Can You Drink Alcohol on Keto? Here’s Your Guide To The Best and Worst Low Carb Alcoholic Drinks & Keto Cocktails

This essential guide to drinking on alcohol on keto goes beyond keto cocktails and covers all of the bases. From the best low carb liquors, beer, and wine to keto-approved sugar-free mixers and cocktails to make at home (and order at a bar), this low carb alcohol guide covers all of your questions about what you can and cannot drink on the ketogenic diet.

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Does alcohol & the keto diet mix? Yes, you can drink on a low carb diet as long as you follow the simple guidelines outlined below.

What Is The Best Alcohol On Keto?

Drinking on a low carb diet won’t throw you out of ketosis as long as you follow a few guidelines, and stick to best keto cocktail recipes, low carb mixers, wine, and yes-even beer.

Most alcohol contains 0 carbs:

Vodka

Tequila

Bourbon

Rum

Whiskey

Gin

Scotch

Brandy

What you choose to mix with these spirits is where the low carb dilemma plays in.

Mixers & Chasers To Avoid

Simple Syrup – 1 oz = 50 Calories, 14 Carbs

Cranberry Juice – 1 oz = 17 Calories, 4.27 Carbs   

Margarita Mix – 4 oz = 110 Calories, 27 Carbs

Daiquiri Mix – 4 oz = 190 Calories, 46 Carbs

Pina Colada Mix – 4 oz = 180 Calories, 43 Carbs

Whiskey Sour Mix – 4 oz = 260 Calories, 40 Carbs

Sweet & Sour – 4 oz = 90 Calories, 23 Carbs

Amaretto – 1 oz = 110 Calories, 17 Carbs

Grand Marnier – 1 oz = 76 Calories, 6.5  Carbs

Triple Sec – 1 oz = 103 Calories, 11 Carbs

Peach Schnapps – 1 oz = 72 Calories, 6.6 Carbs

Kahlua – 1 oz = 91 Calories, 14.7 Carbs

Creme de Menthe – 1.5 oz = 187 Calories, 21 Carbs

Low Carb Keto-Friendly Mixers & Chasers

Flavored Stevia Drops

Sparkling Water – LaCroix, Bubly

Club Soda

Diet Soda – Sprite Zero, Zevia, Diet Coke

Water Enhancers: Mio, Stur, Crystal Light

Sugar Free Energy Drinks Red Bull, Monster

Sugar Free Cranberry Juice

Angostura Bitters

Extracts  

DaVinci + Torani Sugar-Free Syrup

Citrus Fruits

Berries  

Best Low Carb Alcoholic Drinks To Order

Dirty Martini – 0 Carbs

Vodka & Soda Water – 0 Carbs

Gin & Soda Water – < 1 Carb  

Tequila Shot – 0 Carbs

Whiskey – 0 Carbs

Diet Jack & Coke – 0 Carbs

Alcohol on Keto Drinks To Avoid

Gin & Tonic – 16 Carbs

White Russian – 17 Carbs

Mimosa Sherbert – 27 Carbs

Vodka & Orange Juice – 28 Carbs

Rum & Coke – 39 Carbs

Pina Colada – 61 Carbs

Keto-Friendly Wine

White Wine – 5 ounce serving

Chardonnay – 123 Cal, 3.1 Carbs

Pinot Grigio – 122 Cal, 3.2 Carbs

Sauvignon Blanc – 2.7 Carbs

Sparkling White – 96 Cal, 1.5 Carbs

Brut Champagne -147 Cal,  2.8 Carbs

Red Wine – 5 Ounce serving

Pinot Noir – 121 Calories, 3.4 Carbs

Merlot – 122 Calories, 3.7 Carbs

Cabernet Sauvignon – 122 Calories, 3.8 Carbs

Syrah – 122 Calories, 3.8 Carbs

Zinfandel – 130 Calories, 4 Carbs

Wines To Avoid

Dessert Wines -165 Calories, 14 Carbs

Sangria – 89 Calories, 10 Carbs

Moscato – 127 Calories, 11 Carbs

Ports – 79 Calories, 6 Carbs

Sherry – 165 Calories, 14 Carbs

Beer

Most beer contains around 7 carbs per 12 ounce serving. If beer is your thing, check out some of the low carb options available.

Greens Trailblazer – 119 Calories, 0.5 Carbs

Bud Select 55 – 55 Calories, 1.9 Carbs

Rolling Rock – 92 Calories, 2.4 Carbs

Michelob Ultra – 95 Calories, 2.6 Carbs

Miller Lite – 96 Calories, 3.2 Carbs  

Low Carb Diet & Lower Alcohol Tolerance

Spoiler Alert: You can’t drink like you used to! The Keto Diet lowers tolerance levels for alcohol!

Back in the day, when you ate carbs on the regular, you had plenty of glycogen stored up – which acted as a buffer of sorts when you took part in Happy Hour. Now, not so much.

See, when your body is in ketosis (the metabolic state of burning fat for fuel) you have significantly less glycogen – which results in your new status as a cheap drunk.

On the bright side-you’ll save money on Happy Hour.
You may also make a complete fool out of yourself & suffer a wicked hangover. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to prevent both!

How To Avoid A Hangover

Don’t drink on an empty stomach.

Eat while you drink: Fat, protein & fiber slow alcohol absorption

Make sure you have low carb snacks on hand – the munchies are real

Stay hydrated. Shoot for one glass of H20 for every cocktail better yet, Two

Limit your consumption to one drink per hour

Clear Liquors like Gin & Vodka cause fewer hangovers – Darker spirits like wine, whiskey, & tequila cause more (Darker alcohol contains more chemicals called congeners which worsen hangovers.)

Drink two glasses of water before bed with a dash of sea salt for electrolytes or bone broth

Pickle Juice – Drink a shot or two of pickle juice to help replenish electrolytes before you go to sleep & the morning after.

Ask a friend to take your phone away if you are prone to drunk dialing ex-boyfriends, ex-husbands:)

If you’re practicing your mixology skills at home, I’ve collected 34 keto-friendly cocktail recipes -organized by spirit- to get you started.

Best Alcohol on Keto Drinks with Vodka

Sex On The Beach

Vodka + Cranberry Vodka + Peach Vodka + Mio Energy Tropical Fusion Water Enhancer + Club Soda + Lime Garnish = 0 Net Carbs – 98 Calories via Lowcarb-ology

Black Beauty

Vodka + Blackberries + Lemon Juice + Erythritol + Pepper + Mint Leaves = 2 Net Carbs – 180 Calories via Peace, Love And Low Carb

Sparkling White Sangria

Vodka + Bourbon + Sugar Free Mango Flavored Syrup + Mandarin Flavored Seltzer Water + Swerve + Peaches + Lime Juice = 1 Net Carb – 50 Calories via I Breathe I’m Hungry

Cosmopolitan

Vodka + Sugar-Free Cranberry Juice + Lime + Orange Extract + Stevia= 1 Net Carb – 103 Calories via Verywell Fit

Fizzy Lemon

2 Ounces Vodka + 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice + 8 Ounces Club Soda + 6 Mint Leaves + 1 Cup Ice + Rosemary Sprig (Optional) + Lemon Garnish (Optional) = 0 Net Carbs, 131 Calories

Muddle mint & lemon. Then mix ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake it like a polaroid picture for 30 seconds. Serve in a lowball over ice. Garnish with rosemary &/or a slice of lemon. Bottoms up!

Moscow Mule

Vodka + Ginger + Swerve + Lime + Ginger Ale = 1.5 Net Carbs – 134 Calories via I Breathe I’m Hungry

Lemon Drop

Vodka + Lemon Protein Water + Lemon Juice + Truvia = 0 Carbs – 130 Calories via Fitviews

White Russian

1.5 Ounces Vodka + 2 Tablespoons Strong Coffee (Cooled) + 1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract + 2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder + 3 Ounces Heavy Cream + 1.5 Tablespoons Stevia or Swerve + 2 Tablespoons Warm Water = 5 Net Carbs

Mix Cocoa Powder, Stevia, & Warm Water. Give it time to cool. Then combine it with heavy cream, vodka, coffee, & vanilla in a cocktail shaker. Shake well & pour into an ice filled lowball glass.

Skinny Sangria

Vodka + Red Wine + Strawberries + Sprite Zero = 4 Net Carbs – 70 Calories via Living Locurto

Kamikaze

Vodka + Lime Juice + Stevia = 2 Net Carbs – 109 Calories via Ketogasm

Bloody Mary

Vodka + Unsweetened V8 + Bone Broth + Worcestershire Sauce + Horseradish + Tabasco + + Pepper + Lemon Juice = 6.1 Net Carbs – 165 Calories via Word To Your Mother Blog

Vanilla Latte Martini

Vanilla Vodka + Coffee Liqueur + Cream = 3.6 Net Carbs via All Day I Dream About Food

Grapefruit Ginger Fizz

Vodka + Grapefruit Juice + Swerve + Ginger Ale = 2 Net Carbs – 80 Calories via My Life Cookbook

Keto Cocktails – Tequila

Skinny Margarita

Tequila + Lime + Orange Extract + Stevia + Sea Salt = 0.9 Net Carbs – 106 Calories via Wholesome Yum

Strawberry Margarita

Tequila + Lime Juice + Strawberries + Xylitol + Mineral Water + Lime Wedge = 1 Net Carb – 120 Calories via Bulletproof Blog

Spicy Margarita

Tequila + Jalapeno Slices + Lime Juice + Liquid Stevia + Chili Powder + Sweet Paprika + Cilantro = 2 Net Carbs – 74 Calories via Appetite For Energy

Keto Cocktails – Bourbon

Old Fashioned

Bourbon + 2 Dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters + 1 Dash Angostura Orange Bitter + 1 Teaspoon Sugar Free Torani Syrup + Splash Water + Ice = 0 Net Carbs – 140 Calories

Strawberry Basil Bourbon Smash

Bourbon + Powdered Erythritol + Lemon Juice + Basil Leaves + Strawberries + Pepper = 6 Net Carbs via Peace, Love And Low Carb

Mint Julep

Bourbon + Fresh Mint + Swerve + Crushed Ice = 1 Net Carb – 177 Calories via Word To Your Mother Blog

Whiskey Sour

2 Ounces (4 TBSP) Bourbon + 1 Ounce (2 TBSP) Lemon Juice + 1 Ounce (2 TBSP) Water + 3 Drops Liquid Stevia + Ice = 4 Carbs – 108 Calories

Mix in a cocktail shaker filled with ice & shake it like your life depends on it for 30 seconds. Strain & pour into a chilled ice filled lowball. Garnish with lemon, mint &/or cherry.

Three Wise Men Whiskey Cocktail

Bourbon + Scotch + Whiskey = 0 Carbs – 100 Calories via Word To Your Mother Blog

Keto Cocktails – Gin

Gin Fizz

Gin + Lime Juice + Sparkling Water + Cucumber Slices = 3.2 Net Carbs – 139 Calories via Keto Diet App

Raspberry Lime Rickey

Gin + Club Soda + Sugar-Free Raspberry Syrup + Limes + Mint = 4 Net Carbs – 16 Calories via Tastaholics

Keto Cocktails – Rum

Strawberry Lemonade Mojitos

Rum + Sugar Free Strawberry Lemonade + Mint = 0 Carbs – 108 Calories via I Breathe I’m Hungry

Pina Colada

Light Rum + Dark Rum + Heavy Cream + Pineapple Coconut Water Enhancer = 0.8 Carbs – 294 Calories via Tasty Low Carb

Mai Tai

Spiced Rum + White Rum + Club Soda + Sugar Free Pineapple Syrup + Sugar Free Almond Syrup + Sugar Free Orange Syrup + Sugar Free Cherry Syrup + Lime Juice = 0 Net Carbs – 197 Calories via Lowcarb-ology

Spendito

Rum + Soda Water + Mint + Lime + Stevia via Always Order Dessert

Raspberry & Blackberry Mojitos

Rum + Liquid Stevia + Club Soda + Fresh Lime Juice + Mint + Raspberries or Blackberries = 4.7 Net Carbs – 159 Calories via Keto Diet App

Peach Long Island Iced Tea

Bourbon + Vodka + Peach Schnapps + Mio Peach Water Enhancer + Club Soda = 3 Net Carbs – 167 Calories via Lowcarb-ology

Blueberry Mojitos

Rum + Lime Juice + Club Soda + Powdered Swerve + Blueberries + Mint = 6.75 Net Carbs – 172 Calories via All Day I Dream About Food

Skinny Strawberry Mojito

Light Rum + Club Soda + Mint Leaves + Stevia + Sliced Strawberries + Lime via Parenting Chaos

Daiquiri

Rum + Liquid Stevia + Lime Juice = 3.6 Net Carbs – 108 Calories via Keto Diet App

Strawberry Daiquiri

Rum + Strawberries + Lime Juice + Orange Extract + Liquid Stevia = 4 Net Carbs – 87 Calories via Step Away From The Carbs

Hurricane

White Rum + Dark Rum + Lime Juice + Fruit Punch Water Enhancer + Mango Passionfruit Water Enhancer = 2.4 Net Carbs – 279 Calories via Lowcarb-ology

Looking For Ways To Make Sticking To Keto Easier?

I get it! I’ve lost 148 pounds on the keto diet and maintained that weight loss for six years – these meal plans and recipes helped me a TON. 

Shout Out To Tastaholics Custom Keto Weekly Meal Plans & Keto In Five cookbooks for keeping me on track for the first two years! 

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Go ahead & try the meal plans or grab the Keto In Five Bundle!You’ve got nothing to lose – They offer a 365 Day money-back guarantee, but you won’t need it:) Ok – sales pitch over:) 

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