Savour These 7 Low-Calorie Libations For A Guilt-Free Holiday Season
Holidays can be a high-calorific event. The festive season means parties in abundance and a feast at every social gathering full of delicious meats, pies, pastries, chocolates, breads and other assorted treats. All of these sumptuous spreads mean ‘a moment on the lips’ and there is no alternative but to exercise through the new year to avoid the ‘forever on the hips.’
The holidays also spell cocktail parties and course dinners where you are greeted with irresistible wines and mixes that only add to your calorie count. But what if there were a ton of low-calorie libations out there after all, which can balance out your calorie intake at festive happy hour? You can choose from a host of low-calorie, sugar-free drinks that limit the amount of sweet or fatty ingredients you might otherwise consume while savouring an indulgent cocktail. Fret not, these ‘diet’ drinks are just as yummy, just as boozy and promise a fine kick.
Read on below for some low-calorie cocktail alternatives that you can sip on to enjoy a guilt-free holiday season:
Gin And Diet Tonic
Infuse your classic G&T with a low-calorie twist and opt for diet tonic water instead of the regular variant. Another alternative is to add more of diet tonic water and ice and less proportions of gin to your glass to cut down the calories further. Use a stunning bottle of Tanqueray No. Ten Gin to mix your drink with a lemon twist and get your dose of antioxidants.
Tequila With Lime
Grab some Don Julio Reposado and if you prefer it with a bit of zest, add lime for a tequila with a lime twist pairing. A translucent Blanco works just as fine for this recipe. Tequila can actually be an intelligent low-calorie option so go for this version instead of infusing it with soda. If you are wary of having tequila neat, add a splash of fresh coconut water for a slight sweetness.
Dry Martini
The original martini recipe would make use of gin and sweet vermouth to create this signature cocktail. But over time, a dry martini has become quite popular. It simply combines gin, dry vermouth and olive brine to create a complex drink. Incidentally, you can cut down on sugary calories when you opt for this cocktail and you can reduce your intake even further when you substitute half a portion of vermouth in the drink with gin.
Dry Manhattan
What a dry drink essentially connotes is less amount of sweet ingredients and more bitters which can sometimes be a terrific low-calorie alternative. A classic manhattan is made using rye whisky and sweet vermouth but you can simply swap the latter with a drier variant of the fortified spirit. Additionally, do away with the macerated cherries and use a bitter orange peel as garnish. Go easy on the bourbon too, for reducing your calorie intake.
Low Carb Paloma
A paloma is actually a refreshing summer drink but you can recreate it during the festivities of the holiday season for a low-calorie alternative. Eliminate the agave juice from the original recipe and use sugar-free grapefruit juice. Pour a helping of Don Julio Blanco into the drink for just the right amount of tequila buzz.
Single Malt
If you want to consume a spirit and savour its flavours, what better way to enjoy it than having it neat or on a bed of ice? Go for a premium Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky or The Singleton of Glendullan and sip on an indulgent and smooth spirit by cutting down on the calories that are introduced into the drink when you mix it with soda, cola, sweetened juice, fortified wine or mixer.
Kamikaze Shot
Apart from consuming a spirit neat, the next best option is to have a quick shot of rum, whisky or vodka with a bit of salt and lime. You can also go for a kamikaze shot made from vodka and lime juice and do away with the triple sec to reduce your calorie intake. A kamikaze shot stands for celebration, so it is also one of the funnest ways to celebrate the holiday season without worrying too much about overloading on empty calories.
