Ketel One
Schiedam, Netherlands
Column-distilled wheat spirit with a portion finished in copper pot stills, which is where the family's name for it comes from. No sugar, no additives.
- Filtration
- Charcoal
- Grains
- wheat
- Congeners
- Very Low
- Histamines
- Very Low
- Polyphenols
- Very Low
- Sulfites
- Very Low
- Tannins
- Very Low
- Sugar
- Very Low
- Additives
- Very Low
- Calories
- 98
- Sugar
- 0g
14g ethanol at 40% ABV. No sugar, so every calorie here is alcohol.
In its favor
- ✓No added sugar or additives
- ✓Copper pot finishing on part of the blend
What to watch
- !Wheat base
- !Pot-still character means marginally less neutral than a pure column vodka
Factor by factor
Congeners Very Low ▾
Byproducts of fermentation (methanol, acetaldehyde, fusel alcohols). Strongly linked to hangover severity; darker, less-distilled spirits carry more.
Histamines Very Low ▾
Produced by bacteria during fermentation/aging. Trigger flushing, headaches, congestion in sensitive drinkers. High in red wine, beer, aged spirits.
Polyphenols Very Low ▾
Plant compounds with antioxidant activity. Slightly protective at low doses but at high concentrations may worsen hangover via tannin/quercetin reactions.
Sulfites Very Low ▾
Preservatives (SO₂) added to wine and some beers. Common trigger of headaches, asthma, and allergic-type reactions.
Tannins Very Low ▾
Astringent polyphenols from skins, seeds, barrels. Bind proteins, slow alcohol clearance, and aggravate dehydration-style symptoms.
Sugar Very Low ▾
Residual sugar amplifies hangover via blood-sugar swings and dehydration. Liqueurs and cocktails are the main offenders.
Additives Very Low ▾
Colorants, flavorings, glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbates. Cheap spirits and ready-to-drinks often hide these in trade-secret formulas.
Ketel One blends column-distilled wheat spirit with a fraction run through copper pot stills, the oldest of which gives the brand its name. Copper contact strips sulphur compounds, so the pot fraction is not a congener penalty in the way a pot-still whiskey would be.
It is marginally less neutral than something like Absolut by design. On a chemistry scorecard that difference does not register; on the palate it does.
Ketel One questions
How many calories are in a shot of Ketel One? ▾
About 98 calories in a 1.5oz shot at 40% ABV. All of them come from the alcohol, since there is no sugar.
Does Ketel One have sugar? ▾
No. Ketel One has 0g of sugar per 1.5oz serving.
Is Ketel One gluten-free? ▾
Not by label. Ketel One is distilled from wheat, so US rules bar it from claiming gluten-free. Distillation does remove the gluten protein, and the Celiac Disease Foundation considers distilled spirits safe for most coeliacs. If you would rather avoid the question, pick a spirit distilled from corn, potato, grape or agave.
What is Ketel One made from? ▾
Ketel One is made from wheat and filtered through charcoal.
What proof is Ketel One? ▾
Ketel One is 80 proof, which is 40% alcohol by volume.
Does Ketel One give you a bad hangover? ▾
Ketel One scores 2/10 on the SpiritFacts Hangover Index, against 2/10 for vodka overall. It is low on every hangover factor we track, so most of the morning after comes down to how much ethanol you drink.
Is Ketel One vegan? ▾
Yes. Ketel One is listed as vegan, with no animal-derived ingredients or fining agents.