Mike’s Hard lemonade is a popular malt beverage that comes in a variety of fruit flavors. With its sweet taste and low alcohol content, Mike’s Hard lemonade may seem like an ideal keto-friendly drink choice. However, for those following a strict ketogenic diet, the carb and sugar content of Mike’s Hard lemonade should be considered before enjoying this drink.
What is Mike’s Hard Lemonade?
Mike’s Hard Lemonade is made by the Mark Anthony Brands company. It was first introduced in 1999 and comes in a variety of fruit flavors including lemonade, limeade, cranberry lemonade, and mango. The drink has a 5% alcohol by volume (ABV) content. Mike’s Hard lemonade gets its sweetness from added sugar and fruit flavors. It’s technically considered a brewed malt beverage or “alcopop.”
The drink became popular because of its sweet, fruity taste that was different than typical beers. Mike’s Hard lemonade is marketed as a refreshing drink for summertime or casual drinking. It’s also generally inexpensive and comes in single-serve bottles or cans. Overall it’s known as an accessible, flavored malt beverage.
Nutritional Profile of Mike’s Hard Lemonade
Understanding the macronutrients in Mike’s Hard Lemonade is key when determining if it fits a ketogenic diet. Here is the nutrition information for one 12-ounce serving (355ml) of regular Mike’s Hard Lemonade:
- Calories: 220
- Fat: 0g
- Protein: 0g
- Total carbohydrates: 32g
- Sugars: 32g
As you can see, a Mike’s Hard Lemonade contains 0g of fat and protein. The only macronutrients are 32g of carbohydrates, all of which are sugars. This carbohydrate and sugar content is quite high for a single drink.
Why Sugar Alcohols Don’t Count as Carbs on Keto
When following a keto diet, the goal is to reach and maintain a metabolic state of ketosis. This is achieved by restricting daily net carb intake, generally to less than 50g per day. Net carbs are calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols from total carbs.
The reason sugar alcohols can be subtracted is because they are not fully digested and absorbed by the body. Common sugar alcohols used in low-carb products include:
- Erythritol
- Xylitol
- Sorbitol
- Maltitol
- Isomalt
- Lactitol
The gut does not break down sugar alcohols completely, so they do not impact blood sugar and insulin in the same way as regular sugars. For this reason, sugar alcohols only contain about 0.2 to 3.0 calories per gram. They have a much smaller effect on ketosis than regular sugar.
However, Mike’s Hard Lemonade does not contain any sugar alcohols or sugar substitutes. The 32g of carbohydrates all come from regular sugar sources. Therefore, the full 32g of carbs must be counted on keto.
Impact of Fruit Juice on Keto Diets
In addition to added sugar, Mike’s Hard Lemonade contains fruit juice concentrates. These fruit juices impact ketosis for two main reasons:
- Fructose content – Fruit juice contains fructose, which is a simple sugar. Fructose spikes blood sugar similarly to glucose and other carbs. This can prevent ketosis.
- Fiber content – Fiber helps slow down the absorption of fruit sugars. But juicing strips away the natural fiber content of fruit. Without fiber, fruit sugar is absorbed rapidly.
For example, a whole lemon contains 2.5g of fiber per 100g serving. But lemon juice concentrate has no fiber remaining. The lack of fiber causes a faster spike in blood sugar and insulin compared to eating whole fruit.
Can You Drink Mike’s Hard Lemonade on a Keto Diet?
Based on its high sugar content and lack of fat or protein, Mike’s Hard Lemonade is generally not keto diet friendly. One 12-ounce serving would provide 32g net carbs. This is over half the daily limit of 50g net carbs on a strict keto diet.
Drinking Mike’s Hard Lemonade would likely cause immediate effects like:
- Kicked out of ketosis
- Blood sugar spike
- Insulin surge
- Fat burning halted
Over time, regularly consuming high carb drinks like Mike’s Hard Lemonade can prevent you from going into ketosis at all. Your body won’t switch to burning fat for fuel.
Occasionally drinking Mike’s Hard Lemonade may not kick you fully out of ketosis. But it could slow down your fat burning progress. It’s best avoided to see optimal keto diet results.
Low-Carb Alcohol Options on Keto
You don’t have to fully avoid alcohol on the keto diet. Certain low-carb drinks can fit into a keto lifestyle when consumed in moderation. Some keto-friendlier alcoholic drink options include:
Hard Liquor
Hard liquors like vodka, whiskey, tequila, and gin have 0g of carbs and sugar. Avoid flavored liquors, which often have added sugars. Combine with low-carb mixers like soda water, diet soda, or water.
Dry Wines
Dry red and white wines are lower in residual sugar than sweet wines. A 5oz glass of dry wine can range from 2-5g net carbs.
Light Beers
Light beer or lite beer options have slightly lower carb and calorie content than regular beer. Michelob Ultra and Miller Lite are popular keto-friendly choices.
Hard Seltzers
Hard seltzers like White Claw, Truly, and Bon & Viv contain only around 2-3g net carbs per can, with no added sugar. These can fit into keto diets in moderation.
When drinking alcohol on keto, moderation is key. Even low-carb drinks can provide excess calories and stall weight loss. Avoid sugary cocktail mixes and keto hangover cures with electrolytes can help minimize effects.
Making Your Own Keto Lemonade
You don’t have to miss out on the lemonade flavor while on keto. There are a few ways to create keto-friendly homemade lemonade drinks. Options include:
Sugar-Free Lemonade
Use lemon juice and stevia or monk fruit sweetener to lightly sweeten sparkling water. Adding a bit of salt can also reduce the tartness. This creates a fizzy, lightly sweetened lemon drink without the added sugars.
Keto Pink Lemonade
Make a pink lemonade version by adding a few drops of liquid stevia and some raspberries, strawberries, or red cabbage juice for color. Blend the berries first to infuse color and flavor.
Keto Arnold Palmer
For an Arnold Palmer spin, combine lemon juice and sugar-free sweetener with chilled unsweetened iced tea. Use a half and half ratio for the perfect balance of flavors.
Hard Lemonade Ideas
To give your lemonade drink an alcoholic kick, add 1-2oz vodka, gin, or the liquor of your choice. Or try infusing vodka with sugar-free lemonade before mixing.
With some creativity using lower-sugar ingredients, you can still enjoy tasty lemonade drinks without throwing off your ketosis.
Other Questions About Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Keto
Can you drink Mike’s Hard Lemonade if calories fit your macros?
Even if the 220 calories from Mike’s Hard Lemonade fit into your daily macros, the carbohydrates and lack of fat or protein make it a poor keto choice. Modifying macros to “save” carbs for drinks with sugar alcohols or added sugars is generally not recommended.
What about the Zero Sugar or Light versions?
Mike’s Hard Lemonade recently released new Zero Sugar and Light versions with fewer carbs than the original. However, these still contain carbohydrates from fruit juice concentrates. They are lower-carb options but may not be fully keto-friendly for strict ketosis.
Can you mix it with vodka or other liquor to make it keto?
Mixing Mike’s Hard Lemonade with additional spirits will add more alcohol, but it does not reduce the carb content. The total carbs per drink would remain the same.
What about just having 1 serving?
At over 30g net carbs for 12oz, just one Mike’s Hard Lemonade would use over half of your daily 50g carb limit on keto. This single serving could kick you out of ketosis or significantly slow down your results.
The Bottom Line
Mike’s Hard Lemonade is high in sugar and carbohydrates, which makes it generally incompatible with a well-formulated ketogenic diet. Consuming Mike’s Hard Lemonade could immediately spike blood sugar and insulin, halting ketosis in the process.
Occasionally drinking Mike’s Hard Lemonade may not fully kick you out of ketosis but isn’t recommended. It could slow down your weight loss progress and metabolic adaptation. There are many keto-friendly alcohol options to choose from instead so you don’t have to feel deprived.
Making your own low-sugar lemonade drinks at home can also let you enjoy the lemonade flavor without compromising your keto diet.
