20 Low-Calorie Cocktails That You Can Enjoy Guilt-Free

Written by Michael Matthews

Mango Sunrise

Often a tequila sunrise is made with a mix of orange juice, grenadine, and tequila. But the original recipe actually featured lime, as well as a blackcurrant liqueur called crème de cassis.

This low-calorie alcoholic punch meets somewhere in the middle with both lime and grenadine. It’s finished with a zero-calorie mixer: ICE sparkling mango lemonade.

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Skinny Margarita

For a healthy alcoholic drink, avoid the pre-bought mixers like frozen margarita mix. And if you want to reduce the amount of agave syrup in this low-cal cocktail recipe, either substitute stevia, or sweeten your margaritas with pureed fruit like mango, watermelon, or pineapple.

Garnish with a sprig of mint and a salt-rimmed glass, if that’s your style.

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Raspberry Arnold Palmer

Just a little vodka is all it takes to make a grown-up Arnold Palmer. You can blend the cocktail depending on which one you prefer, iced tea or lemonade, and the level of sweetness you desire.

This recipe uses two parts pre-made lemonade to one part unsweetened iced tea, plus a little less than a shot per serving. Top with fresh raspberries or muddle them in the bottom of the glass for a summery drink.

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Cold-Pressed Gin & Juice Cocktails

If you want an easy cocktail that can’t be messed up, sipping on gin and juice is a good way to go. Maybe the convenience factor and versatility are why Snoop Dogg loves it so much.

And I wouldn’t be surprised if these days Snoop enjoys his drinks with cold-pressed juice, which uses thousands of pounds of pressure to ensure the maximum amount of nutrients is extracted.

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Apple Cider Moscow Mule

One of the easiest vodka cocktails, the Moscow Mule, requires just ginger ale as a mixer.

Switch it up with a ginger-flavored vodka, and apple cider can take the place of some of the soda without sacrificing the crisp bite. To round out this fall cocktail, sprinkle on a simple garnish of ground cinnamon or pie spices.

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Green Juice Cocktail

You can enjoy this fresh blend of spinach, cucumber, ginger, and apple juice – and you don’t need a juicer. Blend it all up, and strain by hand for a homemade juice that’s flavorful and nutritious.

Then the green juice can be enjoyed as is, but if you want to spike it, go ahead and add a shot or gin or vodka.

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Whiskey Unwinder

Whiskey is often enjoyed plain on the rocks, or with a touch of soda like in a Jack & Coke. But that doesn’t mean full-bodied whiskey can’t be used for an amazing low-calorie cocktail too.

Since whiskey has rich, smoky flavor, you won’t need many mixers to make a great drink. This quick honey syrup is made by pouring three parts boiling water over one part honey. Stir to dissolve.

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Peach Long Island Iced Tea

Since Long Island iced tea is basically a tall glass of booze mixed with more booze, it can add up to an absurd amount of calories. One serving can have top 750 calories if you aren’t careful.

This peach cocktail still has several kinds of heavy liquor: vodka, bourbon, rum, and schnapps. That’s diluted with club soda, and then a splash of zero-calorie peach tea flavoring leaves no question it’s a refreshing iced tea.

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French 75

The most popular champagne cocktail is a mimosa made with either orange or grapefruit juice. But if you really want to get your drink on – and with less sugar too – then try the French 75.

Just a squeeze of lemon is all you need for the citrus element, and then there’s gin for an extra-alcoholic champagne drink. To get this cocktail under 150 calories, replace the simple syrup with a few drops of liquid stevia.

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Lambic Sangria

Spanish sangria is usually made with red or white wine. But this low-calorie version uses two kinds of beer for the base instead.

A raspberry-flavored Iambic works perfectly in this fruity punch, especially with a cup of fresh raspberries in the mix. Then add a light-flavored ale, some Lillet Blanc for both the sweet wine and earthy elements, and finish the beer sangria with fresh orange.

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Mojito Wine Spritzer

Since a traditional mojito is made with rum and lots of sugar, it’s as far from a low-calorie cocktail as you can get. This bubbly wine cooler features the same flavors of mint and lime in an equally refreshing alcoholic drink, yet each one of these mojito spritzers has only 100 calories per glass.

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Spicy Tequila Lemonade

For a low-calorie cocktail mixer, use coconut water. The electrolytes like calcium also make it a great way to rehydrate after a workout so you don’t have to choose between replenishing your body or relaxing with an alcoholic drink.

And when it comes to potassium, coconut water has five times more than most sports drinks. Where it’s lacking is in salt, so simply add a pinch to this cocktail if you need to recover after a sweaty training session.

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Cincinnati Cocktail

A pint of your favorite craft beer will go even further with this trick. Called a Cincinnati cocktail, making one just means mixing equal parts beer with unflavored soda water. That way you aren’t adding any sugar, just cutting the calories in half.

The actual macros will depend on the beer you’re drinking, of course. The estimated macros here are for a fairly high-calorie beer like an ale or lager. If you use this method with a light beer, that could slash the calories in half.

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Melon Mint Granita

Since alcohol doesn’t freeze, it can actually be the secret ingredient to making a low-calorie frozen dessert. An icy granita can be made alcohol-free, but mixing in spirts like rum or vodka will help achieve the perfect slushy texture. If you don’t love watermelon, try this recipe with pineapple, strawberries, or peaches instead.

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Celery Cilantro Cocktail

This light, low-calorie vodka drink is perfect when you need to cool off in the summer. Instead of being made with frozen fruit, this warm-weather cocktail has veggies and herbs.

With savory flavors and crisp celery, this is a great alternative to sweet drinks. Make it low-sugar by using an alternate sweetener like monk fruit extract.

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Sazerac

This whiskey cocktail hails from New Orleans, also the home of Peychaud’s bitters. Although you wouldn’t want to drink them alone – as implied by the name – bitters are a kind of liquor infused with strong flavors like herbs and roots.

Most brands keep their particular blend secret, so be sure to get the right kind of the drink you’re mixing.

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Cherry Tomato Bloody Mary Shooters

Turn this veggie cocktail into a brunch appetizer. To make shot glasses out of cherry tomatoes, carefully cut out the stem with a small paring knife.

Scoop out the middle without puncturing the bottom or sides, and then the bite-sized tomatoes can be turned into a tiny Bloody Mary cocktail.

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Skinny Strawberry Pina Colada

Craving a pina colada or strawberry daiquiri when the summer sun is shining? Combine the flavors of both frozen drinks in this amazing low-calorie cocktail.

This strawberry colada has a mix of dark rum and coconut-flavored Malibu. Put that in a blender with fresh fruit and coconut milk, add a handful of ice, and you’ve got everything you need to cool off with a frozen cocktail.

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Michelada con Camerones

For a low-calorie wine cocktail, use a mixer like sugar-free soda. Two ingredients are all it takes for this quick, cheater version of sparkling sangria. This easy wine cooler can be made with everything from ginger ale and lemon-lime soda to grapefruit or even orange Fanta.

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Michelada con Camerones

A classic beer cocktail, the michelada is from Mexico. It’s kind of like a bloody Mary with clamato juice and Worcestershire. Only this has beer in place of the vodka.

You can enjoy a michelada by pouring half a beer in a glass, mixing in the other ingredients, and then continuing to top it off with the remainders of the bottle. And if you want to add booze to your beer, make it a michelada con tequila.

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