For once, you’ve actually followed through with your New Year’s resolutions (so far, anyway): you’ve nixed the junk food and you regularly hit the gym—but despite your best efforts, you still have a gut. What gives? Well, the truth hurts but we’re going to serve it to you straight: your drinking habits could be to blame. Turns out, alcohol not only adds calories to your daily diet, but it slows the body’s ability to burn fat for energy, too-–not to mention it increases your appetite, as the line down the block at Pizza 33 at 4am on a Saturday night can attest. What you need is some low-calorie cocktails.
Studies have shown that those who drink regularly in small amounts average lower levels of abdominal fat than those who sporadically binge drink. In other words, a glass a day is better than becoming a weekend warrior. While eliminating alcohol altogether would probably solve your problem, let’s be honest—so not happening. For a more realistic alternative, we’ve rounded up some low-cal drinks to help you choose wisely and imbibe without fear of the bulge.
The best low-calorie cocktails:
Vodka Cranberry:
Otherwise known as a Cape Codder, this classic drink not only has few calories (about 65), but the cranberry juice also helps flush alcohol out of your system—just make sure it’s the light kind. For an extra splash of flavor without adding calories, squeeze a lime wedge in your drink and rub it around the rim of the glass.
Light Beer:
Beer is a slippery slope: think of how many beers you can down in a night versus the number of mixed drinks you can handle, and both are equally as calorie-laden. As a general rule of thumb, if you’re going to drink beer, make sure it’s light— both in calories and color. Darker colored beers (think a hearty mug of Guinness) pack more calories than their lighter counterparts. Two good options to reach for: Michelob Ultra (96 calories) and Miller Lite (98 calories). Sure, they may taste like beer-flavored water, but the diet-conscious drinker does what s/he must.
Laurent-Perrier Ultra Brut Champagne:
Take a cue from super-slim model Kate Moss who sips this dry champagne whenever she goes out. The drink only has 60 calories a glass, so you can have three times the bubbly for what you would normally ingest in a single glass of regular champagne.
Mojitos, Done Right:
There are plenty of ways to slim down this refreshing, summery drink made with muddled mint leaves and rum: make sure the bartender uses fresh lime juice and ask her to hold off on the sugar, substituting it with Splenda instead. You can also swap out the club soda for Fresca, a citrusy-carbonated beverage that has a negligible 2 calories per every 8 ounces. A health bonus for this low-calorie cocktail: this drink is rich in antioxidants thanks to the lime and mint juices.
Watermelon Martini:
While some sugary martinis contain enough calories to classify as dessert (they don’t call it “liquid lunch” for nothing), this fruity, pink concoction of vodka, simple syrup, and pureed watermelon is the smarter choice, clocking in at a mere 125 calories. Nightclubs such as Lotus and Level V craft the cocktail exactly this way, so you can be sure they’re not slipping anything unwanted in there. To cut calories even further, request that it be made with agave nectar instead of simple syrup, which has fewer calories and requires a smaller amount for the same level of sweetness.
Margarita, Redux:
At a whopping 400 calories, a frozen margarita may not be worth its salt-rimmed glass after all. While a margarita on the rocks (170 calories) is a considerably better option, try mixing tequila with Crystal Light lemonade and Sierra Mist Free or Diet Sprite Zero for a drink that tastes like one without all of the calories.
Diet Tonic Drinks:
No matter which 80-proof liquor you choose as a base (gin, rum, tequila, whiskey, and vodka), they all have the same nutritional value of around 65 calories and zero fat. What matters is the mixer you choose to pair it with—that’s where the sugars and calories that contribute to your side tire lurk. The most popular pick, tonic water, is one of the highest sugar mixers out there, so make sure to replace it with diet tonic or club soda and you’re in the clear.
The Maggie McQuade:
Get your sweet fix with this saccharine-tasting drink, named after the stylish (and skinny) twenty-something who created it, which mixes vanilla vodka with diet ginger ale.
Vodka and Diet Red Bull:
When made with sugar-free Red Bull, this popular club-goer staple will help you keep slim (it’s only 75 calories) and buzzing all night.
White Wine Spritzer:
Sure, it may be the preferred drink of your Great Aunt Ethyl, but maybe she’s smarter than you think: diluting your drink with club soda or sparkling water means you get more glasses for fewer calories (around 100 each round). Stick to dry wines, which contain fewer calories than their sweeter counterparts.
Water:
Okay, so this isn’t a low-calorie cocktail, but it's important to start your night off with a no-cal glass of agua and continue to have one between every drink you order. Water helps you maintain hydration so you’re not chugging cocktails to quench your thirst, fills you up, and allows you to monitor the amount of calories you consume throughout the night. Plus, it prevents you from having a hangover the next day, so we say cheers to that.
