Whiskey

Alcohol — purine content 1mg per 100g

Medium Purine

mg/100g

Yes, in moderation (1 drink per day max).

Why this rating: Distilled spirits carry almost no purine at all, so the Medium rating reflects the alcohol itself rather than purine content. Alcohol raises uric acid by reducing renal excretion and by accelerating purine breakdown.

Diet Advice

Whiskey has almost no purine — about 1mg per 100g — yet it still raises uric acid. Alcohol is metabolised to lactate, which competes with urate for the same excretion pathway in the kidney, so spirits raise gout risk through that mechanism rather than through purine. Beer carries both problems: alcohol plus purine.

Recommended Preparation

If you drink, keep it occasional and dilute with water. Avoid sugary mixers — high-fructose syrup raises uric acid directly.

Low Purine Alternatives

More Foods in This Category

Beer

Red Wine

Water

Tea

Data source: FitzGerald JD, 2020 ACR Guideline for the Management of Gout; Li R, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2018 (dietary factors meta-analysis). Purine value: 1mg per 100g of Whiskey (Medium purine, yellow zone).

See the full purine food classification table for all 142 foods, or read the low purine diet guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Whiskey: is it high in purines?

Whiskey: 1mg of purines per 100g, in the medium band (50-150mg/100g) used on this site. This is a food to portion rather than ban: smaller servings, less often, and sparingly during a flare.

Can I eat Whiskey during a gout flare?

During a flare the usual advice is to leave Whiskey out, or keep the portion small: at 1mg per 100g it sits in the medium band, and a flare is when purine intake is kept lowest. Between flares a moderate portion is a more reasonable fit.

What are the best low-purine alternatives to Whiskey?

Lower-purine options to use in place of Whiskey include: Water, Green Tea. They give comparable nutrition with noticeably less purine per 100g, which makes everyday meals easier to plan.