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Keto-Friendly Alcoholic Drinks

Whether you're fixing yourself a glass at home or visiting a bar, knowing which keto-friendly alcoholic drinks to choose is pretty essential if you're on a low-carb diet!

Our Keto-friendly Skinny Mixes syrup is a perfect solution. They combine craft cocktail flavors, rich tastes, and essentially zero carbs or sugar.

Today we'll explain which drinks and cocktails make for great keto-friendly gifts and which are best to avoid for dieters.

What Alcohol Can I Drink On Keto?

The best alcoholic option is to go for pure spirits. 

Liquors like vodka, tequila, whisky, gin, and rum have no carbs. They are the most keto-appropriate choice to get the party started!

Hard seltzers have also become quite popular. Most have about two grams of carbs per can. So they're not one hundred percent carb-free, but they’re a lot better than a conventional mixer.

In terms of wine, you need to be mindful of the variety you choose:

  • Robust wines above twelve percent alcohol tend to have far fewer carbs.
  • Dry whites are preferable, usually with up to four grams per glass.
  • Brut Champagne is your go-to (no net carbs!) if you're into fizz, but it has about 622 calories per 750 ml bottle.
  • A glass of Merlot will keep you on track with 2.5 grams of carbs, or a Cabernet Sauvignon comes in at 3.8 grams.

Now, the thing to check is the sugar content in your wine, even if the carb count isn't massively high. Too much sugar, and you could unknowingly be tipping right over your limits!

Which Alcoholic Drinks Should I Avoid On Keto?

Beer (or liquid bread) isn't great for a low-carb diet. A standard bottle has a crazy seventeen grams of carbs, so you'd be over your daily maximum very quickly!

Aside from the wines we discussed earlier, anything sweeter will also not work.

Dessert wines like port and sherry and varieties such as Moscato or Riesling are super carb-heavy, so you'd be far better going for the drier options on the menu.

Can I Drink Cocktails On Keto?

Generally, anything bright and colorful has a ton of sugar and a very high carb count, so while wine coolers or anything malt-based might look appealing, they’re actually a disaster if you're trying to achieve ketosis!

However, if you're smart about it, you can enjoy cocktails by avoiding these problematic mixers:

  • Sugary juices: one hundred grams of orange juice packs in thirteen grams of carbs, nine grams of sugar, and fifty-four calories.
  • Cocktail mixes: it depends on which brand you buy in-store, but you could be drinking up to thirty-two grams of carbs per glass.
  • Soda: we're talking eleven grams of carbs and sugar (each!) and forty-one calories for every one hundred grams.
  • Tonic water: a non-diet tonic is similar to soda, with thirty-four calories and nine grams of sugar and carbs

As we can see, it's not the spirits that work against keto, but all the stuff we mix with them that makes it impossible to stay low-carb!

Not keen on drinking liquor straight up, on the rocks, or with just a splash of water?

Keto Skinny Mixes syrups are formulated explicitly for low-carb diets, with natural, healthy sweeteners, great flavor profiles, and no sugar or carbs to worry about while you enjoy a relaxing beverage.

The Best Cocktail Combinations For A Low Carb Diet

Next time you're at a bar and stuck for choice, there are some traditional cocktails you can order, even if you don't have your keto syrup on hand.

Here are our tips for the best drink orders in a pinch:

  • Vodka soda is a refreshing drink. Just make sure you have a diet tonic and forgo the lemon or lime wedge, and you're fine.
  • An Old Fashioned is a little naughty, thanks to the sugar cube. If your server has a low-carb sweetener alternative, it's still a reasonably keto-friendly drink.
  • Sangria can be keto-friendly, but it's essential you check which wine is in it and the fruits in the mixture. You don’t want to break any of those keto fruit rules! It's better to mix Sangria at home so you can be confident the wine is low carb.

Of course, preparing drinks yourself is a more reliable option, as it's not that easy to count on bars to cater to keto diets, and there are so many beverages that contain enormous carb counts!

Using keto syrup, natural flavorings, or ingredients like bitters (made from herbs) is a sure-fire way to whip up delicious craft cocktails, safe in the knowledge that you're still on track to reach your health goals.

If you do decide to buy any mixtures in-store, take the time to read the labels, and you'll save yourself from any unfortunate slip-ups. And when you find that perfect, no-carb solution, raise a glass to your keto success!