Low-Calorie Drinks
December 1, 2008
By Hannah Martine
By now we’ve all gotten the message: Moderate alcohol intake can be good for the body and heart. But, alcohol is also empty calories—seven per gram of pure alcohol, to be exact. That breaks down to approximately 65 calories per ounce of most liqueurs or 100 calories in a five-ounce glass of white wine and 105 calories for a glass of red. In a season of sugary desserts, big meals, and holiday parties, how do we imbibe without overindulging?
The key is to make wise choices. Mixed drinks tend to be high in calories due to the sodas, juices, or liqueurs used. A standard gin and tonic contains approximately 280 calories, and some frozen, creamy cocktails contain upward of 800 calories.
If you’re looking for a beverage besides water to complement the Christmas cookies or tasty holiday foods, try one of the following drink recipes, courtesy of some of our favorite bars and restaurants in town.
Just remember to plan ahead. Although these cocktails each have approximately 180 calories or fewer, you should make room for them into your daily caloric intake.
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Drink: Gatsbys Daisy
Ingredients:
1 oz. Charbay Green Tea Vodka
2 sprigs fresh tarragon
1 oz. lavender simple syrup
4 cranberries
1.5 oz cranberry juice
1 lime wedge
How to make: Muddle fresh cranberries, lime wedge, tarragon, and lavender simple syrup in a shaker. Fill the shaker half full with ice. Add Charbay and cranberry juice, and shake. Pour contents into Collins glass, and top glass with ice. Garnish with tarragon sprig.
Recipe courtesy of restaurant Max, The Hotel Minneapolis, Mpls.
Photo courtesy of Restaurant Max, The Hotel Minneapolis
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Drink: Humphreys Tea
Ingredients:
1 oz. Ginger simple syrup
.5 oz. Grey Goose La’ Poire
.5 oz. Opulent Vodka
1 rosemary sprig
1 oz. sweet and sour
1.5 oz. club soda
1 lime wedge
How to make: Strip bottom half of a rosemary sprig into a shaker. Add ginger simple syrup to the shaker, and muddle. Fill the shaker half full with ice, and combine Grey Goose La’ Poire, Opulent, sweet and sour, and squeezed lime. Shake, and pour into a Collins glass. Top off the glass with club soda, and garnish with the top half of the rosemary sprig.
Recipe courtesy of restaurant Max, The Hotel Minneapolis, Mpls.
Photo courtesy of Restaurant Max, The Hotel Minneapolis
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Drink: Chocolate-Covered Cherry Martini
Ingredients:
2 oz. crème de cocoa
2 oz. Effen black cherry vodka
Splash of amaretto
How to make: Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously, and pour into a chilled martini glass.
Recipe courtesy of Wildfire, Eden Prairie
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Drink: Clementine Caipirhinia
* Make sure they can make this one in-house
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Cachaca
1 Clementine
How to make: Cut the Clementine into wedges and muddle in a lowball glass. Place muddled Clementine and cachaca in a shaker with ice, shake well and pour back into the lowball glass.
Recipe courtesy of Chino Latino, Mpls.
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Drink: Mojito
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz. white rum
2 oz. lime juice
1 tbsp. mint
1 tbsp. sugar
4 oz. soda water
How to make: Muddle sugar and mint together with lime juice, add rum, and shake well. Pour into glass filled with ice, and top with soda water.
Recipe courtesy of Chino Latino, Mpls.
Photo courtesy of Chino Latino, Minneapolis
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Drink: Frost Classic Wassail Bowl
Ingredients:
1 gallon apple cider
1 T. ground cloves
½ t. ground allspice
1.75 c. brown sugar
1 T. ground cinnamon
2 c. dark rum
1/3 c. triple sec
1 c. brandy
How to make: Pour the apple cider with spices into a saucepot. Bring to a boil, and remove from heat. Immediately add the brandy, rum, and triple sec. Serve in a coffee mug, and garnish with a cinnamon stick and orange slice. Refrigerate any extra wassail.
Yields 5 quarts.
*For a lower calorie option, use less sugar.
Recipe courtesy of W.A. Frost and Company, Inc, St. Paul
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Drink: Frosts Mulled Spiced Wine
Ingredients:
4 quarts dry red wine
4 c. cranberry juice
3 c. triple sec
4 T. bitters
4 c. raisins
3 oz. fresh ginger, peeled only (not shaved or minced)
The zest of two ora
24 whole cardamom cloves
20 whole cloves
2 sticks of cinnamon
3 cups sugar
How to make: Combine all ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Let steep until cool, then transfer to coffee mugs. Garnish drink with a cinnamon stick. Refrigerate the extra portions.
Yields 7 quarts.
*For a lower calorie option, use low-calorie cranberry juice and less sugar.
Recipe courtesy of W.A. Frost and Company, Inc, St. Paul
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Drink: Toasted Pear-tini
Ingredients:
2 oz. Grey Goose La’ Poire
Splash of Grand Marnier
Splash of Disaranno
Splash of sour
How to make: Combine all ingredients with ice in a shaker, shake vigorously, and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Recipe courtesy of Centerfield Sports Bar, Mpls.
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