5 Low-Calorie Cocktails You Need To Try

A guest post of 5 amazing low-calorie cocktails from the guys at From Our Cellar, one of the country’s top stockists of drinks and foods from independent producers and restaurants across the country.

Here at From Our Cellar, we’re huge fans of a well-crafted cocktail. In our opinion, no night out (or night in!) is complete without one.

Unfortunately, it’s no secret that some of our favourite tipples also come with a hefty calorie count (hello, White Russian…) which is less than ideal when you’re trying to stick to a healthier lifestyle. But before you quit cocktail hour altogether, we’re sharing a few of our favourite low-calorie cocktail recipes that still pack plenty of flavours whilst cutting back on those calories – we’re pretty sure a few of them qualify as one of your five-a-day too! You could make your own Easy Party Punch Recipe and just calculate the calories yourself too, remember.

Calories in popular cocktails

Have you ever wondered just how many calories are lurking in your favourite cocktail? It’s no secret that alcohol and sugar are both high in calories, but some popular drinks can pack a serious punch.

Take the Long Island Iced Tea, for example – despite its seemingly innocent name, this cocktail can contain up to a whopping 780 calories per serving! That’s more than a third of the daily recommended intake for the average adult.

Other culprits include White Russians (around 425 kcal), Piña Coladas (around 656 calories), and Margaritas (around 740 kcal). If you think about the ingredients it helps to spot ones with milk, cream or sugar syrup as they will always be high in calories!

If you’re watching your waistline, it may be best to stick to lower-calorie options such as wine or spirits mixed with low-calorie mixers like soda water and fresh lime juice. Alternatively, you can easily reduce the calories by opting for mocktails instead of cocktails and thus not having the alcohol. This virgin cosmopolitan is 36 kcal a serving.

Low-calorie cocktails

The secret to low-calorie cocktails is to use the lowest calorie ingredients for the items which do not change the taste. For example, if you enjoy low-calorie tonic water as much as original tonic water then swapping to the low-calorie can save you a lot of calories without sacrificing the taste.

Gin and Tonic with Blackberries and Mint

The humble Gin and Tonic is the perfect beverage to reach for when you’re trying to avoid drinking your calories. Exchanging your normal tonic water for a zero-calorie tonic is an easy swap without impacting the taste too much, but the key to making a G&T taste amazing? Garnishing correctly.

It’s no longer just ‘ice and a slice’ in this classic cocktail, getting creative with your garnishes means the possibilities are endless. Try this refreshing combination of frozen blackberries and mint (added bonus – it turns your cocktail a very beautiful shade of pink!)

Ingredients

• 50ml Gin 
• 150ml Gallybird Indian Tonic Water
• Frozen Blackberries
• 5 Mint Leaves (plus extra for garnish)
• Ice

• Fill a balloon glass to the brim with ice
• Add 50ml gin
• Top up with the Gallybird tonic
• Place the blackberries in (and watch as your gin turns pink!)
• Crush the mint leaves slightly to release the flavours and drop in
• Garnish with extra mint leaves

Binary Botanical Bloody Mary

We love a brunch cocktail as much as the next person, but we concede that it’s not always the most health-conscious decision to start on the cocktails before noon. By switching the vodka in a classic Bloody Mary with Binary Botanical 0.5% we’re dramatically reducing the calories whilst maintaining those delicious spicy flavours – not only that, but tomato juice is rich in vitamin C, potassium and antioxidants! As the saying goes, make sure you eat drink your vegetables!

Ingredients

• 50ml Binary Botanical 0.5%
• 50ml Turner Hardy & Co Tomato Juice
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 4 dashes of Worcestershire Sauce
• 4 dashes of Tabasco sauce
• Pinch of Black Pepper
• Pinch of Salt
• Ice 
• Celery

• Place all ingredients in a shaker with plenty of ice
• Shake a few times to mix ingredients without making it frothy
• Pour into a glass and top up with ice cubes
• To garnish, add a stick of celery, another little pinch of salt and a crack of black pepper.

If you don’t have Worcestershire Sauce or Tabasco lying around the house, then Turner Hardy & Co. also do a delicious pre-spiced version!

Blueberry Vodka Fizz

Rich in antioxidants and mouth-wateringly refreshing, this Blueberry Vodka Fizz ticks all the boxes for a delicious low-calorie cocktail that doesn’t scrimp on flavour.

Ingredients

• St Patrick’s Potato Vodka*
• 2 Handfuls of Frozen Blueberries
• Juice of one Lime 
• Soda Water
• Mint

• Whiz the berries, vodka and lime in a blender until well mixed
• Pour into a tall glass and top with soda water
• Garnish with extra blueberries and a sprig of mint

*Lots of vodkas are made from potatoes, so don’t worry! They also make their gin from potatoes, so this tipple is ideal if you are gluten-free or coeliac.

Skinny Margarita

We love a Margarita, but it’s not always the healthiest choice. Solve that problem by substituting the triple sec/Cointreau with freshly squeezed orange juice and a touch of agave syrup instead. You can make a healthy choice AND enjoy this Mexican classic. Cheers to that!

Ingredients

• 30ml Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
• 50ml Silver Tequila
• 25ml Fresh Lime Juice
• 1 teaspoon of Agave Syrup
• Salt
• Ice
• Lime Wedges

• Chill your glass beforehand – ideally use a margarita glass or a coupe, but a tumbler works great too.
• Sprinkle salt onto a small plate. Run one wedge of lime around the rim of the glass then dip into the salt making sure to coat it well. If you like spice, then you can also add a little chilli to the salt for an extra kick.
• Place all remaining ingredients and lots of ice in a shaker then shake vigorously for 30 seconds to chill the liquid and mix everything thoroughly.
• Strain the liquid into you glass and garnish with a lime wedge

There are also loads of great variations on this recipe that you can try depending on your taste – switch the orange juice for another kind of juice, such as cucumber.

White Wine Spritzer

Delicious, hydrating and simple. The white wine spritzer is a classic and has endured the test of time, for good reason. Try elevating this healthy cocktail with the addition of orange bitters and a refreshing orange garnish.  

Ingredients

• 120ml White Wine such as Sauvignon blanc
• Ice
• Soda Water
• Angostura Orange Bitters
• Orange twist to garnish

• Pour 120ml of white wine over ice in a large wine glass
• Top up with soda water and a dash of orange bitters
• Garnish with orange twist

So there we have it, 5 delicious and low-calorie cocktails you can whip up quicker than you can say ‘it’s 5’oclock somewhere’. Enjoy!

About From Our Cellar

All products mentioned above are available from www.fromourcellar.com and can be enjoyed in a variety of other drinks too!

From Our Cellar has a huge variety of drinks and other items you will soon be adding a variety to your basket! From gins to houmous and beers to glassware there is something for everyone!

Other articles you may find helpful

Cranberry juice and drinks to make with it including cocktails.

How to enjoy black coffee

I want to remind you to drink responsibly and know your limits. For support visit DrinkAware.