The Best Alcoholic Drinks for Keto and Low-Carb Diets

Carbs in Alcohol: The Full Comparison

Here is how common drink types stack up on carbs per standard serving. These are typical ranges — exact numbers vary by brand, which is why the GetDrunkNotFat database exists.

Spirits: The Zero-Carb Foundation

Pure distilled spirits — vodka, gin, tequila, whiskey, rum, brandy, scotch — contain zero grams of carbohydrates. The distillation process removes all sugars, leaving only alcohol and water. This makes spirits the most keto-compatible category of alcohol by a wide margin.

The key is what you mix them with. A shot of vodka has 0g carbs. A vodka soda (with soda water) still has 0g carbs. But a vodka cranberry adds 25–30g of carbs from the juice alone — enough to push you over a strict keto daily limit in a single glass.

One caveat: flavored spirits and flavored vodkas sometimes contain added sugar. Check the label or look up the specific brand in the database — some flavored options add 3–5g of carbs per serving.

Browse spirits ranked by score →

Dry Wine and Champagne: Low-Carb and Underrated

Not all wine is created equal on carbs. The sugar content depends entirely on how dry the fermentation process goes. Dry wines — where the yeast converts nearly all the grape sugar into alcohol — typically land at 2–5g of carbs per 5 oz glass. That fits comfortably within most keto macros.

Best options for keto wine drinkers:

• Sauvignon Blanc — typically 2–3g carbs per glass. Crisp, dry, and one of the lowest-carb wines available.
• Pinot Grigio — similar range, 2–3g carbs. Very dry with minimal residual sugar.
• Brut Champagne / sparkling wine — "Brut" means dry. Most clock in at 1–3g carbs per glass, making sparkling wine one of the best low-carb options.
• Pinot Noir — the driest common red, usually 3–4g carbs per glass.
• Cabernet Sauvignon — dry red in the 3–5g range.

Wines to avoid on keto: Moscato (10–15g), Riesling (5–14g depending on style), Port (8–12g), and any dessert wine (15–25g+). The word "sweet" on the label is your warning.

Browse wines ranked by score →

Light Beer and Hard Seltzer: The Low-Carb Beer Alternatives

Standard beer is one of the worst options for keto. A regular lager has 10–15g of carbs per can, and an IPA can hit 20g or more. But two categories offer a way to drink something beer-like without the carb overload.

Hard Seltzers (1–3g carbs)

Hard seltzers are fermented to go almost completely dry, leaving 1–3g of carbs per 12 oz can. At 5% ABV and roughly 100 calories, they are one of the most keto-compatible packaged drinks available. White Claw, Truly, High Noon, and Topo Chico Hard Seltzer all fit this profile.

Browse hard seltzers →

Light Beers (3–7g carbs)

American light lagers sacrifice some flavor and ABV for a significantly lower carb count. Michelob Ultra leads the category at 2.6g carbs. Bud Light comes in at 6.6g, and Miller Lite at 3.2g. For strict keto (under 20g net carbs per day), a couple of these can still fit — just track them like any other food.

The ultra-low-carb beers to look for: Michelob Ultra (2.6g), Corona Premier (2.6g), and Miller Lite (3.2g). These are the closest thing to keto-friendly beer.

Browse beers ranked by score →

Drinks to Avoid on Keto

Some categories are consistently high in carbs and will easily consume your entire daily allowance in one or two servings:

• Cocktails with juice or simple syrup — a standard margarita has 20–35g carbs. A cosmopolitan, daiquiri, or whiskey sour made with sour mix can hit 25–30g. The sugar in the mixers is the problem, not the base spirit.
• Sweet and creamy drinks — pina coladas (35–45g), mudslides, and anything with cream liqueur. These are dessert-level carb counts.
• Regular and craft beer — a standard lager has 10–15g carbs, but a hazy IPA or stout can easily reach 20–30g. High-ABV craft beer is one of the worst keto choices.
• Sweet wines and dessert wines — Moscato, Port, ice wine, and late-harvest Riesling can all exceed 15g of carbs per glass.
• Flavored malt beverages — drinks like Twisted Tea, Mike's Hard Lemonade, and Four Loko pack 30–50g of carbs per can. These are essentially sugary sodas with alcohol.
• Pre-mixed canned cocktails — many use real sugar rather than sugar alcohols. Always check the label; carb counts range from 5g to 40g+ depending on the brand.

How the C2AR Score Helps Keto Drinkers

The GetDrunkNotFat C2AR score (Calorie-to-Alcohol Ratio) measures what percentage of a drink's total calories comes from alcohol itself versus sugar and other non-alcohol sources. This metric aligns directly with keto goals because a high C2AR score means fewer carbs relative to the alcohol content.

A drink with a C2AR of 95%+ (A+ rating) gets almost all its calories from alcohol — which means it has almost no carbs. A drink rated F (below 40%) gets most of its calories from sugar, meaning high carbs relative to the alcohol you actually get.

For keto, filtering by C2AR score is a fast shortcut: the higher the score, the fewer carbs per unit of alcohol. Sort by score in the database and you will see spirits, hard seltzers, and dry wines clustered at the top — exactly the drinks that fit a low-carb lifestyle.

Full explanation of C2AR scoring →

Keto Drinking Strategy: Putting It All Together

A practical framework for drinking on keto without guessing:

• Default order: any unflavored spirit + soda water + citrus. Zero carbs, high C2AR score, available at every bar.
• At home: hard seltzers or a glass of dry wine. Both stay under 5g carbs with no effort.
• Beer cravings: Michelob Ultra or Corona Premier keep you under 3g. Miller Lite at 3.2g is also viable.
• Wine night: stick to Brut sparkling, Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Grigio. Avoid anything labeled sweet, semi-sweet, or off-dry.
• Cocktails: ask for sugar-free mixers. A "skinny margarita" made with fresh lime and no agave or simple syrup can be under 5g carbs. Most classic cocktails can be modified if you control the sweetener.
• Track everything: alcohol temporarily pauses fat burning while your body metabolizes it. Even zero-carb drinks slow ketone production, so moderation matters beyond just the carb count.