This is my ultimate guide to carbs in alcohol – the good, the bad and the ugly. You can still enjoy alcohol when living low carb, but by making better choices and in moderation. Alcohol can be a tonic or toxic – it depends on how much and how often.
Carbs in alcohol
One of the most frequent questions I am asked by newcomers who are contemplating living low carb and sugar free, is “can I still drink alcohol?” “How many carbs in alcohol?” For many readers, it is a deal breaker whether they will even contemplate starting. And readers who have been living low carb for some time want to know why their weight has stalled, could it be their Friday night cocktails?
How much alcohol do you drink?
Firstly let me say, I love my wine and and I love bubbles. I love a drink with friends as much as the next person, but I know not to drink to excess, and not to drink too often.
Occasional drinks with friends and family is a wonderful way to celebrate, relax, unwind and socialise. As long as alcohol is consumed in moderation and you choose low carb options, you can still enjoy alcohol.
Do you know how many drinks you have each week? You need to be completely honest with yourself, and if even the thought of cutting back on alcohol is frightening, you need to get serious about how much and how often you drink.
TAKE A LOOK!! Carbs in alcohol - which to enjoy or which to avoid. Incredible. Click To TweetI know plenty of people that could not entertain the idea of having a night with friends without excessive alcohol yet they complain they can’t lose weight or have medical problems that are associated with alcohol use.
They would never associate the two but make no mistake, excessive alcohol is damaging. It is linked to cancer (especially breast, liver and colon), weight gain, alcoholic liver disease, anaemia and heart disease.
How alcohol affects our body
The health concerns (don’t underestimate these)
- Alcohol will always be metabolised before anything else in the liver because it is a toxin.
- Alcohol is not your friend if you are trying to lose belly fat.
- You may be able to drink in moderation but make no mistake, it will stop weight loss and even cause weight gain.
- If you want to breakthrough a weight loss plateau, stop alcohol completely until you see the results you want.
- Alcohol lowers your self control when it comes to eating healthy foods.
- Alcohol will increase your cravings and appetite (you get the ‘munchies’).
- Alcohol can cause fatty liver disease.
The health benefits (don’t overestimate these)
- Alcohol may be good for heart health, but only if consumed in moderation (otherwise it may adversely affect heart health).
- Red wine can be a great source of reservatrol, an antioxidant. But not in excess.
- Alcohol is a relaxant.
Carbs in alcohol
Beer is just liquid bread
Image credit :: Diet Doctor, carbs in alcohol. Used with permission
Beer is made from grains (oats, barley, wheat, rye), malt (sugar) and yeast. They don’t call a big gut a “beer belly” for nothing. Beer was originally brewed to provide nourishment for adults and children alike, especially during periods of fasting. So next time you order a beer, ponder for a moment on whether you are actually ordering a liquid meal.
Don’t confuse low carb beer with low alcohol beer. Many perceive them as healthier so consume more of them.
Cider – let’s just say SUGAR SUGAR SUGAR
Cider is fermented apple juice, many are incredibly sweet. Cider varies considerably from brand to brand. Let’s take a look at a few examples. Each is per 12 fl oz serving Amber 28g, Bittersweet barrels aged, 21g, Granny smith 11g, Harpoon 10g, Woodchuck summer cider 25g
Spirits, liqueurs and mixers – the good, the bad and the ugly
Sweet liqueurs, stop buying them – amaretto 17g, Baileys 7.4g, Blue curaçao 7g, Cointreau 7g, Creme de menthe 22g, Jaegermeister 27g, Kailua 15g, Peach Schnapps 8g, Samba 18g. carbs per 1 oz/37ml serving.
Spirits can be a great low carb alcohol choice, most are zero carb. What you mix them with can be the problem. Whisky on the rocks is a good low carb option but rum and coke (or even worse, Red Bull) is probably the worst choice you can make.
Cocktails can be a total disaster. They are mixed with sugar syrups, high sugar juice or soda, and high sugar liqueurs. Make your own so you know what went into the cocktail, or limit yourself to just one then swap onto a lower carb option.
Why not mix your usual spirit with water, diet drinks or soda water? Instead of a single shot in a small tumbler, ask for a single shot in a tall glass so it will last longer through the night. And why not try alternating an alcoholic drink with just the mixer?
Wine can be a great option – just not the sweet ones
Avoid the sweet wines and the sticky dessert wines, instead, choose the dry wines and the less sweet varieties.
Red wines :: Cabernet sauvignon 3.8g, Merlot 3.7g, Pinot noir 3.4g, Shiraz Syrah 3.8g Zinfandel 4.2g per 5 fl oz/147ml glass
White wines :: Chardonnay 3.2g, Dessert wines 20.2g, Muscat 7.8g, Riesling 5.5g, Sauvignon blanc 3g per 5 fl oz/147ml glass
All values were obtained from the USDA database or MyFitnessPal.
Take a look at the entire series of Ultimate Guides
- Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Food 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 lists
- Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Vegetables
- Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Fruit
- Ultimate Guide To Healthy Fats
- Ultimate Guide To Low Carb Sweeteners
- Ultimate Guide To Low Carb Flours
- Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Beige Food
- Ultimate Guide To Coconut Flour vs Almond Flour
- Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Nuts And Seeds
- Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Sauces
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Debra says
Question on the Insta-Pot. Is it dangerous like the Pressure Cooker was when it was first introduced?
I remember my mother was so scared of using the pressure cooker; and that transferred to me.
I heard that the insta-pot is the same thing??
Thank you for your kind assistance,
Deb
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I totally understand your hesitation. I had heard these “exploding pressure cooker” nightmares. To be honest, they were the early pressure cookers and it was when people didn’t release the pressure properly or they didn’t ensure the lid was locked in place. The new Instant Pot solves this as it has a safety release valve. You cannot open the lid without releasing the pressure first. I love mine so much, I have actually started a whole new recipe section for Instant Pot and Slow Cooker recipes.
Steve says
Is it the carbs that come with alcoholic drinks or the alcohol itself that add to belly fat? I want to switch from beer to bourbon on the rocks, to cut carbs and lose weight. After reading this article I am not sure it will matter.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Both 🙁 The body will always metabolise alcohol before anything else, so weight loss will stop. Alcohol contributes to alcoholic fatty liver disease. And finally, the carb content of all food and drink is important. Switching from beer (liquid bread) to Bourbon on the rocks is a superb switch. Just keep an eye on quantity, as the article discusses, alcohol affects metabolism, hunger and will power.
René says
Hi Libby, this page is great. I just started this LCHF lifestyle and I’m finding your page incredibly helpful.
An alcohol – is method cup classic (south africa) sparkling wine allowed?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
You would have to check whether it is a sweet or dry sparkling wine, that can make all the difference to the carb count.
Mr T says
Be Careful of Wine from Africa as I heard too many people say the natives piss in it
Andy says
The numbers you give for rum and coke, am I safe to assume that’s full sugar coke? Is it ok with diet coke?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yes that would reduce the carbs significantly!
Karen says
Hi Libby – living in Spain we drink Cava Brut which is made in the same way as champagne but just can’t be called that. Can we assume it is also 1 carb?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Brut indicates utmost contain less than 12g sugar per 1000ml, so 1.2g per 100ml. Extra Brut is even less 0-6g per 1000ml). Avoid sec (17-32g) and demi sec (32-60g), they have the most sugar per 1000ml. This is a great little image to see the difference.
Patrick B. Foley says
Thank you for the article.
I was very surprised that the MARGARITA was only listed as 8 Carbs!
Jose Cuervo Margarita mix (which, IMHO, is great tasting for a home bar),
is listed as 28 grams of Carbs in 4 fluid ounces!
Maybe, if you used all fresh ingredients and minimized the sugar
and/or used synthetic sweetener you could keep it down to 8 grams.
One thing I like to do, when mixing up a few glasses in a blender/pitcher,
is add a couple ounces of lime or orange flavored seltzer water to the blender.
It makes the drink a tad smoother and gives it a little less of that tart-aftertaste bite.
It also helps the liquor go further and serve more people!
Sincerely,
Patrick B. Foley
Erianne Farias says
what about champagne?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Enjoy champagne, it is one of the lowest on the chart.
Liz says
Does this mean all sparkling varieties (not sweet but dry). I love Jacobs Creek Pinor Grigio (11.2%alcohol)
Thanks
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
You’ll neb delighted to know enjoying a glass of Jacobs Creek Pinot Grigio will be 1.5g carbs. Now who says low carb is no fun 😉
Liz says
Delighted thank you:)
Susan says
Where is the info on Champaign? The illustration shows Champaign 1and red and white wine 2. How does that relate to the lists of various red and white wines and the carbs.
sugarfreelondoner says
What an interesting read andgreat infographic. It’s handy to have all details about alcohol summed up in one place. I wish I was a Martini on the rocks girl, but honestly prefer a glass of wine. Therefore, I’ m very pleased to see that my favourite, Sauvignon Blanc, is amongst the low carb booze options!
roberta says
can I use monkfruit instead of stevia?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Sure, here is my guide to sweeteners I use.