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Hard alcohol contains no sugar or carbs. Even though it’s made from natural sugars, fruits, grains, sugarcane and berries, those sugars are converted to alcohol during the fermentation and distillation process. Stick with straight alcohol, though. Cocktails and mixed drinks will be full of sugary sodas and fruit juices. Hard alcohol does, however, contain calories, so anyone on a weight loss plan needs to be careful when it comes to alcohol intake.

Vodka is generally made from a grain base, such as rye, wheat or potatoes, and typically has an alcohol content from 35 to 50 percent by volume. Make sure to buy only straight vodka; flavored vodkas will often have sugar added.

Rum is free from added sugar or carbs, is typically made from sugarcane or molasses, and comes in a variety of styles: white rum, amber rum, dark rum, spiced rum and aged rum. Typically, the darker the rum, the older it is. Rums can spend years aging in oak casks. Flavored rums can have sugar added, so make sure to stay away from them. The average rum has an alcohol content of 35 percent by volume.

Gin is made from a grain base and flavored with juniper berries, and has a typical alcohol content of 35 percent by volume. It’s also usually made with citrus botanicals such as lemon, orange, grapefruit or lime peel. Straight gin has no sugar or carbs, but the mixers in popular drinks, such as a gin and tonic, do. Also make sure to avoid sloe gin, which has sugar added.

Whiskey is made from a fermented grain mash, usually of barley, rye, wheat or corn. Depending on where it’s made or what it’s made from, whiskey can be found under different names. None have carbs or sugar added. Most whiskey has an alcohol content of about 40 percent by volume.