I am not a fan of licorice, but for some reason, I love Absinthe, but is Absinthe Keto Friendly? Or are there some keto friendly absinthe alternatives that you can drink on keto?
Drinking alcohol on keto can be a minefield, some alcohols are better than others in terms of carb content and their likelihood of them knocking you out of ketosis.
If you are a hardened drinker, you will be pleased to know that you can drink alcohol on the keto diet, however, you need to be selective about what you drink and be aware that there may be some side effects.
Check out our Ultimate Guide to Drinking Alcohol on Keto for more on this. For now, let’s get on to answering the question, is absinthe keto friendly?
What is Absinthe Made From?
Absinthe traditionally was a lime-colored green in color, but can also be made clear. It was traditionally referred to as, “The Green Fairy“.
This was both an acknowledgment of its green color and its potent nature due to being highly alcoholic (45–74% ABV / 90–148 U.S. proof).
Historically it was thought to have hallucinogenic effects, however, this has been discredited by studies over the years.
Sometimes absinthe is occasionally confused as being a liquor, however, traditionally, it does not have sugar added, therefore, should correctly be classified as a spirit.
Absinthe contains three main ingredients;
1. Grande Wormwood
2. Anise
3. Fennel (for more on fennel, check out this article)
Different botanicals are added in different countries to stamp the countries own unique take on this drink.
Neutral alcohol such as vodka is normally used as the base from which the above ingredients are added.
What is the Nutritional Value of Absinthe?
The nutritional value of Absinthe per 1 oz / 27 ml (a shot glass!) is;
- Carbs: 0 grams.
- Protein: 0 grams.
- Fat: 0 grams.
- Fibre: 0 grams.
- Sugar: 0 grams.
- Calories: 82 cal
As you can see, absinthe is low in calories, low in protein, and low in fat. It has little to no nutritional value and certainly no health benefits!
How many Net Carbs are there in Absinthe?
Net carbs are calculated by deducting the total amount of fiber from the total number of carbs.
There are 0 grams of net carbs in Absinthe.
What you will need to be very cautious about is ensuring that your absinthe has not been bottled with any added sugars.
Is Absinthe Keto Friendly?
As long as you are drinking absinthe in its pure form (i.e no added sugars), absinthe is keto friendly.
What you will need to be mindful of, is that absinthe is very strong. It should really be consumed watered down, or with a mixer, but who and I kidding, I’ve never done this personally.
Drinking Alcohol on the Keto Diet
If you are out drinking, you will soon get food cravings, this is when you will be most tempted to eat high-carb foods.
Remember, your alcohol tolerance may be lower than ‘normal’ when you are on keto.
My best advice? If you are going out drinking, take some snacks with you, and have some food planned for when you get home, so you don’t start dialing for takeout!
Drinking can soon knock you off your keto journey and is not advised until you are fat-adapted.
Oh, and consume alcohol in moderation – yeah right!
Final Thoughs: Is Absinthe Keto Friendly?
I think it is a bit of a leap to say that absinthe is keto friendly, however, it is fair to say that absinthe does not contain any carbs.
Having one drink of absinthe is not going to derail your keto journey and lead to you putting on weight. However, if you are drinking this for a full night, you are likely to be making some poor decisions, and one of those is likely to be high-carb foods!
In summary, if you know you’re going to be drinking absinthe, go with a plan and a lot of keto friendly snacks!
