerts are over, I do still enjoy a good cocktail (Exhibit A: Vodka Mojito Recipe and Exhibit B: Kamikaze Shot Recipe, two of the keto diet alcohol drink recipes you'll find on this site). This is a judgement-free zone. The upcoming lecture is just as much for myself as it is for you.
The Obligatory Buzz-Kill
Alcohol is not a nutrient.
Booze provides nothing of nutritional value.
Remember when you took the time to figure out your macros? Your energy intake was divided into three categories of macronutrients to support nutritional ketosis and your body composition goals. I guarantee that alcohol was not included in the equation regardless of which keto calculator you chose to use.
No vitamins, no minerals, nada. Just empty calories. And we should all know by now that calories totally matter, even when your carbs are low.
And speaking of calories…
Alcohol is a calorie bomb.
Not only are these empty calories, there’s a whole lot of them. Clocking in at 7 calories per gram, alcohol is almost as calorically dense as fat. It adds up quickly. If you are meticulously tracking your macros and not accounting for the calories floating around in your rum & diet coke, you're playing yourself. C'mon.
Temporarily alters metabolism in a way that promotes fat storage.
When alcohol is metabolized, the byproducts created are used up by the body before other nutrients.
The products of alcohol metabolism include:
- acetaldehyde
- acetate
- fatty acid ethyl esthers
- phosphatidyl ethanol
Note that none of the above are sugars, making alcohol technically "allowed" for a standard keto diet. But while these byproducts don't necessarily spike your blood sugar, they contribute to cell and tissue damage and inhibit important biochemical pathways throughout the body. As a result, the body places high priority on burning these up or removing them from the body - same it would treat a poisonous substance. This means that glucose, lipid, and amino acid (carbs, fat, and protein, respectively) take a backseat as an immediate source of fuel and head down the path to stored energy (body fat, glycogen, etc).
In plain English: while your body is dealing with the alcohol you just drank, it delays burning the food you ate and the fat on your body. Depending on how much you've had to drink or eat, and how frequently you indulge in booze, your alcoholic beverages may be promoting fat storage. Last I checked, that's the complete opposite of what most people visiting this website are interested in.
Alcohol tolerance on the keto diet plummets
Keto really lowers your alcohol tolerance. Sure you're a cheap date now, but you'll also have the worst hangover of your life if you don't play it cool.
Crap decisions
I'm not talking about drunk texting your ex, I'm talking about food choices. Are you going to stick to your guns once you've had a couple of drinks or are you going to order Uber Eats to tour your city for a drunken binge? Honest questions deserve honest answers.
So instead of asking if you can drink alcohol on the keto diet, maybe you should ask "does this support my goals?" It may help you put things into perspective a little bit.
Keto responsibly.
Now on to the keto diet alcohol list!
All nutrition information was obtained from the USDA nutrient database.
| Type of Alcohol | Calories per 100g | Total Carbs per 100g (g) | Fiber per 100g (g) | Sugar per 100g (g) | Net Carbs per 100g (g) | Common Serving Size (g) | Common Serving Size (household) | Calories per Common Serving Size | Net Carbs per Common Serving Size (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DISTILLED,ALL (GIN,RUM,VODKA,WHISKEY) 100PROOF | 295 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 1.5 fl oz | 123.9 | 0 |
| DISTILLED,ALL (GIN,RUM,VODKA,WHISKEY) 94 PROOF | 275 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 1.5 fl oz | 115.5 | 0 |
| DISTILLED,RUM,80 PROOF | 231 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 1.5 fl oz | 97.02 | 0 |
| DISTILLED,VODKA,80 PROOF | 231 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 1.5 fl oz | 97.02 | 0 |
| DISTILLED,ALL (GIN,RUM,VODKA,WHISKEY) 90 PROOF | 263 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 1.5 fl oz | 110.46 | 0 |
| DISTILLED,ALL (GIN,RUM,VODKA,WHISKEY) 80 PROOF | 231 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 1 jigger, (1.5 fl oz) | 97.02 | 0 |
| DISTILLED,GIN,90 PROOF | 263 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 1 jigger, (1.5 fl oz) | 110.46 | 0 |
| DISTILLED,ALL (GIN,RUM,VODKA,WHISKEY) 86 PROOF | 250 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 42 | 1 Jigger, 1.5 fl oz | 105 | 0.042 |
| DISTILLED,WHISKEY,86 PROOF | 250 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 42 | 1 jigger, (1.5 fl oz) | 105 | 0.042 |
| BEER,HIGHER ALCOHOL | 58 | 0.27 | 0 | 0 | 0.27 | 355 | 1 bottle | 205.9 | 0.9585 |
| BEER,LT,LO CARB | 27 | 0.73 | 0 | 0 | 0.73 | 354 | 12 fl oz | 95.58 | 2.5842 |
| BEER,LT,BUDWEISER SEL | 28 | 0.87 | 0 | 0 | 0.87 | 355 | 12 fl oz | 99.4 | 3.0885 |
| WINE,LT | 49 | 1.17 | 0 | 1.15 | 1.17 | 148 | 1 serving, 5 fl oz | 72.52 | 1.7316 |
| BEER,LT,BUD LT | 29 | 1.3 | 0 | 0 | 1.3 | 354 | 12 fl oz | 102.66 | 4.602 |
| BEER,LT | 29 | 1.64 | 0 | 0.09 | 1.64 | 354 | 1 can, or bottle (12 fl oz) | 102.66 | 5.8056 |
| WINE,TABLE,WHITE,PINOT BLANC | 81 | 1.94 | 0 | 0 | 1.94 | 147 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 119.07 | 2.8518 |
| WINE,TABLE,WHITE,SAUVIGNON BLANC | 81 | 2.05 | 0 | 0 | 2.05 | 147 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 119.07 | 3.0135 |
| WINE,TABLE,WHITE,PINOT GRIS (GRIGIO) | 83 | 2.06 | 0 | 0 | 2.06 | 147 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 122.01 | 3.0282 |
| WINE,TABLE,WHITE,CHARDONNAY | 84 | 2.16 | 0 | 0.96 | 2.16 | 147 | 1 serving, 5 fl oz | 123.48 | 3.1752 |
| WINE,TABLE,WHITE,FUME BLANC | 82 | 2.27 | 0 | 0 | 2.27 | 147 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 120.54 | 3.3369 |
| WINE,TABLE,RED,PINOT NOIR | 82 | 2.31 | 0 | 0 | 2.31 | 147 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 120.54 | 3.3957 |
| WINE,TABLE,RED,GAMAY | 78 | 2.38 | 0 | 0 | 2.38 | 147 | 1 serving, 5 fl oz | 114.66 | 3.4986 |
| WINE,TABLE,RED,CARIGNANE | 74 | 2.4 | 0 | 0 | 2.4 | 147 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 108.78 | 3.528 |
| WINE,TABLE,RED,CABERNET FRANC | 83 | 2.45 | 0 | 0 | 2.45 | 147 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 122.01 | 3.6015 |
| WINE,TABLE,RED,LEMBERGER | 80 | 2.46 | 0 | 0 | 2.46 | 147 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 117.6 | 3.6162 |
| WINE,TABLE,RED,MERLOT | 83 | 2.51 | 0 | 0.62 | 2.51 | 147 | 1 serving, 5 fl oz | 122.01 | 3.6897 |
| WINE,TABLE,RED,SYRAH | 83 | 2.58 | 0 | 0 | 2.58 | 147 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 122.01 | 3.7926 |
| WINE,TABLE,RED,CABERNET SAUVIGNON | 83 | 2.6 | 0 | 0 | 2.6 | 147 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 122.01 | 3.822 |
| WINE,TABLE,WHITE,GEWURZTRAMINER | 81 | 2.6 | 0 | 0 | 2.6 | 147 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 119.07 | 3.822 |
| WINE,TABLE,WHITE | 82 | 2.6 | 0 | 0.96 | 2.6 | 147 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 120.54 | 3.822 |
| WINE,TABLE,RED | 85 | 2.61 | 0 | 0.62 | 2.61 | 147 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 124.95 | 3.8367 |
| WINE,TABLE,RED,SANGIOVESE | 86 | 2.62 | 0 | 0 | 2.62 | 147 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 126.42 | 3.8514 |
| WINE,TABLE,RED,MOUVEDRE | 88 | 2.64 | 0 | 0 | 2.64 | 147 | 1 serving, 5 fl oz | 129.36 | 3.8808 |
| WINE,TABLE,RED,PETITE SIRAH | 85 | 2.68 | 0 | 0 | 2.68 | 147 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 124.95 | 3.9396 |
| WINE,TABLE,ALL | 83 | 2.72 | 0 | 0.79 | 2.72 | 29.5 | 1 fl oz | 24.485 | 0.8024 |
| WINE,TABLE,RED,BARBERA | 85 | 2.79 | 0 | 0 | 2.79 | 147 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 124.95 | 4.1013 |
| WINE,TABLE,RED,ZINFANDEL | 88 | 2.86 | 0 | 0 | 2.86 | 147 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 129.36 | 4.2042 |
| BEER,REG,BUDWEISER | 41 | 2.97 | 0 | 0 | 2.97 | 357 | 12 fl oz | 146.37 | 10.6029 |
| WINE,TABLE,RED,CLARET | 83 | 3.01 | 0 | 0 | 3.01 | 147 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 122.01 | 4.4247 |
| WINE,TABLE,WHITE,SEMILLON | 82 | 3.12 | 0 | 0 | 3.12 | 148 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 121.36 | 4.6176 |
| WINE,TABLE,WHITE,CHENIN BLANC | 80 | 3.31 | 0 | 0 | 3.31 | 148 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 118.4 | 4.8988 |
| WINE,TABLE,WHITE,MULLER THURGAU | 76 | 3.48 | 0 | 0 | 3.48 | 148 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 112.48 | 5.1504 |
| BEER,REG,ALL | 43 | 3.55 | 0 | 0 | 3.55 | 356 | 1 can | 153.08 | 12.638 |
| WINE,TABLE,RED,BURGUNDY | 86 | 3.69 | 0 | 0 | 3.69 | 148 | 1 serving, 5 fl oz | 127.28 | 5.4612 |
| WINE,TABLE,WHITE,RIESLING | 80 | 3.74 | 0 | 0 | 3.74 | 148 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 118.4 | 5.5352 |
| ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES,WINE,ROSE | 83 | 3.8 | 0 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 148 | 2 serving, (5 fl oz) | 122.84 | 5.624 |
| RICE (SAKE) | 134 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | ||
| WINE,TABLE,WHITE,MUSCAT | 82 | 5.23 | 0 | 0 | 5.23 | 150 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 123 | 7.845 |
| WINE,COOKING | 50 | 6.3 | 0 | 1.55 | 6.3 | 29 | 1 fl oz | 14.5 | 1.827 |
| DAIQUIRI,PREPARED-FROM-RECIPE | 186 | 6.94 | 0.1 | 5.58 | 6.84 | 60 | 1 cocktail, (2 fl oz) | 111.6 | 4.104 |
| MALT BEER,HARD LEMONADE | 68 | 10.07 | 0 | 9.77 | 10.07 | 0 | 0 | ||
| WINE,TABLE,WHITE,LATE HARVEST,GEWURZTRAMINER | 108 | 11.39 | 0 | 0 | 11.39 | 152 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 164.16 | 17.3128 |
| WINE,DSSRT,DRY | 152 | 11.67 | 0 | 1.09 | 11.67 | 103 | 1 glass, (3.5 fl oz) | 156.56 | 12.0201 |
| WHISKEY SOUR,PREP FROM ITEM 14028 | 153 | 12.82 | 0 | 12.78 | 12.82 | 106 | 1 portion, (2 oz mix + 1.5 oz whiskey) | 162.18 | 13.5892 |
| WHISKEY SOUR | 149 | 13.17 | 0 | 0 | 13.17 | 106 | 1 portion, (2 oz mix + 1.5 oz whiskey) | 157.94 | 13.9602 |
| WHISKEY SOUR,CND | 119 | 13.4 | 0.1 | 0 | 13.3 | 209 | 1 can, (6.8 fl oz, 200 ml) | 248.71 | 27.797 |
| WINE,TABLE,WHITE,LATE HARVEST | 112 | 13.39 | 0 | 0 | 13.39 | 154 | 1 serving, (5 fl oz) | 172.48 | 20.6206 |
| WINE,DSSRT,SWT | 160 | 13.69 | 0 | 7.78 | 13.69 | 103 | 1 glass, (3.5 fl oz) | 164.8 | 14.1007 |
| DAIQUIRI,CND | 125 | 15.7 | 0 | 0 | 15.7 | 207 | 1 can, (6.8 fl oz, 200 ml) | 258.75 | 32.499 |
| WHISKEY SOUR,PREP W/ H2O,WHISKEY & PDR MIX | 164 | 15.85 | 0 | 15.81 | 15.85 | 103 | 1 packet, prepared | 168.92 | 16.3255 |
| LIQUEUR,COFFEE W/ CRM,34 PROOF | 327 | 20.9 | 0 | 19.76 | 20.9 | 47 | 1.5 fl oz | 153.69 | 9.823 |
| PINA COLADA,PREPARED-FROM-RECIPE | 174 | 22.66 | 0.3 | 22.33 | 22.36 | 141 | 1 cocktail, (4.5 fl oz) | 245.34 | 31.5276 |
| PINA COLADA,CND | 237 | 27.6 | 0.1 | 0 | 27.5 | 222 | 1 can, (6.8 fl oz, 200 ml) | 526.14 | 61.05 |
| LIQUEUR,COFFEE,63 PROOF | 308 | 32.2 | 0 | 32.2 | 32.2 | 52 | 1.5 fl oz | 160.16 | 16.744 |
| CREME DE MENTHE,72 PROOF | 371 | 41.6 | 0 | 41.6 | 41.6 | 50 | 1 jigger, 1.5 fl oz | 185.5 | 20.8 |
| LIQUEUR,COFFEE,53 PROOF | 336 | 46.8 | 0 | 38.3 | 46.8 | 52 | 1 serving, 1.5 fl oz | 174.72 | 24.336 |
Hi, I'm Tasha–nutritionist, recipe developer, and multi-published cookbook author.
Thanks Tasha - helpful info to keep in my pin pocket ?. Also thanks for being real. You are hilarious and educational. Best wishes. Roc
This made me chuckle heartily. Fond memories of drunk nights telling strangers entirely too much of my business. Ever the social butterfly 🙂
Hi. Can you explain why champagne (sparkling wine) isn't listed. Thx.
Hi Donna, I just filtered the USDA database for alcoholic beverages and exported with the data needed to create the table. I didn't actually find champagne in the database (I could be overlooking it...), so I don't have accurate nutrition data for this. Here's the site I use: https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list?SYNCHRONIZER_TOKEN=de7b9f93-2a79-4021-bd7d-5f3f33682816&SYNCHRONIZER_URI=%2Fndb%2Fsearch%2Flist&qt=&ds=&qlookup=champagne&manu=
I'm totally late to the party on this one, but better late than never, right? Champagne is made from the same grapes (always a blend, so go with the white table count). Champagne/sparkling wine has an extra step in the fermentation process... yeast & sugar are added in the 2nd step. However, the yeast eats the sugar & makes CO2 (the bubbles). When all the sugar is eaten, the yeast dies & is then removed from the batch. So there's no more sugar in sparkling wine then there is in regular wine. It's a lot more work to make, but for keto purposes, it has the same calories/carbs as its still brethren.
What a fabulous read!! Very informational and a funny!!
Champagne?
The dryer the champagne the more ketosis you will go into.
Good read, great laugh! Thank you 🙂
Thank you for the post! It's what I need.. I have 1 question: If I should choose to have a few drinks (Vodka & water with a squirt of flavour enhancer) should I still consume the full amount of my Macros for the day and take an increase in the calories, or go with the decrease in my macros and stay within my calories?
Good question! Calories are king when it comes to weight loss, so the additional calories consumed in a drink will ultimately create less of a calorie deficit (or eliminate the calorie deficit altogether, depending on how much you drink). If you are planning on eating less in order to have a drink and still be at your deficit, sacrifice your fat macro over the protein macro. There's not really a lot of wiggle room with carbs on keto since we keep them so low and it's easier to create the deficit by limiting fat since it's so calorically dense. Also, protein is the most important macro to "hit" on the regular. I can't speak to the folks using keto for therapeutic purposes though; I'm assuming alcohol is most likely a no in those situations.
You can certainly still be keto without being in a calorie deficit though. If you decide to have a drink without adjusting your macros for the day, just keep in mind that it might slow things down a bit if your goal is fat loss. Once you are at maintenance it becomes a lot easier to have a drink without playing a numbers game.
Hope that helps!
Hey - I’m seth, and a dude. Your site and substance are really awesome. You’re a great writer with a particular knack for moving from a scientific to a universal way of communication - something that is very helpful and informative. Love me some whiskey and was glad I came by this as I was wrongly under the impression I could pound glasses and not compromise my pursuit...
Hi I’m on keto. Never felt better. But I love an occasional gin&tonic which keeps me sane 😊 Tonic water has sugar and the diet tonic tastes disgusting. Neat gin no way ugh. What can I put in my gin to make it enjoyable!?!?
Hi Sally. I love gin on the rocks if it’s a high end gin....it’s like a lazy martini. My go-to is Botanist...it is Scottish and very clean tasting. I like to let it melt a little. That’s said you could attempt to add a splash of sparking water or for a treat Fever Tree Naturally lite tonic has 4 carbs per serving and it doesn’t have that diet taste others do.
Only leaves you 16 carbs for the whole day of food 🙂
Same...I hate cheap commercial tonic and only buy Fever Tree naturally light now. 15 calories and 3.8 carbs to their individual 200 ml bottles. I add a few slices of cucumber and maybe lemon peel. Deeeeelightful.
Im a gin girl too so thanks for asking this one!
soda water with a splash of angustori bitters lemon optional
Because it's wine, same as Cava and Prosecco and Australian sparkling wine and any other sparkling wine provided it is dry fizz and not sweet!
carb count for sparkling wine
Can you tell me if dropping springs Texas orange vodka is Keto approved it’s 70 proof
Can I have whisky while following Keri diet... Or which are the good drinks while doing let diet and the level means how many pegs can I have..... Pls
So, this keto diet is trickier than I thought. First month, I was drinking organic ginger juice and lemon juice with vodka...found out ginger juice HAS carbs! Then I went to Heavy Whipping Cream and THAT now I find out has carbs. The last thing I wanted to hear is I can't hardly drink zero carb booze. I didn't know calories counted. I'm thinking after 3 months and only losing 5 pounds, I'm ready to join in the holiday merriment. f it. No....I won't. I guess I'll have to discipline myself more! Thanks for all the info!!!!