Can I Consume Alcohol on KETO Diet?

Can you drink alcohol on keto? I will answer that for you and explain everything you need to know about drinking liquor while on the ketogenic diet.

RELATED: Understanding Net Carbs Ketogenic Diet

In this article: 

1. Most Alcohol Contain Carbs
2. Will Drinking Liquor Disrupt My Ketogenic Diet?
3. Does Keto Impact Alcohol Tolerance?
4. How Keto-Friendly Are Different Types of Alcohol?

What to Know About Consuming Alcohol on Keto

Most Alcohol Contain Carbs

Some folks on the ketogenic diet choose to avoid alcohol entirely due to the presence of carbs in many types of alcoholic beverages. This is especially true of wine, beer, and a number of mixed drinks containing high-carb or sugary mixers. With all of that said, however, it is absolutely possible to have a couple of drinks every now and then while staying on track with keto and intermittent fasting and still lose weight effectively.

Intermittent Fasting Definition: An eating pattern involving a cycle of eating periods and fasting. It has different approaches such as the 16/8 method with 16 hours fasting a day, 5:2 diet with two days fasting (calories restricted to 500-600 for two days), and eat-stop-eat method (http://www.eatstopeat.org) with 24-hour fasting once or twice a week.

What matters most is what you drink. If you had a love of beer or dessert wines or have cravings for them prior to going keto, you’re going to be unhappy to hear this: Say goodbye to your favorite alcohol. These drinks are exceptionally high in carbohydrates and will stall fat burning. Hard liquor like whiskey, rum, and gin, on the other hand, does not contain these carbohydrates and can be enjoyed in small amounts, though not often.

Will Drinking Liquor Disrupt My Ketogenic Diet?

Yes, alcohol on keto will disrupt the diet, but this doesn’t necessarily mean your body is going to catapult you out of ketosis. What it does mean is your body will be working to burn away the alcohol and the calories in it rather than burning away fat. This is more of a speed bump than a roadblock, so you don’t need to be exceptionally concerned if you only have a drink every now and then. You can just get back on track tomorrow!

It stands to reason that the more often you drink and the larger the amount of alcohol you drink, the longer your body will be focusing on burning away the alcohol than burning away unwanted fat. If you are trying to maintain your current weight rather than lose additional weight, you can give yourself a bit more leeway in this area, like by having one or two glasses of dry wine, like a glass of dry white wine or dry red wine, instead of having spirits served neat.

RELATED: Break the Carbohydrates Addiction Habit and Increase Your Willpower Now

Does Keto Impact Alcohol Tolerance?

The ketogenic diet meal plan is notorious for drastically reducing an individual’s alcohol tolerance, meaning dieters will often feel the effects of alcohol faster and more strongly than they did before keto. Here are some tips to help you figure out what changes have been made to your tolerance – without feeling the awful effects of a hangover in the morning. Learn how to get rid of a hangover fast with nutrition.

• Make sure to drink extra water when you are consuming any type of alcohol on a keto diet.
• Drink your drinks slowly to avoid accidental over-consumption.
• Over-consumption can lead to high-carb foods or recipes becoming incredibly tempting. If you’re worried about waning willpower while drinking, try having some keto-friendly snacks on-hand.
• Try different types of alcohol in small amounts to see how each one affects you.

How Keto-Friendly Are Different Types of Alcohol?

Beer is, without a doubt, the most high-carb alcohol option with as many as 12 grams of carbohydrates per serving. Lite beer is the second highest, with the average amount of carbs per serving being around 7 grams. Because beer is so high in carbohydrates, it is often advised you avoid it entirely while on the high-fat diet.

So, what alcohol can you drink on keto? Keto drinks or keto alcohol like dry white wine, a low-carb alcohol, will contain significantly fewer carbohydrates than beer, with each serving offering between 3 and 5 grams of carbs. Red wine, a ketosis alcohol, is even lower in carb count at 3 to 4 grams per serving.

Liquor, with 0 grams of carbohydrates, is the ideal drink choice for ketogenic dieters. However, you should be aware of any mixers you feel inclined to use. Many contain sugary additives or sugar alcohols that will do your ketosis no favor. Consider using water infused with lime or soda water instead of other mixers that can interfere with your low-carb diet.

You absolutely can consume alcohol on keto, but it is important in your keto lifestyle that you practice moderation and not drink on a daily basis. While certain types of alcohol will not impact your state of ketosis much, all types of alcohol will make your body burn less fat while it is burning away the alcohol you’ve consumed.

Are you drinking alcohol while on keto? How is your weight loss experience? Tell us in the comments section below.

Up Next:

• A Beginner's Overview to Keto and Intermittent Fasting
• Ketosis Basics
• Increasing Attention Span and Focus

Disclaimer: Our educational content is not meant or intended for medical advice or treatment.

Editor’s Note: This post has been updated for quality and relevancy.