Do you feel tired after another week of work or studies? One of the best ways to cool down after a hectic week is to sit down and have a cold glass of beer. But what if you’re on a ketogenic diet? Luckily for you, there are actually keto alcoholic drinks that won’t ruin your low-carb diet. Find out more below!
Table of Contents
Alcohol on Keto Diet
There is a good reason why people wonder about the pros and cons of alcohol intake while on a state of ketosis. While these drinks are great to have with your friends, some of them pack quite a lot of carbohydrates — and that’s bad news for your keto diet.
Thus, what’s important is knowing which alcoholic drinks are good for you. It’s about reading the labels and seeing which ones have far fewer carbs than others. Being well-informed allows you to continue enjoying alcoholic without ruining your weight loss journey.
Drinks to Avoid
There are several alcoholic drinks to avoid while you’re on a keto diet. For example, beer is arguably the most popular form of alcohol in the world. In the US alone, research revealed that it beat both hard liquor and wine. But the problem is that a single can of regular beer already contains 13g total carbs.
Mixed drinks are a no-no due to their high carb content. Just 100 grams of mixed drinks can have 72g total carbs, 48g of which comes from sugar. Dessert wines or sweet wines aren’t a good idea either. A serving of these can already give you 14g total carbs.
Furthermore, there are specific alcoholic drinks to avoid during a keto diet. One cup of margarita has 13g carbs while bloody mary packs 10g of it. A serving of whiskey sour has 14g carbs while a cosmopolitan has 22 carbs. Worse, the sangria and the pina colada drinks have 27g carbs and 32g carbs, respectively.
Keto-Friendly Drinks
There are many low-carb alcoholic drinks as well. For example, a serving of either red wine or white wine would only give you between three and four grams of carbs. Even better are gin, rum, tequila, vodka, brandy, and whiskey: You can have a serving of them and worry about no carbs whatsoever.
If you’re looking to get tipsy real quick, you can enjoy the aforementioned hard drinks. Their high alcohol content and low carb count are perfect for people on a keto diet. There are admittedly some variants of these drinks that contain carbs, but they are still insignificant in amount.
In terms of chasers to lessen the strong flavor of hard liquor, you can get sparkling water, diet soda, and sugarfree energy drinks. Those who prefer beer should choose light versions instead. A can of light beer will usually only have two to six grams of carbs.
Guidelines When Drinking Alcohol in Ketosis
There are several things to keep in mind if you want to consume alcohol on your keto diet. For one, you have to slow down. Don’t drink too fast or drink too many bottles; you have a relatively lower alcohol tolerance since you are in a low-carb diet.
Likewise, another good reason to practice moderation is that you will feel the need to eat more as you drink. We all know that alcohol impairs our decision-making skills. Thus, you might not realize that you’re already eating a lot of food that are high in carb content.
And even if you are still mindful in choosing only low-carb snacks and meals, you might fail to know when to stop eating. Plus, alcohol itself has calories. And when you drink alcoholic drinks, your body will focus on burning ethanol instead of your fats — affecting your weight loss progress.
Remember to stay hydrated. Drink a glass of water for every shot of liquor you take. Have another glass before you sleep. And lastly, read the labels. If you can’t find the carb and sugar content on the labels, try researching online. Don’t just randomly pick one just because it’s advertised as a light drink.
11+ Keto Alcohol Drinks
If you’re having a difficult time finding a low-carb option at your local supermarket, we’ve gathered nine amazing alcoholic drinks for you to try.
1) Keto Cosmopolitan Cocktail
The regular cosmopolitan drink isn’t a good idea if you’re on a keto diet. However, this version is acceptable. One serving packs only 103 calories and a single gram of carbs. It will take you just five minutes to prepare this drink that utilizes a variety of fruits: cranberries, lime, and orange.
Check out the full recipe here: Very Well Fit
2) Keto Kamikaze Shot
This is a delicious drink that you can enjoy slowly or in one sitting. What’s problematic about the usual kamikaze shot is that it can have a whopping 50g net carbs. In contrast, this sugar-free version only has 2g total carbs — and you even get 10.9 percent of your daily Vitamin C needs.
Check out the full recipe here: Ketogasm
3) Keto Spicy Margarita Cocktail
Do you prefer your alcohol to have a spicy kick to it? This margarita recipe combines sweetness and sourness with a bit of spice using at least one slice of jalapeno pepper. You can have this low-carb drink in just 15 minutes. One serving only has 145 calories and 4.5g net carbs.
Check out the full recipe here: Keto Diet App
4) Keto Vanilla Latte Martini
This drink tastes less like alcohol and more like your favorite cold coffee. It’s a low-carb and gluten-free martini with a creamy and smooth texture. Even better is that it only needs three ingredients: vanilla vodka, coffee liqueur, and cream. You can easily make two servings that only have 3.6g carbs each.
Check out the full recipe here: All Day I Dream About Food
5) Keto Cucumber Mojitos
Here’s a popular summer drink. All you need is five minutes to have a nice glass of keto-friendly cucumber mojitos. In fact, you can have three glasses if you’re up to it. There’s nothing to worry about since each serving packs a mere 1.5 net carbs.
Check out the full recipe here: Peace Love and Low Carb
6) Five-Minute Low-Carb Margita
Another quick keto drink recipe is this margarita cocktail. It only has 71 calories and 0.8g net carbs per serving. There are just six ingredients and three steps here; they are so easy to remember that you won’t need to search for the recipe again when you’re in the mood for alcohol.
Check out the full recipe here: Step Away from the Carbs
7) Low-Carb Strawberry Margarita
This is a margarita recipe that has 50 percent fewer net carbs than its traditional version. Plus, you get to use strawberries, lime juice, and lime wedges to give it a fruity taste. The recipe is enough for two large servings, which is perfect to have with a friend on a cool Friday afternoon.
Check out the full recipe here: Swerve Sweet
8) Sugar-Free Keto Moscow Mule
If you haven’t heard of a Moscow mule drink, it’s a cocktail typically containing beer, vodka, and lime juice. What’s fascinating is that it’s usually served in a neat copper mug. This sugar-free variant just has 1.5g net carbs and 134 calories per serving — and don’t forget to place mint leaves on top of the drink!
Check out the full recipe here: I Breathe I’m Hungry
9) Keto Red Sangria
Summer is the best time to have a cold glass of sangria, but we won’t blame you for drinking this any time of the year. Preparing this keto alcoholic drink takes just five minutes and five ingredients: red wine, vodka, zero-carb water enhancer, club soda, and ice. Each eight-ounce serving will only give you 3g carbs.
Check out the full recipe here: Low Carb-ology
10) Low Carb Strawberry Daiquiri
Check out the full recipe here: stepawayfromthecarbs
11) Keto Mojito
Check out the full recipe here: moscatomom
Overall, it’s great to know that alcoholic drinks aren’t all that bad for you. Some of them do have a lot of carbs and sugar, but there are also others with no significant amount of carbs at all. You just have to know your drink and learn to experiment with the ingredients.
We hope this inspired you to make your own low-carb keto alcohol drinks. Send us a message if you have any queries.
