Your Guide to Keto and Alcohol: Will Drinking Kick You Out of Ketosis?

Is it possible to enjoy both a keto lifestyle and drink alcohol? In a word: Kinda.

While many beers and classic cocktails fall outside the scope of a low-carb diet, that doesn’t mean all adult beverages are a no go. So, what alcohol can you drink on keto?

Our keto alcohol guide covers the science on what alcohols fit into this low-carb, high-fat dietary approach so you can responsibly imbibe without knocking yourself out of ketosis.

Can you have alcohol on keto?

While it’s obvious that sweet mixed drinks and beer are full of sugar and carbs that can immediately bring you out of ketosis, straight liquor and dry wine can also cause issues for some people.

When talking about drinking on the keto diet, you have to consider the processes that go into your body metabolizing alcohol, and how that can interfere with your body being in ketosis.

Your health and body are unique to you, so it’s important to understand that even if you drink a low-carb alcoholic drink, your reaction may not be the same as the person across from you. Listen to your body, and act accordingly.

Take a drink like a vodka soda: It has very few calories and even fewer grams of sugar. However, even though it uses a liquor with no carbs, it’s not the calories in this simple drink that can cause a problem; it’s how the body processes the liquor in the first place.

Alcohol and the fat-burning process

Alcohol has about 7 calories per gram, so it’s sometimes classified as the fourth macronutrient.^[1] But unlike carbs, fats and protein, it’s not essential. You don’t need it to survive.

On the keto diet, your body uses fat for energy instead of carbs. In the absence of carbs, your liver turns fat into energy molecules called ketones. When you drink alcohol, your body begins to metabolize the booze — which means it breaks it down.

The thing is, when you’re keto, your liver focuses all of its attention on the metabolized alcohol instead of fat. Until all the alcohol has been processed, your body won’t produce ketones from fat. This slows down the fat-burning process and potentially slows down your weight loss goals.^[2]

The bottom line: If you’re a very occasional spirits drinker, alcohol probably won’t derail your keto lifestyle. But if you find yourself drinking high-carb beverages, or drinking often during the week or every weekend, you might be slowing down the fat-burning you want on keto.

Related: Ketosis and the Ketogenic Diet Explained: A Complete Beginner’s Guide

Keto alcohol tolerance

Carbs are great for managing that tipsy feeling. Pasta, pizza and bread are full of glucose, which your body burns relatively quickly. This slows down the metabolization of alcohol, which helps reduce blood alcohol levels.^[3]

But when you’re living a ketogenic lifestyle, you’re eating very few carbs. That means when you drink alcohol on the keto diet, it gets processed faster—which leads to you feeling tipsy or drunk much quicker. In other words: the keto diet alcohol tolerance issue isn’t something to take lightly.

While that could seem like a plus for some, that also means that if you’re new to keto, and have the same amount of alcoholic beverages that you’re used to during a night out (or in), you may feel the effects more quickly and be caught off guard.

It’s even more important to appoint a sober designated driver and be mindful of how alcohol affects you now, rather than how many drinks you used to be able to drink. Ultimately, it’s best to take a better-be-safe-than-sorry approach with situations that could involve low carb diet alcohol tolerance problems.

Your life and the safety of others matters more than taking an extra sip, right?

Be aware of diminished willpower

Maintaining a healthy ketogenic lifestyle requires focus and willpower. When you drink, your inhibitions and willpower weaken. This is why it’s so easy to go for a few pieces of pizza at 2 a.m. after a night of consuming alcohol instead of a handful of pistachios and a glass of water.

So even if you choose your low-carb alcohol carefully, the choices you make after those drinks (i.e. pizza or fast food) may end up throwing you out of ketosis.

This isn’t meant to be a buzzkill—it’s simply something more to consider when opting for a second or third drink.

Related: 16 Best Keto Snacks for Every Craving

Does alcohol affect ketosis positively?

If you’ve ever heard the phrase “drinking increases ketosis,” you’re only getting half the story.

A small study from 1970 illustrated how high alcohol consumption (46% of the diet) and a high-fat diet increased “ketonuria” — aka more ketones were found in the volunteers’ urine.^[4] Here’s the scientific explanation: Researchers theorized the ketonuria was caused by a “delayed change in intermediary metabolism” from alcohol-induced glycogen depletion.

The bottom line: Although alcohol can increase ketone levels, the study that found this had nearly 50% of calories coming from alcohol. If you’re looking for a fat-burning keto boost, don’t look to alcohol. There are many safer options out there.

Keto friendly alcohol

Not sure what alcohol is keto friendly? Just like sweeteners, some alcohols are better suited for keto dieters than others. That may mean you need to switch up your drink of choice. After all, beer typically contains too many carbs, and some wines do, too.

So, when it comes to selecting the best type of alcohol when you’re on the keto diet, where should you start? Here are some top choices to consider when it’s time to put in your drink order at your next happy hour outing:

• Whiskey
• Brandy
• Cognac
• Vodka
• Gin
• Tequila
• Dry red or white wine
• Extra dry champagne or sparkling wine

Pure spirits take the cake here (figuratively, of course) because they contain zero carbs. By swapping out juice, soda or sugary mixers for keto-friendly alternatives, you can craft a delicious low-carb cocktail that won’t knock your macros out of whack.

Keto friendly wine

Now that we know the science behind keto and alcohol, it’s clear liquors are the best way to go if you’re going to enjoy a drink. But what about wine on the keto diet? Can you still enjoy a glass after a long day of work?

As with all things low-carb, it depends. Some wine, especially dry wines, are perfectly fine in moderation. A glass of wine with dinner or in the evening fits right in with a keto diet.

Wine coolers, of course, tend to contain little actual wine and are usually high in carbs. Be sure to check calorie and carb counts on pre-mixed drinks, so you can make an informed choice about your evening. Indulging in something that you may consider keto friendly alcohol may not be a wise choice once you read the nutrition label.

While most cheap wine (think the stuff under $10 or that comes in a box), can come with residual sugar, if you stick to very dry red or white wine, you can still have a glass with dinner. What makes dry wine the best wine for keto dieters? They typically have about 1 gram or less of sugar per ounce. Keep in mind that the usual serving is 5 ounces, so pour accordingly.

White Wines

• Sauvignon blanc (0.6g carbs per ounce)
• Pinot blanc: (0.57g carbs per ounce)
• Italian pinot grigio (0.6g carbs per ounce)
• Chardonnay (0.6g carbs per ounce)

Red Wines

• Cabernet sauvignon (0.75g carbs per ounce)
• Pinot noir (0.68g carbs per ounce)
• Merlot (0.74g carbs per ounce)

Wines that have a higher carb count include Moscato sparkling wine as well as some Riesling wines. Look to brut champagne and dry Riesling to replace their sweeter cousins.

There’s also a potential gray area when it comes to counting the carbs in wine.

If you’re concerned about more than carbohydrates, stick with keto friendly wine brands that are dedicated to producing high-quality products. Organic, biodynamic Dry Farm Wines tests their wines in labs to ensure they’re free of mold and additives—and its founders are keto.

Keto friendly beer

Because of its ingredient (barley, hops, yeast and water), you generally won’t find beer on a list of approved keto alcoholic beverages. The barley is broken down into sugar maltose, which is what the yeast acts on, creating a much higher carb count than straight liquor (often a zero carb alcohol) or even wine.

If you’re a beer enthusiast on keto, there is hope, however. Some light beers have a lower carb count than others, and an occasional higher-carb brew won’t necessarily throw you out of ketosis. It’s generally a good idea to get informed first so you don’t have to spend time searching store shelves to find the best beer for keto.

A terrific low carb beer on keto shopping lists around the country is Omission Brewing Co. Ultimate Light Golden Ale. Besides being gluten-free, it has 5 grams of carbs per 12-ounce serving.

Looking for more keto-friendly beers? If you need a brew that keeps the carb count low, here are some options:

• Budweiser Select 55 (1.9g per 8-ounce can)
• Corona Premier (2.6g per 12-ounce can or bottle)
• Michelob Ultra (2.6g per 12-ounce can or bottle)
• Miller Lite (3.2g per 12-ounce can or bottle)

Hard liquor: the best alcohol for keto

Most clear liquors that are around 40 percent alcohol (vodka, whiskey, gin, scotch, brandy, rum and tequila) contain 0 grams of carbs and sugars on their own, which means they’re keto-friendly in moderation.

The issue arrives if you want to mix your liquor with something to make it more palatable.

Mixing your keto approved spirits with straight water or seltzer is perfectly acceptable on keto, but tonic water (which is a bitter soda made from quinine) can contain 32 to 33 grams of carbs per 12 ounces. Likewise, when you mix hard liquor with things like fruit juice, sodas or behind-the-bar “mixers” (which are usually full of sugar), you’re opening yourself up to a lot of unexpected liquid carbs.

If you’re really craving a little something more than just plain tequila on the rocks, you can still enjoy refreshing keto alcohol drinks that swap out sugary mixers, or ask the bartender to make you something using bitters.

Some bitters contain as little as 2 grams of carbs per half teaspoon. That may seem like a lot of carbs in a small amount of bitters, but you usually don’t need more than a half teaspoon (two dashes) to flavor a drink and help it taste like a cocktail rather than straight liquor.

Diet soda is also an option, but many on keto choose to avoid artificial sweeteners, so choose what fits your diet journey the best.

Keep in mind that flavored alcohols and liqueurs (coconut schnapps, for instance) can and often do contain extra sugar. Be mindful of how much you consume, and how those fit into your daily macros.

Ready to show off your mixology skills? There are plenty of ways to stir (or shake) up hard liquor and other ingredients to create a delicious, low-carb drink.

Here’s the rundown on how different types of hard liquor can fit into a keto lifestyle.

Vodka on keto

Versatile and free of carbs, vodka is a top liquor choice for anyone on a low carb or keto diet. There’s a reason vodka soda is often the go-to drink for health-conscious night goers!

Rum on keto

As another pure spirit, rum is also a zero carb alcohol. However, just be mindful of your mixers, as many traditional rum-based drink recipes call for soda and juice.

Keto whiskey drinks

Whiskey lovers can still enjoy their favorite hard liquor (in moderation, of course) while on the keto diet. On the rocks obviously works, but you can also try making other whiskey-based drinks using keto-friendly ingredients, too.

Keto gin drinks

Gin doesn’t contain any carbs, so consider it another liquor option for your next keto cocktail. Unlike Snoop Dogg, though, you should find something with less sugar than juice to enjoy it with.

Keto cocktails to make at home

Is it possible to enjoy keto friendly cocktails without having to go to a bar or fancy restaurant?

Absolutely!

In fact, we have some handy keto cocktail recipes for you, all under 5g net carbs per serving.

1. Keto Raspberry Thyme Gin Fizz
2. Keto White Russian
3. Keto Muddled Strawberry Margarita
4. Spicy Keto Collagen Margarita
5. Unfairly Simple Vodka Cocktail

If none of these keto cocktails pique your interest, you can also make some keto lemonade or even whip up a batch of low-carb matcha soda and pair with the low-carb alcohol of your choice for a homemade keto mixed drink. We’re not going to judge.