19 Healthy Drink Recipes That Escape the Sugar Trap of co*cktails (2024)

Ingredients:
6 oz Don Julio Reposado tequila
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 avocado (remove skin and pit)
Pinch of salt
Cilantro
Chili lime salt

Instructions:
Combine the tequila, lime juice, avocado, and salt into a blender with 2.5 cups of crushed ice. Blend until texture is smooth. Pour into a rocks glass rimmed with chili lime salt over ice. Garnish with cilantro and a lime.

Created by Eric Ribeiro

Ingredients:
2 oz gin
.25 oz elderflower liqeuer
.75 oz bianco vermouth
.75 oz lemon juice
4-5 slice of cucumber, quartered
1 egg white
Cucumber and lemon to zest

Instructions:
Slice your cucumber into quarters, add them along with the gin, elderflower liqueur, vermouth, and lemon juice into a co*cktail shaker. Muddle the ingredients. Add the egg white and ice and shake until it's frothy. Double strain into a coup glass and let it settle. Zest lemon and cucumber on top for garnish.

Courtesy of Morgan from The Drink Blog

Ingredients:
3 grapefruits (juiced)
.75 oz lime
.75 oz agave
Thyme garnish

Instructions:
Light thyme on fire. Catch smoke in snifter glass and cover with a coaster. Add the grapefruit juice, lime, and agave to a co*cktail shaker, and shake. Strain into the smoked glass and garnish with charred thyme.

Courtesy of Kristine Sorrano at Añejo

Ingredients:
2 oz Wódka vodka
.75 oz HG Golden Roots syrup
1 oz pineapple juice
.5 oz lemon juice

Instructions:
Add ingredients to a shaker and whip shake, pour into vessel and garnish with a mint sprig.

Courtesy of WestEnd Kitchen & Bar at Hutton Hotel in Nashville

Ingredients:
1.5 oz Milagro Silver
.5 oz agave nectar
1.5 oz fresh lime juice

Instructions:
Pour all ingredients into a Boston shaker. Shake and strain over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Courtesy of Jaime Salas, National Milagro Ambassador

More: 15 Margarita Recipes to Try Today

Ingredients:
1 oz vodka (80 proof)
.75 oz OM Meyer Lemon & Ginger Liqueur
.5 oz lime juice
Ginger beer

Instructions:
Pour all ingredients into an ice-filled copper mug. Garnish with candied ginger on a co*cktail pick.

Courtesy of Natalie Bovis, The Liquid Muse.

More: 15 Ginger Beer co*cktails You Won't Feel Bad Drinking

Ingredients:
1.5 ozcognac (80 proof)
.75 oz OM Coconut & Lychee liqueur
.75 oz lemon juice
Lychee for garnish.

Instructions:
Rim the outside a quarter inch of a co*cktail glass with sugar. Set aside. Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into sugar-crusted glass. Serve with lychee on a co*cktail pick.

Courtesy of Natalie Bovis, The Liquid Muse.

Ingredients:
1.5 oz vodka
.5 oz lemon juice
Soda
Lemon slice

Instructions:
Add your vodka and lemon juice with ice to your shaker. Shake. Pour over ice. Top with ice. Garnish with lemon.

Courtesy of Morgan of The Drink Blog.

More: Tasty (and Light) Lemon-Flavored co*cktails to Try

Ingredients:
1.5 oz Angel's Envy Port finished Bourbon
.5 oz lemon juice
.5 oz honey syrup
1 Dash absinthe
6-8 concord grapes (frozen)
1 thyme sprig
Soda water

Instructions:
Pour a splash of soda water over ice in a Collins glass. Add all ingredients, minus soda water, into a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into glass and then add soda water. Garnish with frozen grapes.

Calorie Count: 90

Courtesy of Brooke Harris, Pouring Ribbons, NY.

Ingredients:
2 oz scotch
Soda water
Lemon peel

Instructions:
Pour scotch over large cubes of ice. Top with soda water. Garnish with lemon peel.

Courtesy of Emily Arden Wells for Gastronomista.

Ingredients:
2 oz whisky
1 oz apricot preserves
.5 oz lemon juice
Apricot slices

Instructions:
Combine the preserves, whisky and lemon juice in a shaker with ice. Shake. Pour co*cktail over ice. Garnish with apricot slice.

Courtesy of Morgan of The Drink Blog.

Ingredients:
1 oz orange liqueur
1 oz pomegranate vodka
1 lime

Instructions:
Combine all in a shaker filled with ice. Shake thoroughly. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with lime or pomegranate seeds.

Courtesy of Kelly Fitzpatrick for Greatist.

Ingredients:
Vermouth at your discretion
Ice
Wedge of lemon/orange

Instructions:
Pour vermouth over large cube of ice. Garnish with a citrusy peel of lemon or orange.

Courtesy of Emily Arden Wells for Gastronomista.

Ingredients:
1 bunch of fresh mint
1 teaspoons powdered sugar (less calories than simple syrup)
Crushed ice
1.5 oz bourbon
1 tablespoon water

Instructions:
Shred mint and place with 1 tsp powdered sugar in bottom of glass. Muddle together. Add crushed ice generously, followed by bourbon, and water. Stir. Garnish with mint.

Courtesy of Jennifer Blumin and James Ramsey for Bon Apetit

Ingredients:
3 oz prosecco
2 oz Aperol
Splash of soda
Orange slice
Ice

Instructions:
Pour Prosecco over ice. Add Aperol and a splash of soda. Garnish with orange.

Courtesy of Aperol.com

Ingredients:
.75 glass very chilled white wine
.75 glass very chilled club soda
Slice of Lime

Instructions:
Pour wine to fill half the glass. Add club soda. Garnish with lime on the rim.

Courtesy of Ree Drummond for Food Network

Ingredients:
2 oz rum (80 proof)
1 handful mint leaves
Lime (halved)
Club soda
1 sprig mint, for garnish

Instructions:
Use a tall glass, first pour rum. Shred and break mint leaves before combining with rum. Juice half of the lime into beverage. Top with ice, fill with club soda and add a sprig of mint.

Courtesy of Maureen Petrosky, for Today

Ingredients:
1 oz 80 proof vodka
2 oz orange juice
4 oz seltzer
Ice

Instructions:
Drop ice in 8 oz glass Combine vodka and orange juice. Fill remainder with seltzer.

Courtesy of Kelly Fitzpatrick for Greatist.

Ingredients:
1 tsp pomegranate seeds
4 oz champagne
.5 tsp store bought pomegranate juice
1 tsp cassis

Instructions:
Drop the pomegranate seeds into a Champagne flute. Pour champagne into flute, add pomegranate juice and cassis.

Courtesy of Ellie Krieger for Food Network