Cocktail hour, with the numbers.
Carbs in 85 drinks, where they come from, and the exact way to order each one lower-carb.
Two grams or less
Common traps
- Extra dry Prosecco 2–4 g
- Gin and tonic (regular tonic) 14–18 g
- Moscow mule 12–20 g
- Non-alcoholic beer 8–14 g
- Aperol spritz 12–15 g
- Latte (whole milk) 12–15 g
Sparkling
Sparkling wine is labeled by how much sugar is added after the second fermentation (the dosage). The label word tells you almost everything, and it runs the opposite way to what you might expect: “extra dry” is sweeter than “brut.”
Rule of thumb: Brut nature and extra brut are the lowest. Brut is the safe default. Extra dry, dry, demi-sec and doux get progressively sweeter.
Wine
Fermentation turns grape sugar into alcohol, so a dry wine has little sugar left. Most dry reds and whites land around 3 to 4 grams of carbs a glass. Dessert, fortified and blended drinks are where the sugar comes back.
Rule of thumb: Choose dry styles. Skip anything labeled sweet, late harvest, dessert or cream, and drinks with juice or sugar added.
Spirits
Distillation leaves the sugar behind, so plain spirits such as vodka, gin, whiskey, tequila and brandy have essentially no carbs. Liqueurs and aperitifs are different: they are spirits with sugar added after distilling.
Rule of thumb: Plain spirits are zero. Anything called a liqueur, cream, schnapps or aperitivo is sweetened.
Beer & Seltzer
Beer keeps some of the malt sugar and starch that yeast did not ferment, which is why a regular beer has more carbs than a glass of dry wine. Light and ultra-low-carb beers are brewed to ferment almost all of it out.
Rule of thumb: Ultra-low-carb beer and plain hard seltzer are the keto picks. Regular, craft and non-alcoholic beers add up quickly.
Cocktails
The spirit in a cocktail is rarely the problem. The carbs come from what it is mixed with: juice, tonic, ginger beer, sour mix, simple syrup and sweet liqueurs. Nearly every classic has a lower-carb way to order it.
Rule of thumb: Spirit plus soda, a dry martini, or a classic made with fresh citrus and a sugar-free sweetener.
Non-alcoholic
Water, coffee and tea are zero carbs. The carbs come from milk, juice, syrup and sugar. A large latte or a sweet tea can hold as much sugar as dessert.
Rule of thumb: Coffee and tea without milk or sugar, sparkling water, or heavy cream instead of milk.
Drinking on keto
What alcohol has no carbs?
Plain distilled spirits: vodka, gin, tequila, whiskey, rum and brandy. The carbs in most drinks come from mixers, juice, syrup and liqueurs.
What wine is best for keto?
Dry wines. Brut nature or extra brut sparkling is the lowest, followed by dry whites such as Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio and dry reds such as Pinot Noir, at roughly 3 to 4 g a glass.
Does alcohol stop ketosis?
Your body processes alcohol before other fuels, which can pause fat burning while it does. Many people also find alcohol hits harder on a low-carb diet. If you drink, keep it moderate, eat first and alternate with water.
Carb ranges are approximate and vary by brand, recipe and pour. Do not drink if pregnant or underage, and talk to your doctor about alcohol if you take medication or have diabetes. See our health disclaimer.
The drink chart, in your pocket
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