What Alcohol Can You Drink On Keto?

If you're unfamiliar or new to the keto diet, then simply put, ketogenic diets focus on low-carb & high-fat intakes. It is one of the fastest-growing weight-loss diets and has proven to have a number of health benefits including:

• Improving skincare & acne

• Studies support the reduced risk of certain cancers 

• Improves heart health 

• Protects brain functions

• Improves PCOS Symptoms

• Healthy diabetic diet plan

• Studies supporting the reduced risk of seizures

The main focus of a keto-friendly diet is to train the body to function in what is known as ketosis, which is a process that the body stops burning carbohydrates for energy, but instead burns stored fats. 

Whilst there are a number of great positives of following a keto diet, there are also some negatives, such as limiting grams of carbs, and being mindful of daily meals & alcoholic drinks. 

How Long Does It Take To Go Into Ketosis?

Ketosis takes around 3 days to kick in, however, we want to stress that this is different for everyone.

Today we're going to focus on the various alcoholic beverages you can & can't consume whilst following a ketogenic diet, looking at the individual carb content for each alcoholic beverage and how our low-carb mixer alternatives may be able to play a key role in your keto-lifestyle. 

Can You Drink Alcohol When Following A Keto Diet? 

Keto dieters often wonder whether they can consume alcohol or not. The answer depends on how much carbs you eat each day. If you stick to 20 grams per day or less, then yes, you can drink alcohol on keto.

But, that doesn't mean you can drink all forms of alcohol unfortunately if you want your body to remain in ketosis keeping your low-carb diet is required. 

Most alcoholic drinks are known to contain 'empty calories. This simply means that the calories from alcohol often do not provide the body with any other vitamins or nutrients, it doesn't necessarily mean they are bad calories, it just means that they serve very little purpose to your nutritional needs.

Whilst alcohol consumption is not considered unhealthy, any excessive intake may prevent weight loss and could potentially link to further health risks and related issues.

Realistically, you are able to drink low & zero-carb alcoholic drinks on a keto diet and continue to experience results, however, excessive consumption of alcohol is known to slow fat-burning & increase weight-gain. 

 Low-Carb Alcohol 

There are certain types of alcohol products, there are considered low-carb or even carb-free these include Here's a look at our keto-friendly alcohol drinks:

• Vodka

• Gin (Unflavoured) 

• Rum

• Whiskey

Pure spirits typically have 0g of carbs, however when mixed with fruit juices & mixed drinks can contain grams of carbs & sugars which can take the body out of ketosis, and cause weight-gain. 

Beverages such as white wine & light beer are tolerated during ketosis, however, have a higher carbohydrate percentage and sugar content than the spirits, and are therefore only recommended for one serving. 

It's also important to remember that the spirit and pure alcoholic drinks should not be flavoured, for example, a standard gin with soda water, tonic water or a low-carb cocktail mixer is acceptable on a ketogenic diet, however, a rhubarb or pink gin, would contain higher amounts of sugar and therefore not recommended for those following a strict keto-diet. 

Is Rum Keto? 

If you're wondering about consuming rum, then you'll need to understand the difference between dark rum & light rum. Dark rum is made from fermented molasses, whereas light rum is made from distilled sugarcane juice.

Dark rums tend to contain more of an aniseed flavour and are known to be less sweet than their lighter counterparts. Some darker rums will actually contain up to 40% ABV (alcohol by volume), so make sure you're buying the right type!

A good quality dark rum is suitable for use in cocktails, but if you're planning on drinking rum straight, then try to avoid light rums, because they usually contain high levels of sugar, which can impact on levels of ketones. In fact, most rum brands are now using cane sugar instead of molasses. 

If you're a fan of flavoured or spice rums, then there are some branded rums that provide zero-low carbohydrate levels, however, there are no set guidelines and therefore checking the individual nutritional values on each bottle is advised. 

Is Vodka Keto? 

Yes! Vodka is one of the purest spirits and is perfectly acceptable as a keto drink, however, it is important to remember that this is only applicable when drank neat (excluding sugary mixers or common mixers). For fully keto-friendly choices on mixers, take a look at our zero-mixers. 

Is Whiskey Keto?

Whisky contains both carbohydrates and protein and therefore is not keto friendly. However, you can consume whisky as part of your daily intake, as long as you stick to 1 glass per day. 

One of the best ways to enjoy a single shot of whisky is to add a splash of lemonade (sugar-free), and a few drops of bitters. This combination is perfect for helping the liver process alcohol safely. 

 Keto Alcoholic Drinks Mixers 

At the Skinny Food Co, we pride ourselves on being able to creatively develop a range of products suitable for a number of diets & lifestyles. Our alcoholic mixers offer great alternatives to market-leading brand products. 

We have a wide range of cocktail mixers that are suitable for making the perfect keto cocktails. Here's a look at our top 3 best-selling lowest carb cocktail mixers.

1.Mojito Mixer- The perfect Skinny mojito recipe, it's quick and simple to make, all you need to do is add your favourite white rum. Our skinny mojito mixer is completely gluten-free, allergen-free, vegan & vegetarian friendly, fat-free & keto friendly. Feel free to add some additional mint for an extra fresh taste.

2. Porn Star Martini Mixer - Inspired by the beloved classic cocktails, our porn star martini mixer is sugar-free, fat-free and perfect for any vegan, vegetarian & keto dieters. All you'll need is your favourite cocktail glass and a floating passion fruit and it'll feel like you're in a proper cocktail bar!

3. Peach Bellini -  If you like many others love the occasional drink, our peach bellini cocktail mixer is perfect! embodying summer evenings, our peach bellini has 0 carbs per glass and is made to be mixed with a bottle of bubbly. With prosecco and dry wines only containing 1 gram of carbs per glass, why not treat yourself?

Unsure of which to try? why not pick up our cocktail essentials bundle, which contains a mixture of our popular low-sugar, low-calorie mixers from Pina Colada, to Espresso Martini. This is the ideal party preparation gift. 

You can also drink energy drinks if you're following a ketogenic diet, however its important to look for a low-sugar option. We have a wide variety of low sugar energy drinks in stock from popular classics such as Monster Ultra Low Sugar, to 3D.