Alcohol vs the Ketogenic Diet – Can I Drink It?

You’re at the bar, you want a drink, but you’re not sure about the alcohol because you are following a ketogenic diet.  (To learn about the ketogenic diet click here).  It is hard to be the only person at a social event who isn’t drinking. So, what would be my best choices?

In general, hard liquor is usually a better choice than beer and wine.  Hard liquor has less total carbs and less total calories compared to beer or wine.

Drinking alcohol will slow the rate in which you lose weight.  The strange thing is that drinking alcohol helps your liver make more ketones.  The liver takes the alcohol and makes triglycerides which make more ketones.  This can cause you to get drunk faster.

It is important to drink lots of water because being in ketosis can make a hangover worse.

Here is a list of low-carb alcohols:

Liquor – Whiskey, Tequila, Vodka and Gin.

Beer – Michelob Ultra, Bud Select and Miller 64.

Wine – Dry red or white wines.

Here are some different brands and their carb contents:

Whiskey – most contain 96 – 105 calories

Johnnie Walker 0 carbs

Chivas Regal 0 carbs

Jack Daniels 0 carbs

Tequila – most contain 96 – 104 calories

Don Julio 0 carbs

Patron 0 carbs

Cazadores  0 carbs

Vodka – most contain 96 – 105 calories

Smirnoff  0 carbs

Grey Goose 0 carbs

Ciroc 0 carbs

Gin – most contain 96 – 116 calories

Seagram’s  0 carbs

Bombay  0 carbs

Tanqueray  0 carbs

Red Wine – most contain 121 – 129 calories

Cabernet  4 carbs

Pinot Noir  3 carbs

Merlot  4 carbs

Beer – most contain 55 – 119 calories

Budweiser Select 3 carbs

Miller 64  2 carbs

Michelob Ultra  3 carbs

What is the best low carb mixer?

Sparkling water – this is the best choice.

In general, most of the mixers such as diet sodas may be low in carbs but they are horrible for your health.  They also make you hungry so I am not going to recommend them.

You should realize that drinking alcohol isn’t good for a ketogenic diet.  However, when you do want to socialize and have a few drinks these are your best choices.