feature: keto alcohol guide (with 17+ keto cocktail recipes)

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Just because you’re doing the Keto Diet doesn’t mean you have to give up alcohol. You can still enjoy cocktails! Follow these guidelines and learn everything you need to know about drinking on the Keto Diet.

What is Keto?

The keto diet is a low-carb diet. The goal is to get your body to use fat as its energy source instead of carbs (called ketosis). People on the keto diet follow different guidelines for how many carbs they can consume.

How Does Alcohol Affect Ketosis?

If you’re in ketosis, you can think of it like watching a movie. You’re into it, you’re watching, everything’s going fine.

Then, you have to go to the bathroom. You try to hold it, but alas your bladder takes priority over the movie. So you hit pause. You run to the bathroom, you return and you resume watching the movie.

Having a drink while in ketosis, is like hitting pause while watching a movie. Your body will pause your ketosis and prioritize removing the alcohol from your system (like you prioritized going to the bathroom over the movie). Once your system is alcohol-free, your body will resume ketosis (like you hit play and resumed the movie).

Does Keto Lower Your Alcohol Tolerance?

Yes, it does.

The short summary of why: your liver processes alcohol. If you’re in ketosis your liver can process the alcohol a lot faster therefore it ends up in your bloodstream much faster.

Drink SLOWER and LESS when you’re doing a keto diet if you want to avoid a potentially embarrassing evening.

Also, be sure to DRINK A LOT OF WATER.

Warning!

There is nothing wrong with drinking alcohol. However, I would be remiss not to caution you about the side effects of alcohol:

  • Alcohol can reduce your self-control and cause you to act in an impulsive (and sometimes regrettable) manner.
  • Alcohol can increase your hunger. Increased hunger combined with reduced self-control could result in excessive carb consumption. While the alcohol itself won’t throw you out of ketosis, eating a bunch of junk while drunk certainly can.
  • Alcohol can cause dehydration. Drink plenty of water to avoid this.
  • Alcohol is high in calories which can affect your weight even if you stay in ketosis.

Guide to Different Types of Alcohol

There are different types of alcoholic drinks. Check out this guide for what alcohol you can drink on the Keto Diet.

Hard Liquor

Most hard liquors contain 0 carbs. Some examples of common hard liquors are:

  • Brandy & Cognac (0-3g net carbs)
  • Gin (0g net carbs)
  • Rum (0g net carbs)
  • Tequila (0g net carbs)
  • Vodka (0g net carbs)
  • Whiskey (0g net carbs)

The problem with hard liquors is usually what you’re drinking them with. Sodas and syrups and other mixes/add-ins can turn 0 carb liquors into high-carb cocktails.

Also, if you’re buying any liquor that’s flavored, be sure to check that it doesn’t have added sugars (and therefore carbs) to improve the flavoring.

Good Mix Ideas

If you’re drinking somewhere that you can’t control all the ingredients (bar, restaurant, etc), order a hard liquor with one of these mixes.

  • Soda water / Seltzer Water / Club Soda: these are all the same thing. You can find flavored versions of soda water, but make sure you check the carb count!
  • Diet Soda: I don’t advise anyone to consume diet soda, but if you must! They’re full of artificial sweeteners and chemical additives.
  • Unsweetened Iced Tea: Buy a commercial brand or brew your own at home. The key is that it must be unsweetened!

Wine

Not all wines are created equal. Dry wines will have lower carb counts than sweet wines. Most of these dry red and white wines will be between 3-4g of net carbs per 5 oz glass:

  • Cabernet Sauvignon (red)
  • Merlot (red)
  • Pinot Noir (red)
  • Syrah (red)
  • Chardonnay (white)
  • Pinot Grigio (white)

Beer

If you want a beer, you’ll be limited to just light beers. Most light beers clock in between 2 and 7g of net carbs. Regular beers are much, much higher! Here are some of the lowest carb beers on the market:

  • Budweiser Select 55 (1.9g)
  • Miller 64 (2.4g)
  • Michelob Ultra (2.6g)
  • Budweiser Select (3.1g)
  • Beck’s Premier Light (3.2g)
  • Miller Chill (3.2g)

It’s Time for Drinks!

If you’re looking for a cocktail recipe, you’ve come to the right place! Check out one of the 16 keto cocktails (all with fewer than 6g of net carbs).

11 Keto Cocktails with 0-3g net Carbs

These drinks all have less than 4g net carbs. Enjoy!

6 Keto Cocktails with 4-6g net carbs

These cocktails are more of a splurge in the 4 to 6g net carbs range.

Drink it up!

CLICK FOR: 17+ keto cocktail recipes (plus a keto alcohol guide)

Don’t let the Keto Diet keep you from enjoying alcoholic cocktails on occasion.

Follow this guide and you’ll still be in ketosis! Enjoy.

Ready for more? Check out these 19+ Keto Cookie Recipes for a tasty treat.

Let me know your favorite keto drinks in the comments below!

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