Making Low Calorie Cocktails

First of all, the secret to making low calorie cocktails is in knowing the calorie content of liquors and mixers. Without this, you are dependant upon others to provide you with the recipes and you are limited in your ability to create your own. As a good bartender, you should be eager to create drinks, both those that have been designed by others as well as new ones you make up yourself. So the first thing you should do is familiarize yourself with the calorie contents on this list:

Liquors: (1 1/2 oz serving sizes):

80 proof liquors 97 calories
86 proof liquors 105 calories
90 proof liquors 110 calories
94 proof liquors 116 calories
100 proof liquors 124 calories

Other liquors and serving sizes:



Aromatic Bitters (1 tsp) 13 calories
Beer (lager - 12 oz) 151 calories
Beer (light - 12 oz) 98 calories
Sweet Liqueurs 1 oz 106 calories
Creme de Menthe 1 oz 100 calories
Sloe Gin 1 oz 68 calories
Amaretto 1 oz 82 calories
Vermouth, Dry 1 oz 33 calories
Vermouth, Sweet 1 oz 44 calories
Wine, Sherry 2 oz 80 calories
Wine, Dry 3 1/2 oz 87 calories

Wine, Sweet (dessert 2 oz) 80 calories
Champagne (25 proof; 3 1/2 oz) 91 calories


Mixers (average serving sizes):



Club Soda (any size) 0 calories
Cola (12 oz can) 144 calories
Cranberry Juice (2 oz) 37 calories
Diet Cola (any size) 0 calories
Lemon Juice (1 tbsp) 4 calories
Lime Juice ( tbsp) 4 calories
Orange Juice (2 oz) 28 calories
Ginger Ale (12 oz can) 113 calories
Heavy Cream (1 tbsp) 53 calories
Pineapple Juice (2 oz) 34 calories
Tomato Juice (2 oz) 12 calories
Tonic Water (12 oz can) 113 calories

Many of the drinks presented on this blog are relatively low in calories. The exception might be cream drinks, blender drinks or drinks with cola. Overall, you can lower the overall calorie count in any drink by using liquors with lower alcohol percentages. 80 proof liquor is substantially lower in calories than 100 proof liquor especially if someone is to drink more than a couple drinks. You can also lower the calorie count of any drink by mixing it with basics like club soda, lemon juice (without sugar) or tomato juice. Another method that you might employ would be to simply cut the overall amount of alcohol by serving, say, 1 ounce of Rum in a recipe rather than 1 1/2 ounces. Simply by doing this you have lowered the alcohol count by an average of 32. I would not recommend this in a bar serving situation where someone employs you or you serve the public, paid or not. Under these circumstances, bar protocol will dictate how much liquor goes into every drink.

First and foremost, be imaginative. There are many ways to mix and match ingredients to make excellent cocktails that are inherently lower in calories. Here are examples of some of the most popular low calorie drinks. You can find their recipes on this blog by entering the name into the search field on the sidebar or you can locate recipes containing certain ingredients by choosing from the label cloud also on the sidebar. Here's to getting you started:



Abbey
Addington
Americana
Andalusia
B&B
Bloody Mary
Bull Shot
Campari and Soda
Champagne Cocktail
Cranberry Splash
Dubonnet Cocktail
Dubonnet Manhatten
The French Summer
Gimlet
Gin Rickey
Good and Plenty
Harbor Light
Java Cooler
Jelly Bean
Kir
Lion Tamer
Manhatten
Martini
Mint Julep
Picon Orange
Port Sangaree
Presbyterian
Rickey
Scotch and Soda
Shandy
Tequila Popper
TNT
Turkey Shooter
Virgin Mary
Whiskey and Water
Wine Cooler
Xeres Cocktail

These are just a few examples. There are many more presented on this blog and elsewhere on the web. Use the web search by google presented on the sidebar of this blog.

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The Calories in Cocktails

It is popular these days for people to be concerned about calories in the cocktails they drink. Almost everybody is trying to lose weight but even the most devoted of dieters likes to have a drink now and then. I admit that there are a lot of teatotalers and not everybody drinks alcohol. This is why I have also listed the calories in mixers and sodas here, so that even those who drink Shirley Temples can discover what the drinks are doing to their diet. This is not to discourage your clients or partygoers but to give you the tools that some of them desire. When a drinker asks you, you can tell them easily how many calories are in the cocktail you just prepared for them. This may seem like a party killer but, in fact, it does quite the opposite. It allows your dieters to determine how many drinks they can have and continue having fun until they've had their fill.

Calories in Spirits

80 proof Liquor - 1 1/2 fluid ounces- 97 calories
86 proof Liquor - 1 1/2 fluid ounces- 105 calories
90 proof Liquor - 1 1/2 fluid ounces- 110 calories
94 proof Liquor - 1 1/2 fluid ounces- 116 calories
100 proof Liquor - 1 1/2 fluid ounces- 124 calories
Aromatic Bitters - 1 teaspoon - 13 calories
Beer - Lager - 12 fluid ounces - 150 calories
Beer - Light - 12 fluid ounces - 98 calories
Champagne - 25 proof - 3 1/2 fluid ounces - 91 calories
Liqueurs - 1 fluid ounce - approx 90 calories
Creme De Menthe - 1 fluid ounce - 100 calories
Sloe Gin - 1 fluid ounce - 68 calories
Amaretto - 1 fluid ounce - 82 calories
Vermouth, Dry - 1 fluid ounce - 33 calories
Vermouth, Sweet - 1 fluid ounce - 44 calories
Wine, Dry - 3 1/2 fluid ounces - 87 calories
Wine, Sweet (dessert or apertif) - 2 fluid ounces - 80 calories
Wine, Sherry - 2 fluid ounces - 80 calories

Calories in Mixers and Sodas:

Club Soda - any amount - 0 calories
Cola - 12 fluid ounces - 144 calories
Cranberry Juice Cocktail - 2 fluid ounces- 37 calories
Diet Cola - 12 fluid ounces - 0 calories
Lemon Juice - 1 Tbsp - 4 calories
Lime Juice - 1 Tbsp - 4 calories
Orange Juice - 2 fluid ounces - 28 calories
Ginger Ale - 12 fluid ounces - 113 calories
Heavy Cream - 1 Tbsp - 53 calories
Pineapple Juice, Unsweetened - 2 fluid ounces - 34 calories
Tomato Juice - 2 fluid ounces - 12 calories
Tonic Water - 12 fluid ounces - 113 calories

Check out the blog for recipes for low calorie and non alcoholic cocktails.

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