Is Alcohol Acidic or Alkaline?
Neither: alcohol itself is neutral, and vodka, which is almost nothing but alcohol and water, comes in at +0.2 per 100 ml. Wine, sparkling wine and beer look slightly alkaline because they bring potassium from grapes and malt, not because of the alcohol.
Why alcohol is neutral
PRAL is calculated from protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium. Alcohol has no place in the formula. Distilled spirits such as vodka (+0.2), whisky, gin and rum (+0.1 each) contain hardly any minerals after distillation, so they land at zero. Wine and sparkling wine keep the potassium from the grapes (red wine −1.6, white wine −1.0, sparkling wine −0.7 per 100 ml), and beer keeps some potassium from the malt (−0.4).
What the number doesn't show: your liver has to break down the alcohol, your kidneys excrete more magnesium and calcium under its influence, and your sleep gets worse. With chronically heavy drinking, a genuine acidification of the blood can even develop, called alcoholic ketoacidosis. Since 2024, the German Nutrition Society (DGE) has said there is no risk-free amount and recommends avoiding alcohol.
Acidic or alkaline: PRAL, not pH
The PRAL (potential renal acid load) estimates what a food leaves behind after digestion. It is not the pH of the food itself: a lemon tastes sour, yet its PRAL is −4.0. If you are asking whether alcohol is acidic because of heartburn or reflux, that is a question of pH and your stomach, which the PRAL does not measure; talk to your doctor about it.
Alcohol in different forms: raw, cooked, processed
How the PRAL changes with state and product. All values per 100 g or 100 ml.
| Food | PRAL |
|---|---|
| Vodka (prepared) | +0.2 |
| Whisky (prepared) | +0.1 |
| Gin (prepared) | +0.1 |
| Rum (prepared) | +0.1 |
| Beer (prepared) | −0.4 |
| Red wine (prepared) | −1.6 |
| White wine (prepared) | −1.0 |
| Sparkling wine (dry) (prepared) | −0.7 |
| Prosecco (prepared) | −0.7 |
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the app show wine and beer in green?
Because PRAL only looks at minerals and protein. Wine and beer bring potassium, and the alcohol doesn't appear in the calculation at all. Green here means: no acid load. It is not a recommendation.
Can wine be part of an alkaline diet?
On paper, yes. A glass of red wine (150 ml) comes to −2.4 and barely shifts your daily balance. That's no health argument for wine, but it's no argument against it in terms of acid-base balance either.
Alcohol and everything else on your plate: calculated automatically.
Basentracker adds up the PRAL of every meal and shows whether your day is in the alkaline range. Over 950 foods, photo scan, recipes, free.
Free for Android · iPhone coming soon
More drinks compared
All drinks with their PRAL: Drinks table. Back to the overview Acidic or Alkaline?, or put together a meal in the PRAL calculator.
Source: Basentracker food database (PRAL according to Remer & Manz, calculated from protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium per 100 g). This information does not replace medical advice.