The 20 Best Low-Carb + Keto Cocktails to Make at Home

Keto cocktail recipes are very popular among carb-conscious folks who follow the ketogenic diet. This type of diet keeps carbohydrates on the low end of the spectrum, which means that drinks with lots of sugar, juice, syrups and sweet mixers don’t really fit the bill.  

To help you pour carb-clever drinks for yourself and fellow keto enthusiasts, here are a few mixed drinks that slot into this lifestyle with ease:  

1. Vodka Martini cocktail

Keto alcoholic drinks don’t come any more iconic than the Vodka Martini. Coming to the party with <1g of carbs, it’s a darling of the low-carb crew. The drier the better – vermouth does contain a small about of sugar, so the sweeter you go, the higher the carbs will be. The same goes for the classic Gin Martini, of course.  

2. Old Fashioned Keto cocktail

Keto cocktails can’t exactly have spoons full of sugar, so if you like an Old Fashioned as your drink of choice, you have to tweak it a little bit. Instead of sugar, use a natural sweetener like stevia to bring down the carb count.   

3. Sugar-Free Skinny Margarita cocktail

We all love a Margarita with a bright kiss of Grand Marnier, but liqueurs contain quite a bit of sugar. Instead, combine 45ml tequila, 30ml lime juice, a quarter teaspoon of orange extract, half a teaspoon of stevia, and ice. This can be shaken and served on the rocks but tends to come together better when blitzed in a blender and served as a frozen drink.  

Feeling curious? Okay, But Why Are Cocktails Called Cocktails?

4. Peach Martini cocktail

Feeling summery? Try the Peach Martini cocktail. This refreshing drink combines 60 ml peach vodka, 30ml SKYY Vanilla Vodka, 45 ml peach puree, 1 teaspoon stevia, and the juice from a quarter of a lemon. Shake up and serve on the rocks.  

5. Keto Lemon Drop cocktail

The classic Lemon Drop Martini is a very lush drink that features SKYY Infusions® Citrus Vodka, Grand Marnier, lemon juice and simple syrup. If this zesty vibe is what you feel like, but you want to keep carbs on the DL, try the Keto Lemon Drop instead.  

Combine 30ml SKYY Infusions® Citrus Vodka, 30ml lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon Stevia in a shaker with ice, strain into a Martini glass, top off with lemon-flavoured seltzer or sparkling water, and serve. Super refreshing! 

6. Elderflower Spritz cocktail

We love a prettily floral drink now and again, and that’s when the Elderflower Spritz goes down a treat. Combine 60ml elderflower liqueur, 90ml dry sparkling wine, and 60ml soda water in a Collins glass over ice. Garnish with cucumber for a refreshing finish.   

Get fancy! How to Use a Cocktail Shaker

7. Keto Espresso Martini cocktail

There’s nothing like a coffee cocktail for a shot of energy and the crowd-pleasing Espresso Martini is best served as a digestif or after-dinner drink due to its rich caffeine content. The keto version combines 30ml of freshly brewed espresso, 60ml vodka, half a teaspoon of stevia, and one teaspoon of vanilla extract, which is all shaken with ice, and strained into a Martini glass.  

Love coffee? 9 Best Coffee Cocktails to End Your Evening with a Kick

8. Dry Manhattan cocktail

The Manhattan is one of those drinks that will never go out of style. Make it more diet-friendly by swapping out the sweet vermouth for dry vermouth, and using an orange twist as a garnish rather than a sugary maraschino cherry.  

9. Low-Carb Moscow Mule cocktail

Turn the Moscow Mule into a low-carb drink by switching out the ginger beer for diet ginger ale – easy as pie and just as refreshing at a far lower calorie count. 

10. Low-Carb Cosmopolitan cocktail

The always-fashionable Cosmopolitan cocktail can also wear a carb-clever coat when you use sugar-free cranberry juice, a low-carb sweetener and orange extract instead of orange liqueur. 

11. Bourbon Rickey cocktail

Sometimes you’ve got to get back to basics to enjoy the captivating flavours of truly great ingredients, and that’s where the Bourbon Rickey comes in. This super simple cocktail can be poured in two minutes flat, but the elements thereof come together so beautifully that it tastes like an elegant drink that took far longer to compose. Total winner for a beginner! 

12. Gin Rickey cocktail

During summer, many people like to keep things on the lighter end of the spectrum, which is why the caloric value of the Gin Rickey, at 146 calories, is quite a nice deal. Folks who are focussed on staying trim often reduce the gin to 45ml instead of 60ml, which brings the calories of this drink down to 114 calories. Either way, the drink only contains a single gram of carbohydrates, which comes from the lime juice.   

13. Whiskey Highball cocktail

Keto whiskey drinks don’t have to be complicated to be delicious. A Whiskey Highball is one of the easiest two-ingredient cocktails, combining 60ml of whiskey and 120 – 180ml of soda water on ice in a tall glass.  

More whiskey vibes: Kanpai! 10 Japanese Whiskey Cocktails to Master

14. Low-Carb Red Sangria cocktail

Ah, red wine all dressed up for summer – you’ve got to love a Sangria! To make a batch version that is ready in 15 minutes and only contains 3g of carbs per serving, combine 750ml red wine, 60 ml brandy, 250ml diet lemon-lime soda, 6 drops of liquid stevia, and half a teaspoon of orange extract in a pitcher with lots of ice. Garnish with berries and lemon slices – looks beautiful on a picnic table! 

15. Keto Paloma cocktail

Traditionally, a Paloma contains Blanco tequila, fresh grapefruit juice, fresh lime juice, agave nectar, and soda water. This makes for a very tasty drink, but if you want to cut the carbs and make it super simple to pour in one go, you can simply combine 60ml Espolón Tequila Blanco, a squeeze of lime, and sugar-free grapefruit-flavoured soda over ice.  

16. Sugar-Free Mojito cocktail

Keto rum drinks like the Sugar-Free Mojito are perfect for summery occasions.  A Mojito is a drink that is known for its sweet taste, so leaving out the sugar can make it fall flat if you don’t bolster the flavour profile with something else.  

To make a carb-clever version, we recommend sticking with Trois Rivières White Rum, but using a sugar-free lime soda instead of the sugar, lime, and soda water. You can still add a dash of fresh lime juice if you want that bright green note in the mix.  

Make it a mocktail! Master How to Make a Virgin Mojito to up Your Mocktail Game

17. Vodka Mojito cocktail

If you are willing to step away from the rum and go without the sweetness, you could also try the Vodka Mojito. Build 60ml SKYY vodka, a dash of fresh lime juice and mint leaves over ice in a tall glass, top it off with soda water, and sit back with a tall drink that’s perfect for warm weather.  

18. Keto Dark ‘n Stormy cocktail

A Dark ‘n Stormy can be a very tasty keto-friendly drink based on one simple substitution – use diet ginger ale instead of ginger beer. Some folks will even leave out the lime to cut down the remaining carbs completely, but we believe that squeeze of lime really pulls the whole drink together very nicely.  

19. Classic Gin Fizz cocktail

To make a low-carb Gin Fizz, combine 60ml Bulldog Gin, 30ml lemon juice, 1 teaspoon stevia, and 1 egg white in a cocktail shaker, first without ice. Then add some ice, shake it again, and decant it into your serving glass. Top it off with 60ml of soda water, garnish with a sprig of rosemary or whatever else you fancy, and serve. 

20. Carb-Clever Bloody Mary cocktail

The Bloody Mary is one of those amazing cocktails that play in the savoury space, so you’d assume that it will be carb-clever straight out of the gate. However, most commercial tomato juices actually contain a fair amount of sugar.  So, if you want to indulge in the ultimate morning-after fixer-upper, keep an eye out for unsweetened tomato juice and check to see that the other sauces and flavouring you add don’t contain sugar either.  

These 20 keto cocktail recipes will help you to keep your carbs and calories in check all year round. Happy pouring!