Low Calorie Alcoholic Drinks: Low Calorie Mixed Drinks for Everyone

Everybody loves to go out and get a drink after work, or hang out with friends on the weekend.   But if you are like me, you are starting to want more and more low calorie mixed drinks.  One night of serious drinking can pack a lot of calories.  Finding other options when at the bar can be a big help when it comes to lowering the weight.  Low Calorie mixed drinks do not have to lack on flavor, but it is important to learn what is going to add a lot of calories to your drink, and what is going to be a healthier alternative.  Remember, it is not just the calories from the alcohol you need to worry about, but it is also all the sugars and calories from the mixers you are using.  I will start this article off by giving you some basic tips on being healthier when drinking, and follow that up with some actual low calorie cocktails.

The first basic tip for trying to lower your calorie intake is to make a low calorie mixed drink that has a low calorie mixer.  Try things like tea, coffee, diet soda, sugar-free sweet and sour mixes, and light lemonade.  All of those things have 10 or less calories and can be used as a great mixer.  Things like light juice usually have around 50 calories per drink and regular juice around 80 calories.  Cranberry juice can be the kicker, have around 130 calories per 8 oz. 

This would be a perfect time to switch from rum and cokes or whiskey and cokes to rum and diet or whiskey and diet soda.  This will help keep off around 100 calories a drink, and does not contain nearly the same amount of sugar. 

What I use to do to lower calories was avoid the mixer altogether.  I enjoyed having a good whiskey on the rocks.   Flavored rums and vodkas can often be made on the rocks and still provide great flavors.  Often people drink, vodka and tonic, gin and tonic, or whiskey and water to add a mixer, but save a lot on calorie intake.  This is a great way to make low calorie mixed drinks out of something that is normally high in calories.

Rum/Whiskey and Diet Soda

This is probably the most popular low calorie mixed drink, and the easiest one to switch to. Just changing from a regular rum or whiskey and coke, to a whiskey or rum and diet will probably save around 100 calories a day.  Five drinks at a bar and you have saved almost 500 calories.  It really is a smart switch.

Bloody Mary

The classic hangover drink is actually just about as healthy for you as an alcoholic beverage can be.  This low calorie mixed drink has about 150 calories, as long as it is made the classic way.  Anytime the bartender burns the drink, or makes it from mixes instead of fresh vegetables and juice, you have a chance of increasing the calories.

Tom Collins

This is one of my favorite lower calorie drinks. A Tom Collins is 2 oz of gin, 1 oz lemon juice, 1 tsp superfine sugar, 3 oz club soda, 1 maraschino cherry, 1 slice orange.  You combine the gin, lemon juice and sugar in a shaker (you can leave the sugar out).  Strain the mixture into a class, add club soda and garnish with the fruit.  The Club soda has no calories and makes this drink around the 120-150 calorie mark. 

Mojito

This is one of my favorite drinks regardless if it is low calorie or not.  As far as low calorie mixed drinks go, I think you will be hard pressed to find one that tastes this good and is this refreshing.  Right around the 160 calorie range; at the bottom of your glass put a few mint leaves in, cover with ice, and add 1.25 oz. of light rum, about 5 oz. of lime juice, 1 tbsp of sugar and muddle all of that together.  Add about 2 oz. of club soda and enjoy. 

Old Fashioned Manhattan

The Old Fashioned Manhattan is a pretty healthy drink, at about 170 calories per serving.  The recipe is going to call for 1 oz whiskey, 1/2 oz sweet vermouth, 3 dashes bitters, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 splash club soda.  You than pour the whiskey, sweet vermouth, bitters, and sugar together in a glass over ice.  Stir this well, then add in the club soda and stir gently again.  This drink is a little high in sugar, so do not drink too many of them, but it does provide a great taste. 

Vodka and Light Juice

Just a few drinks you should avoid at the bar include, frozen mixed margaritas, pina coladas, white Russians, black Russians, and Mai Tais. These drinks are very good, but they pack a serious calorie count.

Also remember that one of the fastest ways to gain a lot of calories at a bar is to eat the food. Nothing seems better than a few drinks and some food, but that fried food or pizza will do a number on your calorie count for the day. Be careful when eating at the bar.

Hopefully there were some useful tips and some low calorie mixed drinks recipes you can use. Please remember to always drink responsibly and use a taxi or designated driver.  If you would like to know more about low calorie alcoholic drinks, please feel free to visit that hubpage, as well.