Expert: Paul Wagner - 5/28/2007

Question
I'm allowed to have too much sugar so whats the best alcoholic drink with less sugar?

I've been drinking cider which i love, but five got to stop.

Answer
Hi Debbie


This is really something you should consult with your physician.  Dry wines do not have much sugar at all--less than one gram per liter.  But sometimes it is hard to make sure you are drinking something really dry.  While Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet, Merlot and other varietal wines usually have very little sugar...a few, like Riesling, WHite Zinfandel, Chenin Blanc, have a bit of sugar in them.  And because the sugar is natural from the grapes, they don't have to list the ingredients on the package.  

The same is also true of most whiskeys and cognacs--they are usually dry, although Bourbon and some others are sweeter...and other distilled spirits have varying levels of sweetness from sugar.  Most beers also have very low sugar content as well--although some styles will have a bit.

The best thing to do is to talk this over with your physician, because sometimes the alcohol in drinks can work with your body much like sugar does--alcohol does have calories--and it would be really important to understand this before you started drinking any particular drink based only on its sugar content.  

I hope that helps...and that it encourages you to make some safe choices here.

Paul Wagner