Ketocktails - An Introduction

I'm no stranger to the bar scene, but not in the way you probably assume. I frequent a bar that boasts 69 taps and over 100 bottles of beer. I went there because I was a beer snob and if it's one thing I miss the most on this journey, it's the carby world of beer.

Since my journey into keto, I've given up beer with no remorse. It's been easier than it seems because I already knew the basics when it came to finding carb free cocktail options. So, in thinking about topics for entries I came up with the idea for a crash course into ketocktails, as I call them.

Here are your guidelines if you choose to accept this mission:

1. Fruit juices are a no-no. Why? They're loaded with carbs from added sugars and from the nautral sugars in fruit. Say you just want a basic vodka cranberry.
Here's the recipe for a standard vodka and cran:
1 part vodka - 1oz
2 park cranberry - 2 oz = 7g Carbs.
1 lime wedge

7g of Carbs is dinner. Put the fruity cocktail down. Now.

Taken from Oceanspray.com

Alternative to this sugary nightmare? Sub out the cranberry for club soda or seltzer. Keep the lime wedge for a little extra flavor.

2. Stay away from flavored liquors. Pinnacle whipped vodka has 7g of carbs per 1.5oz (roughly 1.5 shots). Yikes!! If you're ever curious at the carb count of flavored vodkas, which are very popular in mixed drinks, just take a minute to put the name of the liquor into MyFitnessPal and run a search on it. I have no alternative here. I'm not a fan of flavored liquors.

3. Avoid mixers at all costs. These mixers have a lot of sugars added to them. That's what makes your cocktail taste so great. Peachtree Schnapps has 6.6g, Triple Sec has 11g and Razzmataz has 11g of carbs per serving. Those add up fast! Just avoid these!!!

Image found via Google Images

4. Go diet. Do you have the option to use a diet mixer? Do it!! Diet coke, diet sprite, diet ginger ale. Cut out those unnecessary carbs and switch to diet. If you're taking shots and using a chaser or a Coke back, use something diet. 

5. Don't touch anything that has an umbrella in it. Frozen drinks are notorious for having an ungodly amount of calories and carbs in them. They may be tempting when you're hanging out in a beach side bar, but pick something else that doesn't come out of a margarita machine. 

Stick around and I'll share some of my favorite cocktail recipes.