Low-Carb Tequila and Mezcal Drinks: Ranch Water to Margarita

By the DrinkLeader team · Published 2026-10-13 · Data updated 2026-10-13 · 8 min read

The low-carb tequila drinks are the ones built on soda water: ranch water, tequila soda and tequila seltzer cans list 0g to 3g of carbs per 12 oz, while a sweetened margarita can list 20g or more. Tequila and mezcal themselves list 0g of carbs in the catalog, so the whole question is what you mix in. This guide uses catalog numbers to show which tequila and mezcal drinks stay low-carb and which quietly do not.

The spirit is not the problem

Distilled spirits such as tequila and mezcal are made without leaving sugar in the bottle, and the catalog lists plain pours at 0g of carbs. Calories come from alcohol alone, so they track ABV: a 40% ABV pour lists about 98 calories per 1.5 oz. NIAAA counts a 1.5 oz shot of 40% spirits as one US standard drink. Here are the lowest-calorie blanco tequilas in the catalog:

And the mezcals:

The two tables look the same on carbs. Differences in calories come only from ABV. For a style-by-style comparison, see tequila vs mezcal and clear spirits compared. Flavored and liqueur-style tequilas are a separate story, and TTB lists sugar-content statements as optional on spirits labels, so a bottle that does not mention sugar tells you nothing either way.

Ranch water

Ranch water is tequila, lime and sparkling water, and the canned versions in the catalog are some of the lowest-carb drinks of any kind:

Cans in this table list at most 1g of carbs and 105 calories or fewer. A few ranch water entries in the catalog are excluded here because their calories look high against their stated carbs. The low-sugar mixers guide explains why soda water is the baseline mixer.

Tequila soda and tequila seltzer

Several brands sell tequila-and-soda cans with flavors:

Teremana's cans list a couple of grams of carbs, while some others list 0g. The Teremana brand page and Casamigos page show their lines. High Noon's tequila cans are filed as hard seltzers and list a wider range of carbs by flavor; see the High Noon guide.

Paloma

A classic Paloma uses grapefruit soda, which is sweetened, so carbs rise unless the can uses a diet or soda-water base:

These are the lowest-carb Palomas in the catalog at standard can sizes, and they list 2g to 4g of carbs. Other Palomas in the catalog list far more, so the table is a filtered view, not the typical case. If you order a Paloma at a bar, ask for soda water and fresh grapefruit instead of grapefruit soda.

Margaritas: the big range

The margarita is where tequila drinks get expensive in carbs. Lower-carb canned margaritas exist:

And sweetened ones are on the other side of the range:

The sweetened cans list about 180 calories or more and 20g of carbs at lower ABV, so the sugar is doing the work. A bar margarita made with sour mix and triple sec follows the same pattern. If you want the flavor with less sugar, order tequila, fresh lime juice and soda water, sometimes called a skinny or rocks margarita, and ask for no sweetener. The low-calorie cocktails guide and the bar order guide have wider ordering tips.

The orange liqueur in a margarita

A classic margarita adds an orange liqueur, and liqueurs are where the sugar hides. These triple sec entries in the catalog list their carbs per 1.5 oz pour:

Each pour lists carbs in the high single digits or more, against 0g for the tequila. Add lime juice, sour mix or agave syrup and a bar margarita climbs quickly. The entries differ between brands because liqueur strength and sweetness differ, so the table shows a range, not a standard. A skinny margarita swaps the liqueur and syrup for a splash of soda water or a little fresh juice, which is why the lower-carb canned margaritas above sit so far from the sweetened ones.

Mezcal drinks

Mezcal works in the same low-carb formats as tequila, with the smoky flavor surviving soda water well. Because the catalog lists mezcals at 0g of carbs, a mezcal and soda with lime follows the same arithmetic as a tequila soda: about 98 calories per 40% ABV pour plus whatever the mixer adds. A mezcal paloma or mezcal margarita carries the same sugar warnings as the tequila versions. For mezcal the practical advice is to order it neat, over ice or with soda, and to apply the same rules you would use for any spirit-and-mixer drink. The is vodka keto guide works through the same logic for another clear spirit.

Putting it together

For keto or low-carb drinking, build from the left side of the page: tequila or mezcal over ice with soda water and lime. The tequila keto page, the mezcal page, the keto alcohol guide and the holiday drinks piece cover how this fits low-carb limits. If you want a ready-made can, the zero-carb list and best keto drinks collect them. Sugar-free mixers can help; see the sugar-free mixers guide.

One caution about cans: catalog numbers come from producers where available, and TTB treats Serving Facts as optional, so some cans have no printed panel. The FDA says that nutrient amounts on a label apply to one serving, so make sure the figure you are looking at is for the whole can you are drinking. The methodology page explains how catalog gaps are handled.

This page is information, not medical advice. The CDC defines moderate drinking as up to two drinks a day for men and one for women when adults choose to drink, and says that drinking less is better for health than drinking more.