Can I drink gin during Keto?

The ketogenic (keto) diet has become incredibly popular in recent years as a way to lose weight and improve health. This low-carb, high-fat diet puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis, which has been shown to have many benefits. However, one question that often comes up is whether you can drink alcohol like gin while following a keto diet.

What is the Keto Diet?

The keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that shares similarities with low carb diets like the Atkins diet. It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. When this happens, your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain. On a keto diet, you typically consume less than 50 grams of carbs per day. This leads to weight loss and provides numerous health benefits.

Some of the benefits of keto include:

  • Weight loss – The increased fat intake on keto leads to greatly increased weight loss compared to low fat diets.
  • Reduced appetite – Many people experience a marked reduction in hunger on keto.
  • Lower blood sugar and insulin levels – The keto diet can lower A1C and reduce the need for certain diabetes medications.
  • Improved heart health – including reduced blood pressure, lower triglycerides and increased HDL cholesterol.

The keto diet has also been used to treat neurological conditions like epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

What Foods Can You Eat on The Keto Diet?

Here is a brief overview of the types of foods you can eat on keto:

  • Meats – Beef, chicken, turkey, pork, bacon, etc. Grass-fed is best.
  • Fish and Seafood – Salmon, trout, tuna, mackerel and other fatty fish. Shellfish as well.
  • Eggs – Look for pastured or omega-3 whole eggs.
  • Cheese – Unprocessed cheese like cheddar, goat, cream, blue or mozzarella.
  • Nuts and Seeds – Almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, etc.
  • Healthy Oils – Primarily extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil and avocado oil.
  • Avocados – Whole avocados or freshly made guacamole.
  • Low-carb Veggies – Lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli and other low-carb veggies.
  • Condiments – You can use salt, pepper, herbs and spices.

It’s important to keep net carbs under 20-50 grams per day on keto to maintain ketosis. It’s also crucial to watch your protein intake, as excess protein can be converted to glucose and affect ketosis.

As you can see, the primary foods to avoid are grains, legumes, most fruits, sweeteners, and starchy vegetables like potatoes.

Can You Drink Alcohol on Keto?

You can certainly drink alcohol in moderation on the keto diet. However, alcohol affects ketosis in a couple of ways:

  • Alcohol stops fat burning – Your liver will prioritize metabolizing alcohol over other functions like burning fat or producing ketones.
  • Kicks you out of ketosis – Alcohol can cause your body to burn carbs instead of fat. Too much can easily kick you out of ketosis.

For these reasons, it’s best to limit your alcohol intake to 1-2 standard drinks per day maximum.

Beer, cocktails, and sweet wines are very high in carbs, so straight liquor like gin, vodka, whiskey, or tequila are the best options. Dry wines are acceptable in moderation.

Overall, you don’t need to avoid alcohol completely on keto, but you should watch your intake and beware that it may slow down your progress.

Can You Drink Gin on Keto?

Fortunately, pure gin is a keto-friendly alcohol option. Dry gin is zero carb, so it won’t directly impact ketosis or kick you out of ketosis like other drinks can.

Here’s a quick overview of how gin fits into a keto diet:

  • No carbs – Most pure, dry gins have 0g net carbs per serving. This makes it keto-friendly.
  • High alcohol content – Gin typically contains 40-50% alcohol, which provides 7 calories per gram.
  • No sugar or mixers – Avoid sweeteners like tonic that can add carbs and sugar.
  • Drink in moderation – 1-2 gin drinks max per day to minimize impacts on ketosis.

Overall, dry gin is one of the best keto alcohol options available. Just be sure to avoid sweet mixers like tonic water or fruit juices, which can contain tons of sugar and carbs that will affect ketosis.

Here are some great low carb mixers for gin:

  • Sparkling water
  • Diet tonic
  • Soda water
  • Still water with lemon or lime
  • Cucumber

You can also make keto-friendly gin cocktails using things like stevia, erythritol, or monk fruit as natural zero-calorie sweeteners.

How Much Gin Can You Drink on Keto?

When it comes to alcohol on a keto diet, moderation is key. Consuming too much can inhibit ketosis and slow down your results.

According to most experts, 1-2 drinks per day maximum is an appropriate amount of gin or alcohol to consume while on keto.

Here is how much gin you can drink per day on keto:

Drink Serving Size Grams of Alcohol
Gin martini 1.5 oz / 45ml gin 14g
Gin and soda 1.5 oz / 45ml gin 14g
Gin and tonic 1.5 oz / 45ml gin 14g

As shown above, a typical 1.5 oz gin drink provides around 14 grams of alcohol.

To keep it keto-friendly, we recommend:

  • 1-2 gin drinks per day max
  • No more than 3 per occasion max
  • Use zero carb mixers like soda water
  • Avoid high carb mixers like juice or sweetened tonic

This level of intake should allow you to remain in ketosis while still enjoying an occasional gin drink. Going over 3 drinks per day regularly can slow down ketosis.

Potential Effects of Gin on Keto

While gin is keto-approved, drinking too much may still have some effects on the diet. Here is what may occur if you overdo it with gin while on keto:

  • Halted fat burning – Your body will burn alcohol before fat or ketones.
  • Kicked out of ketosis – Too much alcohol can cause an insulin spike that kicks you out of ketosis.
  • Increased appetite – Drinking often leads to increased hunger and cravings.
  • Weight loss stall – Excess alcohol can slow down or halt weight loss.
  • Fatigue and dehydration – Hangovers can derail your keto diet.

To avoid these issues, simply keep your gin intake moderate and choose low carb mixers.

Tips for Drinking Gin on Keto

Here are some tips to drink gin as part of a ketogenic diet:

  • Stick to 1-2 gin drinks max per day
  • Never drink on an empty stomach
  • Avoid getting carried away during social occasions
  • Opt for soda water, diet tonic, still water or cucumber as mixers
  • Skip sweeteners and sugary juices
  • Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated
  • Don’t drink multiple days in a row

As long as you follow these tips and remain mindful of your intake, gin can definitely fit into a keto lifestyle.

Low Carb Gin Drink Recipes

Here are some delicious keto-friendly gin cocktails you can enjoy:

Keto Gin and Soda

  • 2 oz dry gin
  • 4 oz soda water
  • Lemon wedge for garnish

Add ice to a highball glass, pour in gin and top with soda water. Squeeze lemon wedge and drop into drink.

Keto Gin and Tonic

  • 2 oz gin
  • 4 oz diet tonic water
  • Lime wedge for garnish

Fill a highball glass with ice, add gin and diet tonic. Squeeze lime wedge and drop into drink.

Cucumber Gin Rickey

  • 2 oz gin
  • 1/2 cucumber, sliced
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 4 oz soda water

Muddle cucumber slices in a shaker. Add gin, lime juice and ice. Shake and strain into ice-filled glass. Top with soda water.

Keto Tom Collins

  • 2 oz gin
  • 1 oz lemon juice
  • 1 tsp erythritol or stevia
  • 5 oz soda water

Combine gin, lemon juice, sweetener and ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into a collins glass filled with ice. Top with soda water.

The Bottom Line

Gin is one of the best keto alcohol options available. Dry gin contains zero carbs, so it won’t knock you out of ketosis like other drinks. Feel free to enjoy a gin martini, gin rickey or other gin cocktail as long as you stick to 1-2 drinks max per day. Avoid high carb mixers, and beware that excess alcohol may slow down your results. Overall, gin can definitely be part of a keto lifestyle if consumed responsibly and in moderation.

Leave a Comment