"Carbohydrate", the word has become more like a nightmare to diet followers who are trying to escape from the clutches of calorie-heavy foods and drinks, and are trying hard to keep themselves toned. It is still easy to eat right when it comes to food, but when it comes to drinks, most of us often stick to regular or lime water, while still craving for yummy cocktails and other alcoholic beverages! It is true that not drinking alcohol will help you achieve your target body shape, however, if you must drink, you need to know what your pick among the many options should be, before the bartender delivers it to your table. We all fear carbs because we know that the body processes it into sugar. Well, according to the author of The Low Carb Bartender: Carb Counts of Beer, Wine, Mixed Drinks and More, the liver metabolizes alcohol into acetate, not sugar. As I have already mentioned, the process of fermentation always leaves some residue that contain carbs, but the final outcome of distillation is ethyl alcohol which does not contain carbs at all. The following are a few examples of such drinks. Hard liquors such as whiskey, vodka, brandy, rum, absinthe, gin, tequila, and other distilled drinks, have zero carbs. However, that does not mean that one can go overboard with these, because they are loaded with calories! According to the USDA, all 80 proof distilled spirits contain approximately 96 calories, the approximate calories per fluid ounce being 64. Pure alcohol can be almost twice as fattening as carbs which contain 4 calories per gram, against pure alcohol which contains 7 calories per gram. On the other hand, if you are mixing these drinks with other liquids to make a cocktail drink, the number of calories and carbs are likely to increase. If cocktails tempt you, mix them with fresh lime juice or diet soda or coke, that come in many flavors, rather than concocting them with syrupy ingredients and non-diet coke. After understanding quite a bit about the distilled vs. fermented options to choose from, and also that you cannot accept calories in lieu of carbs, the following section will give you some interesting low-carb alcoholic drinks. You can enjoy these drinks at a party in moderation if you don't wish you succumb to their influence on your diet and demeanor. The best alcoholic drink that you, or anyone can opt for is good ol' red wine. Red wine contains a minimum amount of calories, and is a storehouse of antioxidants that provide innumerable health benefits to us in various ways. It contains an ingredient called "resveratrol" that proves to be good for the heart. However, consumption of red wine, or any other wine should be done in moderation. The USDA defines a standard drink of wine to be equivalent to 5 fluid ounces. Women are recommended to take not more than 1 drink in a day, while the quantity doubles for men. The average carb content of a few types of wine per fluid ounce is listed below. As for the calories, note that if the alcohol content in the wine is high, the higher would be the number of calories. Another option on the menu would be that of light beers. There are various brands that offer light beers labeled as "low carbs" or "low calories". The following list will give you some of the light beer brands that―according to Fitness Magazine―are classified as the best among the many options to choose from. The carbohydrate content is for 12 fl oz. Although it is a good practice to keep a tab on your carb intake in any way you can, when it comes to drinking, ensure that you do not neglect the calories in a drink, as well. Wines, for instance, are naturally low in carbs. The brands that have launched "low-carb wines" may have additional calories in them when compared to normal wines. Therefore, make sure that you don't end up consuming more while you intend to consume less. Also stay away from dessert wines and make sure you stick to dry wines which have the lowest carb content.