Is Alcohol Allowed on the Ketogenic Diet?

If you have chosen to be “keto” for the countless health benefits, you’ll be happy to know that you can still enjoy a drink or two on the diet. You simply must be sure that the beverage is low in carbs and sugar to avoid completely derailing all your progress. Following the guide below, head out with some friends and enjoy a cocktail or two, without the guilt or slipping out of ketosis!

Keto-Friendly Alcohol

Alcohol consumption on the keto diet depends on alcohol. There are many alcohol options that do not contain any carbs or sugar, and these would technically still keep you in ketosis.

These include pure forms of liquor, like vodka, whiskey, gin, scotch, brandy, rum, and tequila.

Some wines are keto-friendly in moderation. Choose a very dry red or white wine, which typically contains only 1 gram of sugar or less, in a 5-ounce serving.

Keto-friendly white wines are:

• Sauvignon blanc
• Pinot blanc
• Pinot grigio

Keto-friendly red wines include:

• Cabernet sauvignon
• Pinot noir
• Merlot

What Alcohol Should You Avoid?

Beer should be avoided on keto because its ingredients, including barley, hops and yeast, break down into sugar and significantly increase the carb content.

Typical mixed drinks and flavored liquors often contain high amounts of sugar and are a no-go on the keto diet.

Choose the Right Mixers

When you want to make a straight liquor more palatable, the key is choosing the right mixers to avoid carb and sugar-overload.

Keto-friendly mixers include water, seltzer, diet soda, sugar-free tonic water, and powdered sugar-free flavor packets.

Avoid juice, soda, and energy drinks because they can instantly turn a carb-free beverage into a high-carb calorie bomb.

Keto-Approved Cocktail Recipes

Keeping to your ketogenic lifestyle doesn’t mean you can’t ever enjoy a delicious cocktail or two. Choose high quality liquor that allows the true flavors to shine through, and savor your drink guilt-free.

Ingredients:

• 2-3-ounces high-quality rum
• 3-4-ounces cold brew coffee in mocha or vanilla
• Ice

Instructions:

• Fill glass with ice
• Add rum
• Pour cold brew over ice
• Serve immediately

Ingredients:

• 3-ounces high quality tequila
• 2-ounces fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup sliced strawberries, divided
• 2 tsp birch xylitol, divided
• 4-ounces sparkling mineral water
• Ice
• Lime wedge and strawberry for garnish

Instructions

• Grab two glasses and put half the strawberries plus 1 teaspoon of xylitol in each glass
• Muddle together
• Add half the tequila and half the lime juice to each glass and stir
• Add ice to each glass and top off with sparkling water
• Garnish with lime wedge and strawberry

Ingredients:

• 1-inch orange peel
• 1-inch vanilla bean, split in half
• 2-ounces bourbon
• ½ to 1 tsp sugar-free vanilla syrup, like Torani
• 2 drops orange water enhancer
• Club soda

Instructions:

• Muddle orange peel and vanilla bean
• Add bourbon, vanilla syrup, and water enhancer
• Stir and add ice
• Top with 1-2 ounces of club soda