Low-calorie summer cocktails

Spring has sprung and what’s nicer that reclining back in the garden with a homemade cocktail. If you’re watching your calorie intake though, be careful as you might be adding more calories to your diet than you think. Here are some my favourite low-calorie summer cocktails.

Watermelon Fizz

Calories: 100

Ingredients:
1 oz. Tequila
3 oz. Watermelon
0.1 oz. Simple Syrup
0.1 oz. Soda water
5 Cilantro pieces (optional)
Squeeze of lime
1 Bamboo spike (optional)

Directions: Muddle the watermelon with the optional cilantro leaves in a cocktail shaker (or if you want a sweet drink, just stick with the watermelon). Then add ice, simple syrup, and tequila. Shake vigorously and pour all contents into a rocks glass. If you’d like, garnish with a piece of watermelon in a bamboo spike.

Vegan Mudslide

Calories: 80

Ingredients:
1 oz. vodka
2 oz. coffee
3 oz. light almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: Combining all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Shake, then strain over ice into a cocktail glass. Or if you want it to be more like a traditional mudslide, blend in a blender for that milkshake texture.

Skinny Sake Mojito

Calories: 127

Ingredients:
1/2 fresh lime
8 sprigs fresh mint
3 oz. sake
2-3 drops liquid Stevia (or to taste)
Carbonated water
Lime wedge

Directions: Muddle the lime and mint in a cocktail shaker, then add the sake and Stevia. (Taste a small amount to see if it’s sweet enough and add more Stevia if desired.) Pour over ice, then top off with club soda.

Pineapple Martini

Calories: 146

Ingredients:
2 oz. Coconut rum
2 oz. Pineapple Juice (fresh or canned)
Twist of orange peel (optional)

Directions: Add rum and pineapple juice to shaker filled with ice, cover and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a pineapple wedge or twist of orange peel.

Healthy Margarita or Daiquiri

Calories: 100

Ingredients (makes 4 drinks):
1 cup coconut water
1/4 cup honey
1 packet Stevia
4 shots tequila (for margaritas) or rum (for daiquiris)
Juice from 1 lemon
Juice from 1 lime
6 fresh strawberries
1 cup ice

Directions: Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth and frothy. Serve in chilled margarita glasses.

Ginfusion

Calories: 80

Ingredients:
Fresh mint
English cucumber
Zest of 1 lemon
6 strawberries
1.75 liters of gin (any brand)

Directions: Wash all ingredients (except the gin, obviously) and tie the mint into a bundle. Put all ingredients into a pitcher, cover, and leave overnight. Then filter the liquid through a coffee filter and rebottle it. Now you can mix it however you like, but try serving it in a martini glass with club soda and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Because of the natural sweetness of the strawberries and the flavor of the mint and cucumbers, you won’t need to add sugar or anything else.

Javatini

Calories: 100

Ingredients:
2 parts espresso vodka
1 part Coffee-mate Natural Bliss Low-fat Vanilla
Ice cubes

Directions: Fill cocktail shaker halfway with ice, then add espresso vodka and Coffe-mate. Cover and shake for 10 seconds, then strain into a chilled glass.

Honey Lemonade

Calories: 100 per serving

Ingredients (makes 1 full pitcher):
8 organic lemons
8 oz. tequila
8 teaspoons raw, local honey
Water

Directions: Juice the lemons and add to a 64 oz. pitcher, along with the tequila. Dissolve the honey in warm water, then add to the pitcher. Fill the rest of the pitcher with cold water and stir well. Pour into iced glasses and garnish with a lemon or lime wedge. Honey is a good alternative to sugar because it’s anti-microbial, aids digestion, has B-vitamins, and live enzymes.

Gluten-Free Mojito

Calories: 140

Ingredients:
6 to 8 mint leaves
6 lime slices
1 oz. agave nectar
1.5 oz. Blanco Tequila

Directions: Muddle together the mint, lime, and agave nectar, then pour the mixture over ice. Add the tequila, top with soda water, and stir together.

Mint Garden

Calories: 130

Ingredients:
Chopped red bell pepper
Fresh mint leaves
1/2 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
3/4 oz. fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1/2 oz. Triple Sec
1 oz. Gold tequila

Directions: Muddle the bell pepper, mint, lemon juice, simple syrup, and grapefruit juice, then add the triple sec and tequila. Shake and add into a glass with ice.