What Alcohol Can I Drink on The Ketogenic Diet?
Get Ready folks we are about to tell you exactly what Alcohol is Keto. Alcohol is an interesting substance, and it comes with definite pros and cons. It’s neither a carbohydrate or fat, or protein. Ethanol as it’s otherwise called is a pure source of energy. It’s not always good energy but it’s energy.
It has 7 calories per gram, so a shot of 80-proof vodka will run around 100 calories. Beer and wine contain roughly the same amount of alcohol but also include carbs.
Not all alcohols are created equal. First and foremost, you’re better off sticking with clear non-flavored spirits. A vodka soda with lime is my go-to. It says I’m classy… or that I’m an alcoholic who likes drinks that don’t stain my shirt when I inevitably spill on myself. Or, you know, whichever version floats your boat.
If you happen to still be in college and prefer your life to taste, smell, and feel like a bag of sour patch kids, you can always toss a thing of Mio in your Coach wristlet to offset the taste of vodka water and mitiage any embarrasment as you stagger through your local bar scene with red teeth. Don’t worry, girl, it’s cute, and totally matches your dress.
All joking aside, the mango-peach and lemonade-flavored Mios will leave your mouth looking less like Tekashi 6ix9ine and still let you wash down that plastic handle vodka in peace.
For those of you that now hate me for writing that, let’s move on to wine.
What Wine is Keto?
Fermented grapes come in a spectrum of flavors and forms that I frankly don’t have the pallet to notice. I’m told it’s a deep and interesting world, but I have my money tied up in this bakery right now, and I can’t seem to taste the mahogany notes in my Sutter Home quite yet. For you classy folks out there, here is a breakdown:
Champagne: at 1.5 carbs per 5 oz glass. So, you may proceed to pop bottles.
Pro Tip: Champagne has 0 carbs when you spray it on people.
There are 7 types of Champagne. Snobby people will tell you Champagne only comes from a special place in France. Ask these people to say pronounce Croissant then spray them with your “Wine with bubbles that isn’t Champagne”
1. Doux – Dessert Champagne forget it, also it’s hard to find
2. Demi-Sec – Also Dessert Champagne so hard pass.
3. Dry – Kinda sweet Champagne but less so 3-6 g of carbs per 5 oz
4. Extra dry – Slightly more sweet Champagne but less carbs at 2-3 g of carbs per 5oz
5. Brut – This is the most common kind of Champagne and at 1-2g carbs per 5oz glass it’s a great choice.
6. Extra Brut – in another weird twist this Champagne is both sweeter and lighter in carbs that its non-extra counterpart.
7. Brut Nature – It’s gonna be harder to find and very dry but this is your keto holy grail at 1 g or less of carbohydrates.
As far as red and white wines go, Dry Farms Wines makes a bevy of good wines that are extremely low carb. However, if you’re out to eat and opted to not bring your own wine, Sauvignon Blanc at 3.8 carbs per serving, and Pinot Noir at 3.4 carbs per serving are a couple of great choices.
My rule of thumb for wine on keto is, the dryer the better. There is an added bonus that wines that are dryer are higher in alcohol. This is because fermantation turns sugar into alcohol.
Here is a little more iinfo on which types of wine to drink vs avoid:
Bone Dry Wines – Good 1 g of carbs or less per glass
Dry Wines – Also Good usually 1-2 grams of carbs per glass
Sweet Wines – Not as good 3-5 grams of carbs per glass
Dessert Wines – I’m not even going to tell you the carbs, just dont drink this shit you as might as well be gulping down lemonchello.
Which Beers Are Keto?
Beer: If you’re craving a beer, your best bet is Michelob Ultra at 2.6 carbs. If you’re averse to feeling like you’re in a commercial and just getting back from a bike ride, good ‘ole Miller Light has only .6 more carbs per serving, and has the added enjoyment of no one asking you if you’re on a diet.
Pro Tip: No beer is keto when you drink ten of them. If you’re planning on getting saucy, stick to hard liquor.
I’ve learned that buying lite beer when everyone at the table is buying microbrews can make you feel alittle trashy…
BUT DONT LET DEM THANK THAYRE BETTRN YOU! MILLER LITE IS AN AMERICAN BEER!
Corona Premier only has 2.6 g of carbs if you are more into going surfing brah.
Bud Select 55 has 1.9 g of carbs but at this point it’s almost a beer flavored setzer.
I will end my discussion of low carb beer with a ode to beers that I think are pretty much required to be shotgunned.
With Natty light, Busch Light, and Milwaukee’s Best all coming in around 3 g of carbs per beer, please for your own sake just get a Miller Lite.
Is Hard Seltzer Keto?
A wise man named Trevor Wallace once stated; ‘AIN’T NO LAWS WHEN YOU’RE DRINKING CLAWS!
But, for keto dieters, there are some laws. At 2 carbs per can, they’re a better option than Michelob. However, I have to reiterate that if your day plans include shotgunning 9 of these while floating down a river, your ketosis chances will slowly diminish– much like your sobriety.
(2021 Update)
There are literally hundreds of these companies springing up so just check the carbs on the back before you start knocking them back. Most seem to be under 2g of carbs per though so you should be good to go!
What Are Alcohol Drinks That Are NOT Keto-Friendly?
Margaritas. Or, really anything frozen. Unless it’s specifically tailored or labeled to be low carb (Try our Gameday Margaritas if you’re in need!).
Try the fun drinks that we’ve made keto so far: Keto Bacon Grilled Cheese Bloody Mary, Keto Irish Cream, and our famous Keto Quarentini
Mojitos, sidecars, anything with fruit juice is a good idea to stay away from. I could go on for years about all the no-no drinks. Basically, stick to the guidelines outlined above. In addition to that, safety comes first when consuming alcohol- call an Uber, and also leave some keto snacks at home for when you get back, to ensure you don’t drunkenly fall face first into that bag of Doritos that were supposed to be for your kid’s lunch.
Get your umbrellas! It’s time for me to play Johnny Raincloud. At the end of the day, alcohol is nothing more than empty calories. We all like a nice glass of wine with dinner, well, that I’m told by people more cultured than me. While there is definitely room on keto for alcohol, cutting back on your drinking, in general, will speed up your progress, and will just be better for you in general.
John Terry is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Ketonia. As a long-time follower of the ketogenic diet. John handles the entirety of the business operations behind Ketonia as well as all of the client relations. Over the last 7 years of being keto, John has completely immersed himself in the nutrition, literature, and science behind the ketogenic diet to help friends, family, and Ketonians better understand the keto diet.
*John is not a certified medical professional and urges you to consult with your doctor prior to making any diet changes.
Interested in learning more about the Ketogenic diet? In order to reach your goals with keto, it’s important to understand the ins and outs of the ketogenic lifestyle. Check out more of our learning center articles to Understanding Keto here.
