Guide
Alcohol and gout
Alcohol is one of the clearest dietary triggers for gout. It raises uric acid production and slows how your kidneys clear it, both at once. Here is how the common drinks compare, and the honest answer on a safe amount.
Last reviewed June 13, 2026.
The ranking
Beer is the riskiest drink for gout. It carries the alcohol effect plus purines from brewer’s yeast, a double hit. Regular beer drinking is one of the strongest dietary risk factors for gout in the research.
Hard liquor has little to no purine, but the alcohol itself still raises uric acid and slows how your kidneys clear it. More drinks mean more risk, and binge drinking can set off a flare on its own.
Wine in moderation shows the weakest link to gout, and some studies found no increased risk at one to two glasses. That is not a green light: any alcohol can still trigger a flare, especially during an active attack.
Is any amount safe?
No amount is proven safe for everyone. Risk climbs with each drink, and during an active flare any alcohol can make it worse. If you do drink, wine in moderation is the lower-risk choice, keep it occasional, and skip it entirely while a flare is happening. Many people find their flares drop noticeably once they cut back.
Every alcoholic drink we rate
Each grade combines purine load per serving with alcohol as an independent trigger.
| Food | Grade | Purine | Fructose | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Including non-alcoholic beer Malt Beverage | C | 2.9 mg | 3.91 g | Moderate confidence |
| Non-Alcoholic Beer | C | 18 mg | 2 g | Moderate confidence |
| Amazake (fermented Drink Made From Sake Lees) | D | 6.2 mg | 0.2 g | Moderate confidence |
| Brandy | D | 0.4 mg | 0.2 g | Moderate confidence |
| Dessert (Port or Sherry) Wine | D | 5 mg | 8.5 g | Moderate confidence |
| Gin | D | 0 mg | 0 g | Moderate confidence |
| Hard Seltzer | D | 0.5 mg | 0.5 g | Moderate confidence |
| Low alcohol Beer | D | 4.6 mg | 0 g | Moderate confidence |
| Margarita Cocktail | D | 1.5 mg | 5.5 g | Moderate confidence |
| Mirin (cooking Wine) | D | 1.2 mg | 0.2 g | Moderate confidence |
| Mojito Cocktail | D | 1 mg | 7 g | Moderate confidence |
| Red Wine | D | 4 mg | 0.8 g | Moderate confidence |
| Rose Wine | D | 3 mg | 2.1 g | High confidence |
| Sake | D | 1.4 mg | 0.2 g | Moderate confidence |
| Sake Lees | D | 89.1 mg | 0.2 g | Moderate confidence |
| Shochu (Japanese Spirit Liquor) | D | 0 mg | 0 g | Moderate confidence |
| Shoko-shu (Chinese Liquor) | D | 9.7 mg | 0 g | Moderate confidence |
| Sparkling (Champagne) Wine | D | 2.5 mg | 0.3 g | Moderate confidence |
| Tequila | D | 0 mg | 0 g | Moderate confidence |
| Ume Liqueur | D | 0.2 mg | 0.2 g | Moderate confidence |
| Vodka | D | 0 mg | 0 g | Moderate confidence |
| Whiskey | D | 0.2 mg | 0.2 g | Moderate confidence |
| White Rum | D | 0 mg | 0 g | Moderate confidence |
| White Wine | D | 2 mg | 0.6 g | Moderate confidence |
| Wine | D | 1.2 mg | 2.1 g | Moderate confidence |
| Wine Spritzer | D | 2 mg | 0.4 g | Moderate confidence |
| Beer (‘regular’ type, various brands) | E | 8.5 mg | 0.29 g | Moderate confidence |
| Beer (lager, regular) | E | 12 mg | 0.2 g | Moderate confidence |
| Beer For Export (higher Wort Content Than Typical Austrian Lager) | E | 10.7 mg | 0 g | Moderate confidence |
| Dark Beer | E | 13.5 mg | 0 g | Moderate confidence |
| IPA (India Pale Ale) Beer | E | 12 mg | 0.3 g | Moderate confidence |
| Light Beer | E | 6 mg | 0 g | High confidence |
| Pils Beer | E | 9.8 mg | 0 g | Moderate confidence |
| Stout Beer | E | 16 mg | 0.3 g | Moderate confidence |
| Wheat (Hefeweizen) Beer | E | 17 mg | 0.5 g | Moderate confidence |
Sources
- 1. Source: Choi HK, et al. Alcohol intake and risk of incident gout in men. Lancet. 2004;363(9417):1277–1281.
- 2. Source: Neogi T, et al. Alcohol quantity and type on risk of recurrent gout attacks. Am J Med. 2014;127(4):311–318.
Values are per 100g unless a note says otherwise. Last reviewed June 13, 2026.