First, the bad news. Most cocktails are not like zero-calorie CBD sparkling water. They’re caloric nightmares that can transform a trim, active 20-something into an immobile, overweight 30-something. Here are the calorie counts of various popular cocktails:
- Old Fashioned - 160 calories
- Vodka Tonic - 180 calories
- Rum and Coke - 200 calories
- Moscow Mule - 220 calories
- Gin & Tonic - 240 calories
- Long Island Iced Tea - 400 calories
- Strawberry Daiquiri - 475 calories
Basically, every time you have one of these cocktails it’s like having an ice cream cone or a plate of macaroni or a fat piece of chocolate cake with whipped cream. If you’re fond of Gin & Tonics and you like to serve Strawberry Daiquiris when you have friends over on the weekends, beware: all those calories will creep up on you. Before you know it you’ll be looking in the mirror wondering where that spare tire came from.
The good news is that you can avoid cocktail-related bloat if you are smart about how you mix those cocktails. And that’s what we’re going to discuss here: how to keep the cocktail calorie count in check. So grab a CBD soda and read on.
Hidden Sources of Sugar
Most of the calories in cocktails come in the form of sugar. Rum, cognac and gin for instance all contain sugar. Syrups may provide your favorite cocktail with its oh-so-appealing taste but they’re loaded with sugar. As is anything that contains high-fructose corn syrup such as fruit juice as well as most soft drinks.
When it comes to producing low-calorie cocktails then the secret starts with eliminating as many of these hidden sources of sugar as possible. One great way to do so is to use naturally low-calorie CBD sparkling soda. Our CBD Cola contains only 100 calories in a 12 oz can as opposed to Coke which contains nearly 160 calories in the same 12 oz can.
Another idea is to steer clear of cocktails that call for sugary syrups. Yeah, they might tickle your taste buds but they're also sending you down the path toward weight gain and diabetes. If you just can't live without fruit-flavored cocktails, muddle fresh berries into your drink rather than syrups or sweetened fruit juice out of a carton, and top it off using zero-calorie CBD sparkling water.
Finally, every shot of booze you add to a given cocktail is going to up the calorie count by approximately 100 calories. That’s why a Long Island Iced Tea with its 4 types of liquor (vodka, tequila, rum and gin) tips the scale at a minimum of 400 calories. (Depending on who’s mixing yours it may be significantly more than that.) So one of the easiest ways to reduce your cocktail-related caloric intake is to nix those drinks that call for multiple different shots.
Low-Calorie Cocktail Recipes
Now let’s take a look at some deliciously low-calorie cocktail recipes.
The Slim Gin & Tonic
The Gin & Tonic is a favorite summertime cocktail but one that brings with it some surprising caloric baggage. Much of that calorie load comes from the tonic, which has almost as many calories as regular soda. Fortunately, you don’t have to give up the light, refreshing taste of your G&Ts. Just make a strategic substitute. Instead of using high-calorie tonic use CBD sparkling water with zero, that’s z-e-r-o, calories. By doing so you’ll slash the calorie content of this cocktail to about 100 calories, which you can then enjoy in an entirely guilt-free fashion.
Watermelon Mojito
You can watch what you eat at lunch, push that pie away after dinner and wash that dinner down with low-calorie sparkling CBD soda. But all your calorie counting efforts can be upended by just one high-calorie cocktail. That won't do at all. So, instead of slapping together a gut-busting Long Island Iced Tea try this incredibly tasty and satisfying alternative. To make the Watermelon Mojito use the usual shot of rum, but then add CBD sparkling water and, instead of sugar, some crushed watermelon cubes to sweeten and taste. Less than 100 calories.
Skinny Vodka Iced Tea
Another alternative to Long Island Iced Tea is the Skinny Vodka Iced Tea. When mixed right this tasty summer special checks in at less than 100 calories, as opposed to the 400+ you’ll receive from a standard Long Island Iced Tea. The recipe is extremely simple and calls for nothing more than your favorite vodka and CBD sparkling lemonade which is naturally low in calories. To really squeeze the calorie count try using sweet tea flavored vodka, as it’s lower in calories than most other types.
Some Low-Calorie Cocktail Dos and Don’ts
Before we wrap things up let’s do a quick review of the dos and don’ts of creating true low-calorie cocktails.
Low-Calorie Cocktail Dos
- DO avoid cocktails that call for sugar-heavy syrups.
- DO use naturally low-calorie CBD Drinks instead of calorie-heavy soft drinks.
- DO avoid cocktails that call for multiple shots of different liquor.
- DO substitute fresh fruit juice when possible instead of using juice from a box.
- DO be ever on the lookout for hidden sources of sugar.
- DO always enjoy your cocktails in moderation.
- DON'T give up. It’s just a matter of building new habits.
- DON'T use creamed liqueurs or spirits in your cocktails.
- DON'T use standard soft drinks as they are often loaded with high-fructose corn syrup.
- DON'T swap out one multi-shot drink for another thinking you’ll save calories.
Take the above to heart and you’ll fend off the dreaded cocktail spare tire.