Keto Alcoholic Drinks Guide

Alcohol is something that can be difficult to work into a ketogenic lifestyle. At Have Butter will Travel we have compiled a keto alcoholic drinks guide, so we all can enjoy a drink occasionally. We have never been big drinkers, so haven’t had to make a big change with alcohol since beginning our ketogenic lifestyle. Having said that, I occasionally enjoys a low carb beer now and when out on a date night we may choose to have a glass of wine.

Keto Alcoholic Drinks

You have probably heard on social media that you have to give up alcohol on a ketogenic diet. This is simply not true. There are some alcohol that you will now be avoiding due to the high sugar content, but there are also some really good keto options if you choose to have a drink or two.

A word of warning though, your tolerance to alcohol will probably change on a ketogenic diet. We have heard reports from people that they only need 1 drink now to get the same buzz they used to get from 3 or 4 drinks. I have always only needed 1 drink for that buzz, so I can only go from reports of others on this one.

Beer

In a standard bottle of beer there is about 9g carbs per serve. That is nearly half your daily intake in one beer. Definitely not worth it. Luckily for us there are quite a few no carb and low carb options now.

The best of the bunch for the Aussies is Burleigh Brewing Company – Big Head No carb Lager. I have tried both Pure Blonde and the Big Head and much prefer the the Big Head flavour. It is available in most liquor stores in Australia now.

I even found Pure Blonde on the cruise we went on at Christmas in 2017, which meant I could have drink on New Years eve with our friends and family and not feel left out.

Best Aussie Options

• Burleigh Brewing Co, Big Head No Carb Lager – 0g carbs
• Pure Blonde – 1.8g for a 355ml bottle
• Brite Blonde
• Coopers Clear
• Hahn Super Dry 3g for a 330ml bottle
• Steersman Blonde

Best American Options

• Green’s Trailblazer 0.5g per bottle
• Budweiser Select 55 1.9g per bottle
• Miller 64 2.4g carbs per bottle
• Rolling rock green light 2.4g carbs per bottle
• Budweiser select 3.1g carbs per bottle

Avoid

• Most other beers

Cider

Cider is definitely not a great low carb option. At around 15g of carbs per bottle, it is too high to incorporate into a ketogenic diet. It is made with a lot of sugar so is best avoided.

Best Aussie Option

• Castaway Low Carb Apple Cider – this is the lowest carb option I could find, and still quite high at 4g of carbs per bottle

Best American Options

• Woodchuck Crisp Hard Cider – This is lowest US cider option I could find and at 10g of carbs per bottle it is really still too high, but if you have to have a cider, this is the best option.

Avoid

• Ciders. After doing some research, it is probably best to avoid all ciders at the moment. We will keep an eye out for anyone that can manage to produce a lower carb option and keep you updated.

Wine

The key to drinking wine on a ketogenic diet is the drier the wine the better. Any of the sweeter wines will be too high in sugars and carbs but you will find on a ketogenic diet your palette will change and you will probably find the sweeter wines too sweet anyway.

Best options

• Champagne or Sparkling Wine – Look for Brut, Extra Brut or NV
• Dry White Wine – Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris & Chardonnay
• Dry Red Wine – Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon & Pinot Noir

Avoid

• Sweet Sparking Wine – Moscato, Asti Spumante
• Sweet Red Wine – Port, Madeira or Marsala
• Sweet White Wine – Riesling, Moscato

Spirits

Spirits are the best keto option as they are 0g carbs if you drink them straight. Craft Gin and Whiskey have increased in popularity recently and drinking them on the rocks or straight has also become more popular. So choose to drink your spirits straight and become one of the cool kids.

Best options

• Vodka, Gin, Whiskey, Tequila, Rum or Brandy – straight, on the rocks, mixed with soda water and fresh lime or diet soft drinks
• Vodka Cruiser Sugar Free – mixed berry

Avoid

• Mixed with soft drink or juice
• Pre-mixed drinks
• Wine Coolers

Cocktails

Cocktails are going to be full of sugary syrups and carbs and when drinking out are best to be avoided. Good news though, there are a few really good sugar free cocktail recipes that you will be able to make at home. So if you love cocktails, why not organise a cocktail party with your friends at home and have some fun with it.

We have scoured the internet to find the best low carb cocktail recipes for you to enjoy!

Moscow Mule – from ‘I Breathe I’m Hungry’

Vodka Mojito – from ‘Ketogasm’

Espresso Martini – from ‘Health Beauty Life’

Margarita – from ‘Very Well’ (use pure cream rather than coffee creamer)

We hope you found this information helpful. Let us know in the comments below your favourite keto friendly alcoholic drinks.

Check out some of our other posts about a low carb lifestyle

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