Tequila

Low FODMAP

Typical portion

Any typical portion Low

Tequila is Low FODMAP, a distilled spirit that leaves fermentable carbs behind in the process.

Distilling tequila from agave strips out the sugars, so a typical pour carries no FODMAPs to worry about and stays low at any usual serving.

Enjoy it neat or with a low-FODMAP mixer, and keep an eye on sweetened margarita mixes or fruit juices, since those added ingredients can change the picture.

Why tequila is rated low

Tequila sits at low, and that verdict is an estimate drawn from what the drink is: agave is fermented and then distilled, and distilling carries the alcohol and aroma over while the fermentable carbohydrates stay behind in the still. There is no measured gram serving behind this page, so the portion data records a single rung, Any typical portion, and that rung is low. Nothing here is recorded as carrying a FODMAP subgroup, so the page cannot point at fructans or anything else as a problem. What the rating does not cover is the rest of the glass. Tequila almost never arrives alone, and a margarita mix, a syrup or a fruit juice brings its own FODMAP load that has nothing to do with the spirit.

What changes your risk

What you mix it with The spirit is the low part of the drink. Sweetened margarita mixes, agave syrup, high fructose corn syrup sodas and fruit juices are where a tequila drink stops being low, and a juiced mixer runs higher than the whole fruit it came from because the sugars of several pieces end up in one glass.
The rest of the meal With no subgroup recorded for tequila itself, stacking here is about the whole sitting rather than one carbohydrate group. A drink alongside a fructan heavy meal does not add to that load, but it also does nothing to offset it, so judge the plate on its own terms.
Flavoured and pre-mixed bottles A bottle labelled as a ready to drink tequila cocktail, or a flavoured tequila, is a different product from plain tequila, and the added sweeteners and fruit are what need checking.
Alcohol itself A low FODMAP rating is a statement about fermentable carbohydrates and nothing else. Alcohol can unsettle the gut for reasons that sit outside this diet entirely, so low does not read as unlimited or as a promise of comfort.

What else works

If tequila is doing the job of a clear spirit in a long drink, other plain unflavoured distilled spirits are made the same way and behave the same way, and the mixer is where the real decision is made: plain soda water, a squeeze of fresh lime, or a splash of tonic keep the glass simple. The lookalikes that are not low are the things that usually come with it. A bottled margarita mix, agave syrup, honey syrup and a cocktail sweetened with high fructose corn syrup are all separate problems, and a cream based tequila liqueur is a dairy drink rather than a distilled one. Rum, dessert wines and sweetened liqueurs are not interchangeable with a plain spirit here.

How to keep it low

Order tequila neat, on ice, or as a spirit with soda and fresh lime, and ask for the syrup to be left out rather than reduced, since a bar's sour mix is usually pre sweetened. At home, the cleanest version of a margarita style drink is tequila, fresh lime juice and a little table sugar or maple syrup dissolved in, which puts you in control of what goes in. Read the label on anything sold as a tequila seltzer or a ready mixed cocktail, since those carry sweeteners the plain spirit does not. Keep the pour to a normal serving and treat the drink as part of the meal rather than a free extra.

Common questions

is tequila low fodmap

Yes. Tequila is rated low overall, an estimate based on the fact that distillation leaves fermentable carbohydrates behind, and the portion data records Any typical portion as low.

how much tequila can i have on a low fodmap diet

The data here is qualitative rather than weighed, and it lists only one rung: Any typical portion is low. There is no tested gram or millilitre figure on this page, so keep to an ordinary pour and judge the mixer separately.

is a margarita low fodmap

The tequila in it is, but a standard margarita usually is not, because bottled sour mix and agave syrup carry the FODMAP load. Tequila with fresh lime juice, soda water and a little table sugar keeps the glass much closer to the rating on this page.

can i drink tequila during the elimination phase

Tequila itself is rated low, so it is not the spirit that causes a problem, but alcohol can bother the gut independently of FODMAPs and the mixer often carries more than the drink. Any decision about alcohol during elimination is worth raising with the dietitian guiding you.

Learn more

Informational only, not medical advice. Individual tolerance varies. Talk to a healthcare professional or a dietitian for personal guidance.

Tequila is an estimated rating: it is inferred from the food's ingredients and composition and cross-checked, not measured directly in the papers below. The low, moderate and high cutoffs are still those of Varney et al. (2017).

References

Fructan and free fructose content of common Australian vegetables and fruit. Muir et al. (2007), J. Agricultural and Food Chemistry 55(16):6619-6627.
Measurement of short-chain carbohydrates in common Australian vegetables and fruits by HPLC. Muir et al. (2009), J. Agricultural and Food Chemistry 57(2):554-565.
Quantification of fructans, galacto-oligosaccharides and other short-chain carbohydrates in processed grains and cereals. Biesiekierski et al. (2011), J. Human Nutrition and Dietetics 24(2):154-176.
Dietary sorbitol and mannitol: food content and distinct absorption patterns. Yao et al. (2014), J. Human Nutrition and Dietetics 27(Suppl 2):263-275.
FODMAPs: food composition, defining cutoff values and international application. Varney et al. (2017), J. Gastroenterology and Hepatology 32(Suppl 1):53-61. Supplies the low, moderate and high cutoffs used on this page.