Gin

Why gin is rated low

At 1 shot (30mL), the serving the data tests, gin comes in low and the record shows no raised FODMAP subgroup for it. That verdict belongs to the spirit itself, not to the finished drink, which is the distinction that matters most on a night out. A gin poured over a fruit soda, a sweetened cordial or a syrupy cocktail base is the mixer's FODMAP load with gin in it. Doubles, long pours and rounds also go past 1 shot (30mL), and no larger amount has been tested here.

What changes your risk

• The measure, not the glass The low reading covers 1 shot (30mL). A double is two of those, and a free-poured home gin is anyone's guess, so the measure is the part worth controlling.
• The mixer writes most of the drink Gin is rarely drunk neat. Fruit juices, cordials and fruit sodas bring their own FODMAP load, and juice in particular concentrates several pieces of fruit into one glass with the fibre stripped out.
• Sugar-free and diet mixers Anything marketed as sugar free is worth turning over. Sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, maltitol and isomalt are common in that aisle and are not low FODMAP at the amounts a tall glass delivers.
• Sloe gin, pink gin and gin liqueurs These are sweetened, fruit-steeped products rather than the spirit the data tests. Treat them as separate drinks and read what went into them.
• The rest of the meal counts Because gin carries no raised subgroup of its own, stacking here is about the total load of everything eaten and drunk in the same few hours rather than one carbohydrate adding to itself.

What else works

For the drink itself, 1 shot (30mL) of gin with soda water, ice and a wedge of lime or a slice of orange keeps the glass close to the tested serving, and an ordinary sugar-sweetened tonic is a reasonable long option since table sugar is fine on a low FODMAP diet. Vodka and rum both come in low at 1 shot (30mL) on their own records if you want to rotate spirits. What is not equivalent: sloe gin and gin liqueurs, premixed gin cans built on fruit purée, apple or pear juice mixers, cocktails sweetened with honey or agave syrup, and sugar-free mixers sweetened with polyols.

How to keep it low

Pour at home with a jigger rather than counting seconds, and order singles when you are out so the glass matches 1 shot (30mL) instead of quietly doubling it. Ask for the mixer on the side when you can, which lets you control how much sweetened liquid goes in and keeps the drink long with soda water instead. Premixed cans state a volume that is usually well past a single shot, so the can is a different serving from the one tested. Botanical garnishes such as cucumber, a lime wedge or fresh rosemary add plenty of flavour without adding anything to the load.

Common questions

how much gin is low fodmap

1 shot (30mL) is the tested serving and it reads low. Anything beyond that, including a double, has not been tested here.

is a gin and tonic low fodmap

The gin is low at 1 shot (30mL), and an ordinary tonic sweetened with sugar keeps the glass simple. A sugar-free tonic is worth a label check for sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, maltitol or isomalt.

what can i mix with gin on a low fodmap diet

Soda water with lime or a slice of orange is the cleanest option, and plain sugar-sweetened tonic works too. Skip apple, pear and mango juices and anything sweetened with honey or agave syrup.

is sloe gin the same as gin

No. Sloe gin is a sweetened, fruit-steeped liqueur, so the 1 shot (30mL) reading for gin does not describe it.