Keto Alcohol - Everything You Need To Know

The keto diet has gained massive amounts of popularity in recent years, including being one of the most searched diets on Google in 2019. Many celebrities have joined the keto diet trend as a way to lose weight or as a lifestyle choice. DrinkWell is the number one place to buy keto friendly alcohol in the UK and EU and in this blog we tell you all that you need to know when it comes to choosing a drink that fits into your diet.

What is the Keto diet?

The Ketogenic diet - or Keto for short - is a low carb and high fat diet. The Keto diet was first developed as a way to treat epilepsy, particular among children, where it has been proven to reduce the number of seizures by at least half in around 50% of patients who try the diet. However, more recently, it has become an effective and popular weight loss diet - so popular, in fact, that Keto was one of the top 10 diets listed as part of Google’s 2019 Year in Search report.

A number of studies have found this type of diet to be effective in helping people lose weight and improve their health. What’s more, there is evidence to show that the Keto diet can be beneficial against diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

How does it work?

The Keto diet works by minimising carbohydrate intake and increasing fat intake in order to make the body utilise fat as a form of energy. Between two to seven days after starting the keto diet, the body doesn’t have enough carbs for the cells to use for energy, causing the body to go into something called ‘ketosis’. 

Ketosis is where the body starts breaking down stored fat into molecules called ketone bodies, which the cells will use to generate energy until carbohydrate is present again. Subsequently, your body starts burning fat for energy, leading to weight loss. 

A keto diet is rich in proteins and fats, and typically includes plenty of meats, eggs, sausages, cheese, fish, nuts, butter, oils, seeds, and vegetables. For the diet to be effective, you will need to eat just 20 to 50 grams of carbs a day. Most people find this diet hard to follow, as the average person's diet is typically made up of 50% carbohydrates. 

It’s also incredibly hard to follow if you drink alcohol as many types of alcohol are high in sugar and carbohydrates. Luckily many of the drinks found on DrinkWell are low in carbohydrates making them suitable to enjoy on a keto diet.

Can you drink alcohol on a Keto diet?

If you are keen to try a Keto diet but are wondering if it will mean giving up alcohol there is good news - unlike many diets, alcohol is not strictly forbidden when following a Keto diet. Whilst having alcoholic drinks may slow the weight loss process (the body always burns alcohol first before anything else), many low carbohydrate alcohol options are available so that you can stick to the low carb requirement of a Keto diet.

Pure forms of alcohol like gin, tequila, rum and vodka are all completely free of carbs making them a great choice for the keto diet. If you enjoy wines or beers, you may have to shop around as these tend to contain higher volumes of sugar. Luckily, DrinkWell sells a variety of low calorie wines and beers that refuse to compromise on flavour whilst still containing a keto friendly carb count. 

As always, the key is to enjoy these drinks in moderation to ensure they do not have a negative impact on your diet and overall health.

Best Keto alcoholic drinks

There are plenty of low carb alcohol options that you can enjoy on a Keto diet. Below is an outline of how some of the most popular drinks can fit into a Keto diet.

Wines

Both red and white wines tend to contain relatively low carbs. Dry wines in particular contain very few carbs - usually containing less than 0.5 grams of sugar per glass. Therefore, most dry wines fit well within the carb requirements of a Keto diet if enjoyed in moderation. However, sweet dessert wines tend to contain much more sugar so should be avoided. Below are some low carb wines available to purchase from the DrinkWell website that are suitable for a Keto diet.

Piattini Pinot Grigio

This Italian dry white wine contains an amazing zero grams of residual sugar and zero carbs - perfect for any Keto diet!! With a zesty citrus and lightly floral aroma, this Pinot Grigio is crisp and lemony with a dash of sweet honeyed fruit that is the perfect refreshment on a hot Summer's day. It can be purchased from the DrinkWell website for £9.99 per bottle.

Fauno GSM

Made from grapes sourced from Murviedro’s incredible vineyard, Fauno GSM is a deep red wine that complements all types of grilled meats and pasta dishes, making it the ideal red to serve at your next barbecue! Best of all, one 125ml glass contains just 0.25g of sugar and 0.25g of carbs. It also offers great value, available to purchase for just £7.99 on the DrinkWell website.

Rose 500

Another 0g sugar and carb offering, this wine is the lowest calorie rose wine that we have available at DrinkWell. Suitable for vegans, this wine is made for the way we want to live today: healthier, happier but without compromise on quality, flavour or strength. In every bottle you find the passions that the exceptional winemakers have dedicated to the cultivation of their grapes. You can pick up a bottle from the DrinkWell website for £13.99.

Skinniest Case

If you enjoy a selection of wines with a number of different varieties, you’ll enjoy our Skinniest Case. This premixed wine case contains a selection of our lowest carb and sugar wines, many of which are zero carbohydrates. It contains a mixture of rose’s, reds, whites and sparkling wines and is available for just £134 for 12 bottles of wine.

Beers

It is no secret that many beers contain a large amount of carbs, making them unsuitable for someone following a keto diet. However, there are some lighter options - for example, pale lagers contain an average of 5.8g of carbs per can. The amount of carbs varies widely between different brands and types of beer, so you should try researching the nutritional values of your chosen lager online before consuming it. 

You can read more about the calories in lager in our article here. Below are some low carb beers we have available to purchase at DrinkWell that are suitable for a keto diet:

SkinnyBrands Premium Lager

The ultimate keto lager in the UK. With just 3 grams of carbs per can, this is a refreshingly malty premium lager that’s full flavour. It is also suitable for vegans, gluten free and kosher, whilst containing only 89 calories per can. A 24 pack will cost you just £28.99 when purchased from the DrinkWell website.

Lagunitas DayTime IPA

New to DrinkWell, this is one of the highest rated Low Carb IPA's in the US, with just 3g of carbs per can! The California based brewers represent everything there is to know about making hop-forward beer, expressed in a single can of hoppy goodness that scores a massive 31 IBU on the international bitterness chart whilst still helping you stick to your keto diet. You can purchase this 4%ABV IPA from DrinkWell for £42.99 for a case of 24.

Marstons Resolution Lager

At 4.7%, Marston's Resolution is an unusually strong premium ale that's double fermented during the brewing process to turn all the sugar into alcohol, making it the lowest carbohydrate and lowest calorie ale on the market. With 3.5g carbohydrates per bottle, Marston's Resolution is especially perfect for people on a keto diet and looking for a great tasting low carb lager. DrinkWell are excited to be able to offer this great beer for £32.99 for a pack of 24.

Spirits

Spirits such as vodka, gin, tequila and rum are all suitable for a keto diet as they contain no carbs. You will have to watch what you pair it with though, as most popular mixers such as coke, lemonade and even juice quickly turn a carb free drink into a very high carb drink indeed! Luckily, there are many low or zero carb alternatives to the traditional mixers for those who want to enjoy spirits but don’t want to drink them neat! Below are some low carb options available at DrinkWell:

Skinny Tonic

Available in six exciting flavours, including aromatic, mediterranean and British raspberry, these tonic waters are made from carbonated spring water, citric acid, natural flavouring, natural quinine and natural sweetener. They contain 0 grams of carbs and 0 calories, as well as being vegan friendly. These fruity tonics make a great keto friendly spirit accompaniment, enabling you to create a refreshing alcoholic drink with no carbs. You can purchase a pack of 24 from the DrinkWell website for £14.99.

Hard Seltzers

Hard seltzers are a delicious lower-calorie, fruit flavoured alcoholic sparkling water drink. These refreshing drinks are simply made from carbonated water, alcohol and natural fruit flavouring, making them the perfect choice for anyone looking for a lower carb or lower calorie drink, including those on a keto diet.

DrinkWell are one of the first retailers in the UK to offer hard seltzers, and are pleased to have a number of options on offer. For example, Bodega Bay hard seltzers contain no carbs and just 72 calories, and are available for £26.99 for a pack of 12. Other brands we have on offer include Mike’s Hard Seltzer, DRTY hard Seltzer and Long Shot Hard Seltzer.

Why choose DrinkWell?

DrinkWell is committed to sourcing and providing the tastiest low carb and low calorie alcoholic drinks on the market. We have an ever increasing number of products available, all of which are of the highest quality, truly innovative and something you would be delighted to share with your friends and family.

Importantly for those following a keto diet, we display the exact amount of carbs and calories found in a serving of every drink available so that you can be sure the drink you are choosing is suitable for your diet. This sets us apart from other retailers, as most do not do this for alcoholic drinks, leaving you to search the internet for information that may not be reliable. With up to 30% off many brands, shopping for alcohol with fewer calories has never been more straightforward, affordable and fun.

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