If you’re following or looking to follow the ketogenic diet plan, you may be wondering is whiskey keto and if it’s okay to drink on the keto diet. Following a keto diet doesn’t necessarily mean the end of your social life, but you may need to make a few changes, especially when it comes to big nights out drinking alcohol.
Excessive drinking doesn’t help anybody who’s trying to lose weight, and for those following it, the ketogenic diet requires people to keep a close eye on how many carbs they consume as well as on their calorie intake. But that doesn’t mean they have to forgo consuming alcohol altogether.
Light beer and hard liquor can be incorporated into low-carb diets in moderation, but alcoholic drinks with high-carb counts, such as sugary cocktails and sweet mixed drinks, are not so great for those following a keto diet. Whiskey, as a hard liquor, tends to contain zero carbs, but you should always check the label.
When it comes to drinking whiskey on the keto diet, it will depend on which type of whiskey you like to drink and how you prefer to enjoy it.
Key Takeaways
- For those asking themselves, ‘Is whiskey keto?’ the answer is yes, for neat whiskey!
- Always check the label if you’re on the keto diet so you don’t get any hidden surprises.
- One drink may not halt your weight-loss progress completely, but be aware of what’s in any mixers that you use.
- As a hard liquor, whiskey is one of the best options for those on a keto diet.
- Remember, too much alcohol lowers awareness, and you should drink responsibly whether you’re following a keto diet or not.
The Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that people follow to either lose weight or for medical reasons. Foods high in carbohydrates, such as sugar, bread, and pasta, are limited and replaced with foods containing a higher percentage of fat and protein, such as red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts, and seeds.
People following the keto diet keep a close eye on their carb intake, eating low-carb meals, as when very few carbs enter the body, the liver converts stored fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies. Ketone bodies then replace glucose as the body’s energy source and are used up by the body’s fat-burning process, resulting in a loss of weight. The metabolic state of having elevated levels of ketone bodies is known as ketosis.
When it comes to alcoholic beverages, there are some that contain zero carbs, including many hard liquors, and there are those with too many carbs for those on the keto diet. Beer, known as ‘liquid bread,’ can have a high carb content, whereas pure spirits can contain zero grams of carbs per 1.5-oz serving.
Is Whiskey Keto?
If you’re aiming to start losing weight via the ketogenic diet and wondering. ‘is whiskey keto?’, you need to start checking how many net carbs are in the items you consume, including your whiskies. Most types of hard liquor are considered to be zero-carb alcohol, including rum, vodka, gin, tequila, and, thankfully, your beloved whiskey!
However, not all whiskies are created equal, and when it comes to carb content, especially, not all alcoholic drinks are mixed equally. To keep your carb intake low, you can drink your whiskey neat or, if you fancy a mixed drink, use low-carb mixers, such as diet cola, diet soda water, diet tonic water, or plain water. Avoid sugary fruit juice, like sweetened orange juice.
Scotch whisky, bourbon whiskey, and rye whiskey tend to contain zero net carbs and be naturally sugar-free. Some whiskies may, however, contain added sugars and other additives. Blended whiskies are a mix of different whiskies that often contain additives, such as neutral spirits, colorings, and flavorings, and often contain added sugar.
Spiced and flavored whiskies, along with some craft whiskies, can also have a higher sugar content than you may wish for should you be following the keto diet, so always check the labels before buying.
Which Whiskies Are Best On A Keto Diet?
So, if you’re on the keto diet, you can still drink alcohol, including whiskey, but you need to be careful when choosing your drink to maintain your low-carb/high-fat diet. Consulting the label can help you avoid extra empty calories and grams of carbs, as can being extra vigilant when it comes to selecting low-carb mixers.
Here’s our guide to enjoying whiskey when following the ketogenic diet:
Drinking Whiskey Neat Or Straight Up
Drinking your whiskey unadulterated, as pure alcohol-free from mixers, is the best way to go if you’re following a low-carb keto diet. A 1.5-oz serving of neat or straight-up whiskey should not have a huge effect on your carb count as long as you have selected a good-quality Scotch, bourbon, or rye whiskey.
A serving of neat whiskey is simply a shot of your preferred whiskey served alone in a glass, with nothing else. A straight-up whiskey serving will also include ice. With these two options, you are not adding any more net carbs to the drink, and it shouldn’t have a negative effect on your state of ketosis.
Simple Mixed Drinks With Whiskey
Another safe way to enjoy your whiskey when on a low-carb diet is to avoid sweet mixed drinks and instead opt for simple mixed drinks that can be made with low-carb mixers. Options such as bourbon and water or a Scotch and soda can work, but be sure to ask for a diet soda.
You can also reduce the net carbs in a whiskey and coke by opting for a diet cola, or you can enjoy a low-carb ginger whiskey soda by adding diet ginger ale and whiskey to a rocks glass with ice.
Spiced And Flavored Whiskies
Spiced and flavored whiskies may also prove slightly problematic for those wishing to drink alcohol while following low-carb diets. While the base liquor may be keto-friendly, when artificial flavorings are added, they are often accompanied by added sugar which helps the flavorings meld with the whiskey.
Cinnamon whiskey, for example, will almost always contain added sugar or sweeteners, and you should check the nutritional value on the bottle’s label. Fireball Whisky, for example, contains 10 grams of net carbs per 1.5-oz serving. However, you can make a more keto-friendly homemade version by simply dropping some cinnamon sticks into a bottle of zero-carb whiskey.
Keto-Friendly Whiskey Cocktails
If you usually enjoy knocking back a whiskey cocktail or two but are worried you may have to change your drinking habits while following a keto diet, you’ll be pleased to know all is not lost. You can mix up a keto-friendly version of most whiskey cocktails by making a few adjustments to the recipe.
To make a whiskey cocktail that you can drink on a keto diet, you can switch out any ingredients that contain regular sugar for sugar-free alternatives in most cases. Sugar is the simplest form of carbohydrate, containing up to 13 grams of carbs per teaspoon. It occurs naturally in some foods, including fruits and vegetables, and you will need to be careful with recipes that call for fruit juices, sweet ‘full-fat’ soft drinks, and overly-extravagant garnishes.
Check out our list of eleven superb keto-friendly versions of some classic whiskey cocktails!
Worst Alcoholic Drinks For The Keto Diet
While you can find zero-net-carbs rum, zero-net-carbs tequila, and zero-net-carbs gin alongside zero-net-carbs whiskey, other base alcoholic beverages, such as beers and wines, and also alco-pops, are not carb free. But, again, that doesn’t mean you have to avoid those drinks altogether, but you need to be more vigilant when you do drink alcohol.
Beers
Some people see beer among the worst alcoholic beverages to drink when on a keto diet. Nicknamed ‘liquid beer’ by some, regular beers can contain high levels of carbs per serving. Most regular beers will contain between 10 and 15 grams of carbs per 12-oz serving and are among the worst alcoholic drinks when following a strict keto diet.
However, there is some good news too. Light beers and low-carb beers are also available. A standard 12-ounce serving of Budweiser contains almost 11 grams of carbs, whereas a Bud Light contains only around 6 grams per 12-oz serving.
Coolers
Coolers, also known as alco-pops, such as Bacardi Breezers and Smirnoff Ice, are often among the worst offenders when it comes to how many carbs per serving. Many of them come in at over 180 calories per bottle, and they are the very antithesis of low-carb alcohol. If you’re following a keto diet and wish to drink alcohol, there are better options than coolers.
Wines
A large percentage of wines have high sugar content, and as well as increasing your blood alcohol levels, they will also increase your blood sugar levels. However, there are some keto-friendly wines you can drink and still maintain a state of ketosis.
As a general rule, it’s best to avoid sweet wines and dessert wines and opt for dry wines instead, as a dry wine will usually contain fewer added sugars. If you fancy a glass of white wine, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay are both low-carb options, each tipping the scales at around three grams or carbs per glass.
If you prefer a red over white wine, a pinot noir or a Merlot will help keep the carb count low. And if you have a celebration coming up, you can also enjoy a glass of something bubbly on a keto diet too. Champagne and prosecco, as light-bodied whites, tend to be low in carbs, but dry, brut champagne will be even lower.
Fortified Wines And Liqueurs
Fortified wines, including port, sherry, vermouth, and Madeira, often include added sugars during the fortification process and, s such, are not great for a keto diet. There are dry versions available, which tend to contain less sugar, but you should check the label on individual bottles for further clarification.
Other Keto-Friendly Alcoholic Beverages
If you’re all out of whiskey but still fancy a nightcap, there are alternatives that can also help you stick to your ketogenic diet, with hard liquors being the best bet. Rum, vodka, gin, and tequila, when drunk neat, also contain no carbs, and mixing them with low-carb diet sodas will allow you to stick to your low-carb/high-fat diet.
FAQs
What whiskey is keto-friendly?
Neat whiskey is generally carb-free, and a standard 1.5-oz serving will contain no carbs. However, mixing it with other ingredients can add carbs to the mix, making your drink less keto-friendly. Stick to neat whiskey or whiskey mixed with low-carb mixers.
Does drinking alcohol stop ketosis?
Drinking liquor can, in fact, deepen your level of ketosis, but it will slow your weight loss down. Consuming alcohol has an effect on liver metabolism, and more ketones can be produced as it tries to process alcohol. However, sweet drinks which are high in carbs should be avoided.
Will whiskey drinking kick you out of ketosis?
A single 1.5-oz standard serving of neat whiskey alone won’t kick you out of ketosis, but mixing your whiskey with high-carb soft drinks or sugary fruit juice may have a negative effect.
Are whiskey and bourbon keto?
Alcohol contains sugars and carbs, but pure whiskey and bourbon, and also Scotch, can be seen among the best alcohol choices as they are carb-free.
