I'm a cocktail bartender. How do I make my menu more diabetic-friendly?
Hi!
I don't have diabetes, but I've had a few people with diabetes come to my bar asking for a drink. I've learned a little bit about the disease, and I'd like to help make my bar's menu more accessible for people with diabetes. I understand that everyone's body reacts a little differently to specific alcoholic beverages, but I think I've come up with some generally useful ideas and practices. I'd love your input!
My ideas so far:
- Carb count
- ABV (Alcohol By Volume)
- Availability of non-digestible sweeteners on request (replacing simple syrup with, idk, stevia syrup, for example)
- Availability of non-fruit-juice acid-sources on request (using citric and malic acid solutions instead of lemon or lime juice)
- Having a designation for "Keto/Diabetic-friendly" cocktails, much like we already do with "vegan-friendly" cocktails. These would use alternative sweeteners and acid-sources.
- Diet soda availability (gingerbeer, coke)
- A robust non-alcoholic section (we already do this)
- Ensuring every ingredient in every cocktail is listed (we already do this, too)
I'm planning on presenting these ideas to my boss to see what can be implemented, so any ideas, suggestions, or feedback (critical or supportive) would be helpful.
Posted Apr 1, 2026, 8:17 PM UTC
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