Our Most Delicious Low-Carb Cocktails: 5 Great Recipes

Following a low-carb diet does not mean you have to give up on drinking delicious cocktails. There are many low-carb drinks that you can enjoy and not destroy your diet.

Check out our favorite keto-friendly cocktail recipes!

What Cocktails Can I Have on a Keto Diet?

Pure alcohols like vodka, gin, whiskey, and tequil typically have zero carb count. Please note that flavored versions of these, such as raspberry vodka, often will have carbs.

When following a keto diet and going to a local happy hour, you are best off ordering a pure alcohol with a zero-calorie wash. Mixing your alcohol with diet soda (such as Coke Zero, Diet Sprite, diet ginger ale, etc), diet tonic, calorie-free seltzer, etc. are super easy ways to ensure your cocktails are keto-friendly.

Sugar-Free Alcoholic Drinks to Order at a Bar

1. Vodka and diet soda

2. Whiskey and diet cola

3. Gin and diet tonic water with a twist of lime

What Should I Stay Away From on Keto?

There are some things you should steer clear of if you are following a keto diet.

• Blended drinks can be dangerous to your diet. Unless you are controlling what the ingredients are, most Margaritas, Daiquiris, Pina Coladas, and other iced drinks are going to be high in sugar, calories, and carbohydrates.

• Fruit juices are high in carbs and should be avoided unless you want to knock yourself out of ketosis. Avoid orange, tomato, cranberry or grapefruit juice.

• Soda needs to be sugar-free to help you stay keto. Look for soda with zero or minimal calories to add to your mixers.

• Sweet red and white wines will be higher in carb. Avoid fruit wines.

Can I Drink Wine?

When choosing the best low-carb drinks, you can enjoy some wine. It is important to choose dry white and red wines for the lowest carb count.

That would include cabernet, merlot, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, etc.

Our Favorite Keto-Friendly Cocktail Recipes

1. Keto Mojito

Nothing beats a Mojito on a hot day. If you are like me, you will raise your own mint plant so you have a convenient and endless supply to get you through the summer!

Ingredients

• 3 ounces white rum

• 1-2 tablespoons artificial sweetener

• 10 fresh mint leaves

• soda water

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, muddle the fresh mint leaves and lime wedges.

2. Put the muddled items into a glass.

3. Add rum, sweetener, and ice. (sweetener to taste)

4. Stir well.

5. Add diet club soda.

6. Mix well.

7. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Nutritional Information

This cocktail has about 120 calories and 3 grams of carbs.

2. Keto Mules

A traditional Moscow Mule has just three ingredients: vodka, ginger beer and lime juice. You can use diet ginger beer and skinny lime juice and make a very keto Moscow Mule.

My favorite mule for fall and winter is the apple cider mule. Try this delicious recipe.

Apple Cider Mule

Ingredients

• 3 ounces Jack Daniels cider Tennessee whiskey

• 3 tablespoons spiced apple cider

• Diet Ginger beer

• Apple Pie spice

• Cinnamon stick

Instructions

1. Fill the copper mug with ice.

2. Add the cider whiskey.

3. Fill with diet ginger beer.

4. Stir well.

5. Sprinkle with apple pie spice.

6. Add a cinnamon stick.

7. Enjoy!

3. Skinny Margarita

You don’t have to skimp on your favorite iced drink just because you are eating keto. Try this delicious keto cocktail!

Ingredients

• 3 cups ice

• 2 fluid ounces tequila

• 1 fluid ounce lime juice

• 3 teaspoons artificial sweetener such as Keto Goods allulose

• 1 tablespoon coarse salt (bar salt)

• 2 fluid ounces of orange or lime-flavored sparkling water

• lime wedges

Instructions

1. Fill shaker with ice.

2. Add tequila, lime juice and sweetener and shake well.

3. Pour coarse salt onto a plate or bar-salting container.

4. Rub the rim of the glass with fresh lime wedge and dip in the salt.

5. Strain ice into the glass, top with sparking water.

6. Enjoy!

Nutritional Information

This recipe is approximately 150 calories and 3 net carbs.

4. Keto Old Fashioned

An Old Fashioned is a traditional cocktail from the mid-west in the United States, Wisconsin in particular. One of the items in an Old Fashioned that adds calories and carbohydrates is the simple syrup.

In our keto recipe we use skinny syrup in place of the syrup. Important note: if you are from Wisconsin, you may want 3 ounces of bourbon. If it is your first Old Fashioned, start with 2 ounces.

Ingredients

• 1/2 ounce Skinny Syrups Cherry

• 2 ounces bourbon

• 5 shakes bitters

• diet sweet or sour (7-up, Squirt, 50/50, Fresca, etc) for wash

Instructions

1. Add the skinny syrup.

2. Add bourbon and skinny syrup to the glass.

3. Add 5 shakes bitters.

4. Add your favorite zero-calorie wash.

5. Stir.

6. Garnish with an orange slice, cherries, olives, etc.

7. Enjoy!

Nutritional Information

This classic cocktail has about 150 calories and 2 net carbs.

5. Low Carb Bloody Mary

If you enjoy an occasional Bloody Mary, you might worry you have to give them up if you are eating keto. While Bloody Marys are not keto, you can make them low-carb.

Ingredients

• 3 ounces vodka

• 1/2 ounce pickle juice

• 1/2 ounce Worcestershire sauce

• Celery salt

• Tomato, veggie or bloody mary mixer

• Optional for spicy: tobacco, sriracha, horseradish etc.

Instructions

1. Fill pint glass with ice.

2. Add vodka.

3. Add pickle juice and Worcestershire sauce.

4. Add tomato juice or bloody mixer. If you are looking for a ready-made bloody mary mixer, Zing Zang is fairly low in carbs. If you wish to add your own spices and seasonings, V8 juice is a good, low-carb starter.

5. Add additional spices to your personal preference.

6. Sprinkle celery salt on top.

7. Garnish (remember that many processed meat sticks are not low in carbs. Low-carb garnishes include bacon, cheese sticks, cheese cubes, pickles, pickled veggies, etc.)