Dry January isn’t for everyone. Perhaps your New Year’s resolution wasn’t to give up all alcohol for a month, but instead, to jump-start a year of healthy living. Maybe you’re going to join a gym (and hopefully actually continue going after this month), eat healthier (no more stops at Mickey D’s for fries), and drink healthier. Yes, that’s right. You don’t have to completely give up alcohol to live a healthier lifestyle in 2024.
Sure, alcohol itself isn’t great for your health and should be enjoyed in moderation. But the real carbohydrates and extra calories come from heavy beers and ridiculous, over-the-top indulgent ingredients in your favorite cocktails. Among the most caloric mixed drinks are the boozy Long Island iced tea, margarita, pina colada, white Russian, and Mai Tai.
Lucky for you, while you’re enjoying your booze in moderation, you can also still imbibe in a cocktail or two. There are ways to make your mixed drinks healthier. Below, you’ll find three of our favorite low-calorie cocktails. They are boozy, flavorful, and won’t destroy your healthy New Year’s resolutions.
Gin and tonic
When it comes to simple, refreshing, low-calorie cocktails, it doesn’t get much better than the classic gin and tonic. This highball cocktail is simply made with gin and tonic water. You can add a squeeze of lime and a lime wedge for added flavor and garnish, but this flavorful drink is as easy and healthy as mixed drinks come.
While its origins are mysterious (like with many cocktails), many believe it has its origins with the British military in the 1800s. The English were using tonic water with quinine to ward off diseases, and it only made sense to add gin to make it more palatable.
What you’ll need to make the gin and tonic recipe
- 2 ounces of London dry gin
- 4 ounces of tonic water
- 1 lime wedge for garnish
Gin and tonic recipe steps
- Fill a highball, balloon glass, or pint glass with ice
- Add the gin
- Top it with tonic water
- Add a squeeze of lime and drop in the wedge
- Gently stir and enjoy
Vodka soda
If you’re looking for a boozy, flavorful, low-calorie drink to celebrate a healthier 2024, look no further than the classic vodka soda. This simple drink is made with vodka and unflavored club soda. But if you’re feeling a little wacky, you can choose flavored soda water, seltzer, or sparkling water instead. Like with the G & T, this drink gets added flavor from a citrus squeeze. In this case, though, it’s lemon.
While it might seem like the vodka soda is a modern drink; its origins can be traced back to the late 1700s. This was when Schweppes first introduced soda water to the masses. They decided to mix it with alcohol. Why wouldn’t they? If vodka isn’t your thing, then simply switch to Scotch whisky, tequila, or your favorite spirit because the calories will be similar.
What you’ll need to make the vodka soda recipe
- 2 ounces of vodka
- Topper of club soda
- 1 lemon wedge
Vodka soda recipe steps
- In a pint or Tom Collins glass, add ice
- Pour in the vodka and top it with soda water
- Squeeze a lime wedge and add it for garnish
Bloody Mary
You might look at a bright red-hued Bloody Mary and not instantly realize it’s a reasonably low-calorie, healthy drink. The base is vodka. The rest of this brunch staple is made up of a variety of ingredients based on who is making it. They include tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, horseradish, black pepper, and various herbs and spices. It can be spicier based on taste. It’s the best way to get our daily intake of vegetables, in our opinion.
Like with many drinks, its genesis is up for debate. Some believe this drink was created by a bartender named Fernand Petiot in 1934 at the King Cole Room in New York. Another story says that it was named for a bartender named (you guessed it) Mary at a bar called The Bucket of Blood in Chicago. Some also believe that the name comes from Queen Mary Tudor of England. Regardless of where and when the drink was created, it remains one of the most popular breakfast cocktails ever conceived.
What you’ll need to make the Bloody Mary recipe
- 1.5 ounces of vodka
- 3 ounces of tomato juice
- 2-3 dashes of lemon juice
- 1-2 dashes of hot sauce
- 1-2 dashes of cracked black pepper
- 1 celery stalk
Bloody Mary recipe steps
- In a pint glass, add ice
- Add the hot sauce, lemon juice, and cracked black pepper
- Add the vodka and tomato juice
- Stir gently and add a celery stalk
Advice on low-calorie cocktails
When mixing together “healthy” cocktails this January, remember that while you can add lower-calorie ingredients and not go over the top with garnishes, the real key is moderation. Make one or two nice flavorful cocktails and enjoy them.
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