Top 10 low calorie cocktails
If you’re trying to keep track of your calorie intake, whether for health or aesthetic reasons, but don’t want to miss out on cocktail nights with your friends, we’ve put together a versatile list of 10 delicious and refreshing low-calorie cocktail drinks to enjoy this season.
The Difference Between Skinny Cocktails and Low Calorie Cocktails
There’s often some confusion surrounding the differences between skinny cocktails and low-calorie cocktails. You may have heard of cocktails such as the ‘Faux-jito’ or the ‘Skinny Pina Colada’, which replace classic ingredients with lower-calorie options to make them a healthier alternative. Typically, skinny cocktails are below 100 calories.
However, low-calorie cocktails give you the best of both worlds, offering a full-flavoured drink with the original ingredients while still remaining low in calories.
The lowest calorie cocktails are:
- Gin and Tonic - about 80 calories
- Spritz - about 125 calories
- Negroni - about 96 calories
- Bloody Mary - about 95 calories
- Martini Dry - about 97 calories
- Moscow Mule - about 120 calories
- Gimlet - about 101 calories
- Vodka Sour - about 160 calories
- Vodka Lemon - about 120 calories
- Milano-Torino - about 80 calories
Whether it’s Gin, Vodka or Vermouth you prefer, our list of 10 low-calorie cocktails has you covered.
1. Calories in a Gin and Tonic - 80 Calories
A simple yet iconic combination, the classic Gin and Tonic is a staple drink and one of the most ordered cocktails around the world. Dating back to the 1700s, this drink was originally created by British soldiers when colonising India, using medicinal herbs as a way to combat malaria. Nowadays, it blends a mix of gin and tonic water poured over a large amount of ice and garnished with a slice of lemon. This quintessential summer cocktail offers a bittersweet flavour for only 80 calories.
2. Calories in an Aperol Spritz - 125 Calories
Sweet, vibrant and refreshing, the Aperol Spritz is the ultimate Italian cocktail. Perfect to enjoy while sitting outside with friends on those hot summer days, it’s extremely popular during the aperitivo time. Created in the 1950s, this cocktail burst onto the scene and has remained popular ever since. Mixing 3 parts of prosecco, two parts Aperol and a splash of soda water, this light and delicious cocktail is made for sipping before a meal and contains only 125 calories.
3. Calories in a Negroni - 96 Calories
Beloved all over the world for its perfect balance of dry and bittersweet, the Negroni cocktail was created in Florence between 1919 and 1920 by Count Camillo Negroni who was tired of the usual Americano and asked the bartender to add a hint of gin instead of soda. Simple yet sophisticated, the Negroni combines equal parts of gin, vermouth, Campari and bitters, which totals up to just 96 calories.
4. Calories in a Bloody Mary - 95 Calories
While there are many variations, the classic Bloody Mary recipe is one of the healthiest cocktails around, with just 95 calories, thanks to the number of herbs, fruits and vegetables it contains. With a complex balance of flavours, this full-bodied cocktail won’t leave you disappointed. The traditional recipe features vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, celery salt, black pepper and ice for a tangy, spicy drink that's perfect for summertime brunches.
5. Calories in a Martini Dry - 97 Calories
Refined and chic, the Martini Dry is arguably the best-known cocktail in the world. In fact, it’s so famous that a cocktail glass was even named after it - the Martini Glass - and is used to serve all manner of drinks, including Manhattans, Margaritas and Daiquiris. Created in the early 1900s by a New York bartender, the clean, simple, and elegant drink is a favourite amongst many. Made with gin and vermouth and garnished with either an olive or a lemon twist, this cocktail has 97 calories in total.
6. Calories in a Moscow Mule - 120 Calories
Spicy, citrusy and aromatic, the Moscow Mule is a delightfully chilled cocktail that’s ideal for summer parties and BBQs. Created in 1941 in America by two bartenders as a way to help offload cases of ginger beer, this cocktail is full of complex flavours. Mixing vodka, ginger beet and lime juice over ice in a copper mug and garnished with a wedge of lime, the Moscow Mule offers a cool and refreshing solution to a warm day for just 120 calories.
7. Calories in a Gimlet - 101 Calories
Sharp and tangy, the Gimlet is a classic cocktail that’s been popular for decades. Created by Admiral Sir Thomas Gimlette, who added lime juice to the Royal Navy men’s daily gin as a way to keep scurvy away (a vitamin C deficiency disease) on long ocean voyages. Becoming popular amongst celebrities in the 1950s, it’s now a staple drink that we all know and love. With a simple mix of gin and lime, the Gimlet has only 101 calories and will keep you feeling cool this summer.
8. Calories in a Vodka Sour - 160 Calories
You just can’t beat the kick of a sour cocktail. As the oldest category in cocktail history, the sours are based on a simple yet delicate balance of bittersweet flavours. With 160 calories, the delicious Vodka Sour is the lowest calorie sour drink that should be savoured and enjoyed while the sun soaks your skin. Blending vodka, liquid sugar and citric acid, the Vodka Sour is light, fresh and full of character.
9. Calories in a Vodka Lemon - 120 Calories
If you’re looking for something a little smoother or lower in calories than the Vodka Sour, then a Vodka Lemon cocktail is the one for you. Fresh and sweet, the Vodka Lemon is easy to make yourself at home on a warm day or order in a pub garden with friends as you relax after work. Blending vodka with lemonade, this cocktail contains just 120 calories per glass.
10. Calories in a Milano-Torino - 80 Calories
Low in calories but high in flavour, the Milano-Torino, or Mi-To, is an extremely popular Italian aperitivo. Although it has a controversial history, since no one really knows who invented it first, it went on to inspire a new generation of bittersweet drinks such as the Americano and the Negroni. As one of the best Campari cocktails from Italy, it’s perfect for any occasion and highly sought after in the summer months. Blending vermouth, Campari and bitters, this cocktail has a distinctive rich flavour and contains just 80 calories.
With both 80 calories each, the Milano-Torino and Gin and Tonic are the winners for the lowest calorie cocktails on this list. Offering fresh, rich flavours they allow you to enjoy an alcoholic drink in a social setting without going over your daily calorie intake, making it a win-win situation.
Take a look at our brand new summer cocktail range, each one premixed and ready to serve in a minute, so you won't need to miss a moment of the sunshine.If you want to find out more about the best winter cocktails, check out this guide!