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20 Low-Carb Cocktails That Won't Mess With Your Keto Lifestyle

Booze without the carbs? We'll cheers to that.

By and
skinny margaritas with lime
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: FRANCESCA ZANI

Starting a low-carb (or keto) diet, whether for the long term or just to try something out for a couple weeks, can be tricky. And that's especially true when you're navigating social situations (like a happy hour) with all the cocktails a-flowing. No need to sweat it, there's actually plenty of naturally low-carb cocktail recipes out there. Plus, with just some easy tweaks in your back pocket, you can transform some of your more sugary faves into keto-friendly drinks so you can still cut loose at that party/wedding/when you just want to have a skinny margarita on Taco Tuesday. Cheers to that, right?

What Makes A Cocktail Low-Carb?

Good news: Most liquors—like rum, tequila, vodka, and whiskey and even some sparkling wines—have little-to-no carbs on their own. But when you start adding the juices, syrups, and mixers that make a cocktail, the carbs start to creep up. Carbohydrates are made out of sugar, partially, so the more sugar you have in a cocktail, the more carbs there will be. To keep that number down, use low-carb mixers like diet tonic, diet ginger beer, soda water, and sugar-free or unsweetened juice.

What Cocktails Are Low-Carb?

Ultra-dry, simple cocktails have a better chance of being low-carb, such as a simple vodka-soda, gin rickeys, dry martini, and gin and tonic (with diet tonic, of course). A lot of classic cocktails are packed with carbohydrates, but with a few simple substitutions you can easily make yourself a low-carb version (like subbing in your favorite low-carb simple syrup). As always, before committing to a diet consult a physician or dietician to make sure you're getting all your essential nutrients.

But now, it's time to get to the good part! Here are some great options for low-carb, keto-friendly cocktails you can make at home to stay on track without missing out on that happy hour.

Gin Rickey

gin rickey
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Crafted with ingredients you already have in your fridge, the gin rickey is as refreshing as it is simple to make and, not to mention, low-carb! So if you have limes, club soda, and gin, you’re well on your way.

Get the Gin Rickey recipe.

Manhattan

manhattan cocktail in a coupe glass garnished with dark cherries
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Okay, so a classic Manhattan is not low-carb because of one of its essential ingredients, sugary sweet vermouth. Here's how you can lower the carbs: Swap out the sweet for the dry vermouth and replace the maraschino cherry with an orange peel.

Get the Manhattan recipe.

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Ranch Water

ranch water cocktail
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: Spencer Richards

It’s no surprise that this refreshing cocktail was born in often-sweltering Western Texas. A sort of effervescent, less-sweet version of a Margarita, only 3 ingredients are required for the naturally low-carb Ranch Water: tequila, lime juice, and seltzer. (Preferably Topo Chico; some claim it’s not a real Ranch Water without it!)

Get the Ranch Water recipe.

Tomato Tini

martini glasses with gin, tomato infused vermouth, and a basil leaf
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Instead of olive brine, this martini gets its rich flavor and vibrant color from tomatoes. If you’re skeptical, hear us out: Think of this cocktail as a cleaner, crisper version of a Bloody Mary. And the botanical flavors of gin pair surprisingly well with the tomato, and evokes flavors of both the fruit and the leaves of the plant (an aroma that has inspired many trendy candles, BTW).

Get the Tomato Tini recipe.

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Skinny Margarita

skinny margaritas with lime
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: FRANCESCA ZANI

Margaritas are pretty slimmed down (or “skinny”) already, ingredients-wise, so all we’re doing here is replacing the added sugars it with more natural ingredients like orange juice and agave (instead of Cointreau and Triple Sec). This means not only are these “skinny margs” lower in calories, they’ve also got slightly less alcohol (meaning you can enjoy more of them 😉). Win win!

Get the Skinny Margarita recipe.

Vodka Tonic

vodka tonic
Parker feierbach

Similar vibe to the vodka soda, vodka tonic adds a bit of sweets and taste to the affair. Vodka and tonics take no bartender experience and are a breeze to make (just swap in your favorite diet tonic water to keep it low-carb). It's straight forward and simple and it's one of our favorite cocktails for a reason.

Get the Vodka Tonic recipe.

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St. Germain Spritz

low carb drinks

Dry sparkling wine—like prosecco or Champagne—is super low in carbs (about one gram per glass). St. Germain has no carbs, as well as the soda water, so in total, the classic St. Germain Spritz is a perfect low-carb cocktail without any adjustments.

Get the St. Germain Spritz recipe.

Prosecco Mint Julep

prosecco mint juleps in highball glasses with fresh mint
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

This festive sparkling drink is perfect for a low-key Easter cocktail hour. A sort of lightened-up mint julep, the addition of a dry sparkling wine provides a pleasant brightness and effervescence that plays well with the rich, caramelized tones of bourbon whiskey. Be sure to swap in your favorite low-sugar simply syrup, and you'll be off to the races!

Get the Prosecco Mint Julep recipe.

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Spiked Sparkling Basil Lemonade

spiked sparkling basil lemonade

While our spiked sparkling basil lemonade uses regular lemonade, you can easily use a low-carb alternative. Make your own lemonade with a low-carb sweetener instead of sugar, or buy a lemonade mix that is low-carb, like this True Lemon one. This way, you'll be sipping on a perfect-for-summer quaff in no time. And just be sure to skip the sugar on the rim!

Get the Spiked Sparkling Basil Lemonade recipe.

Moscow Mule

chilled vodka blended with lime juice, mint, and ginger beer, served in a frosty copper mug
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: LENA ABRAHAM

Homemade low-sugar ginger simple syrup, lime juice, mint leaves, diet ginger ale, and vodka make a supreme low-carb alternative for this classic cocktail.

Get the Moscow Mule recipe.

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Gimlet

gimlet

This cocktail couldn't be simpler with only 3 ingredients (just swap in your favorite low-carb sweetener when you make the simple syrup), shaken and served. We love garnishing with a lime wheel and a bit of lime zest. It adds a flavorful intensity that comes from the oils that are released when a lime is zested and complements the herbaciousness of the gin.

Get the Gimlet recipe.

Dark 'N' Stormy

dark n' stormy
Joel Goldberg

Making a low-carb version of the classic Dark 'N' Stormy is super easy. You keep it classic with dark rum and lime, swapping in sugar-free ginger beer to make it taste just as good as the original.

Get the Dark 'N' Stormy recipe.

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French 75

french 75
Andrew bui

The French 75 is among the fanciest of cocktails. Sure, there’s the tried-and-true martini and the timeless Old Fashioned, but the French 75 has got what those two don’t – naturally pretty low-carb Champagne! Only requiring four ingredients (just swap in your favorite keto simple syrup), this is the simple, classic cocktail to prepare when you need to add the fancy factor to any occasion.

Get the French 75 recipe.

Bloody Mary

bloody mary garnished with lemon, celery, and olives
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Everybody likes their Bloody Mary a different way. Some like it spicy or sweet, others prefer it overflowing with garnish or with a simple celery stalk. However you drink it, you can easily make it low-carb with unsweetened tomato juice.

Get the Bloody Mary recipe.

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Classic Mojito

classic mojito with muddled lime and a lime wheel
PHOTO: KATE JORDAN FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

When we think of staple summer cocktails, the mojito is at the front of mind. Wonderfully simple to create, you only need 5 ingredients to make this refreshing, classic cocktail, making it perfect to whip up when you need to bring the beach vibes to a too-hot summer day. Just substitute your favorite low-carb simple syrup, and you can make this easy cocktail instantly keto-friendly.

Get the Classic Mojito recipe.

Paloma

paloma cocktail with a salt rim and grapefruit garnish
PHOTO: NICO SCHINCO; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

A paloma is a super refreshing summer cocktail that can easily be made low-carb. For a less sweet version, just leave out the agave syrup and swap out the grapefruit juice for a low-sugar alternative like a sugar-free grapefruit soda.

Get the Paloma recipe.

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Tom Collins

tom collins
Erik bernstein

What’s not to love about a simple, classic cocktail like the Tom Collins? It’s basically a spiked and sparkling lemonade, served in a Collins glass, obviously, which immediately inducts it into the summer cocktail hall of fame (especially lightened up with a bit of low-sugar simple syrup for the keto crowd). Having made its first appearance in print in 1876, it hasn’t changed much since its inception, meaning that it's probably perfect the way it is.

Get the Tom Collins recipe.

Gin Fizz

rosemary gin fizz
Park Feierbach

A classic gin fizz is super simple—gin, lemon juice, egg whites, seltzer, and simple syrup. So, it is inherently low-ish in carbs. Make the swap for low-carb sweetener instead of traditional simple syrup, and get the carb count even lower.

Get the Gin Fizz recipe.

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Cosmopolitan

cosmopolitan recipe
Emily Hlavac Green

Your classic Cosmopolitan has vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice, and lime. Swap out the Cointreau for orange extract and use sugar-free cranberry juice along with your favorite sweetener to get the carbs down.

Get the Cosmopolitan recipe.

Vodka Martini

classic martini
Emily Hlavac Green

All hail the vodka (or gin!) martini! Martinis don’t contain sweet ingredients like juices, syrup and sugar like other cocktails do, so a single martini is less than 1g of net carbs. Huzzah!

Get the Vodka Martini recipe.

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