Is Vodka Acidic or Alkaline?
Vodka (prepared) is neutral: PRAL close to zero: hardly shifts your acid-base balance. 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.
Classification
Clear as water and just as neutral: vodka sits at +0.2 per 100 ml. A distilled spirit contains no protein and no notable phosphorus or potassium, so there is simply very little to count in the PRAL calculation. Whisky and tequila are just as close to zero. In a mixed drink, the mixer is what counts: tomato juice in a Bloody Mary adds −4.3 per 100 ml, lemon soda 0.0.
In the Drinks category, vodka (prepared) ranks #76 of 80, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Tequila (+0.1), Rum (+0.1), Brandy (+0.1). More acid-forming are Eggnog (+0.3), Coke (+0.5), Coke, without coffein (+0.5).
Acidic or alkaline: PRAL, not pH
On this site, acidic and alkaline refer to the PRAL (potential renal acid load). It estimates what a food leaves behind once it has been digested: a positive value is acid-forming, a negative value is alkalizing. That is different from the pH of the food itself: a lemon tastes sour, yet its PRAL is −4.0, so it is alkalizing. Your diet does not change your blood pH. It does change how much acid your kidneys have to deal with.
Goes well with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is vodka acidic?
It depends on what you mean by acidic. The pH describes the food itself, for example how sour it tastes. The PRAL describes what it leaves behind after digestion: Vodka (prepared) has a PRAL of +0.2 per 100 ml, so it counts as neutral in your daily acid-base balance.
Does vodka count in the acid-base balance at all?
Hardly. At +0.2 per 100 ml, vodka is in the neutral range between −0.5 and +0.5. You can eat it without shifting your balance.
Vodka logged, balance checked.
Basentracker adds up every meal automatically and shows whether your day is in the alkaline range. The same values as on this page, all 977 foods, photo scan, recipes.
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Compare all Drinks: Drinks table. Common questions are answered in Acidic or Alkaline?, and the PRAL calculator adds up a whole meal.
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.