Is Whisky Acidic or Alkaline?
Whisky (prepared) is neutral: PRAL close to zero: hardly shifts your acid-base balance.
Classification
Whether Scotch or bourbon, whisky sits at +0.1 per 100 ml and is neutral. A distilled spirit contains only alcohol, water and flavor compounds, with no protein and hardly any minerals. Vodka and tequila are just as close to zero. At 231 kcal per 100 ml, whisky is still energy-dense: a 40 ml glass costs you a good 90 kilocalories.
In the Drinks category, whisky (prepared) ranks #71 of 80, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Bubble tea (milk tea with tapioca) (+0.1), Lemon soda (0.0), Lemonade, sugar-free (0.0). More acid-forming are Fruit brandy (schnapps) (+0.1), Brandy (+0.1), Rum (+0.1).
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 whisky 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: Whisky (prepared) has a PRAL of +0.1 per 100 ml, so it counts as neutral in your daily acid-base balance.
Does whisky count in the acid-base balance at all?
Hardly. At +0.1 per 100 ml, whisky is in the neutral range between −0.5 and +0.5. You can eat it without shifting your balance.
Whisky 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.