SPIRITS
GET THE SKINNY LOW-CAL DRINKS THAT DON’T SKIMP ON TASTE. BY ROBERT HAYNES-PETERSON mint, Perrier and lime juice, for example, comes in at only 74 calories. In addition to the Skinnygirl brand, you’ll now find other pre-made and low-cal options on liquor store shelves. New Zealand-based VnC Cocktails’ pre-mixed drinks feature real fruit juices and about 14% vodka or tequila, keeping calories down to around 150 a serving. And Voli Vodka drops its potency a bit (to 70 proof), meaning the flavored brand requires less flavoring (sweeteners) to overcome the alcohol. Just remember— moderation is still the key. Drinking three or four of these tasty treats leads to trouble. And a tighter-fitting dress.
A Ty-Ku mojito with mint, Perrier and lime juice comes in at 74 calories.
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SLENDERIZE YOUR COCKTAILS • Replace sodas and tonics with sparkling water. This can cut your calories in half. (Mitigate flavor loss with a lime or grapefruit-flavored Perrier.) • Use fresh, seasonal fruits rather than high-calorie purees, juices or pre-bottled mixers. • Replace rum or light whiskies with sake or soju, lower in calories while still adding flavor (unlike vodka). • Don't discount liqueurs: Cointreau has a lower calorie count than many grain-distllied spirits, according to Williams. • Avoid booze with additives. Many lower-quality liquors (and wines) add sugar, caramel and other goodies to their ‘‘pure’’ product. • When drinking (or mixing with) Champagne, develop a taste for the drier varieties (Extra Sec, Brut and Ultra Brut) which have far less residual sugar. • In the 1790s, before there were cocktails, there were Slings: a little booze and a lot of water (think Scotch Highball). The Japanese drink similar cocktails, like 2 ounces of Hibiki or Yamakazi whiskey, with a large dose of soda water and ice. Refreshing and light. • Or follow Partida Tequila’s lead with its signature margarita: using agave nectar and spring water in place of triple sec and reducing the tequila by a half ounce shaves off 200 calories but actually enhances flavor.
NOLET’S GIN
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ur national waistline may be expanding, but our palate has evolved. Where ‘‘diet drinking’’ was once limited to rum and Diet Coke or a cheap Chardonnay, we now want to have our mixology cake and drink it, too. Enter the ‘‘skinny’’ cocktail. First popularized by Real Housewife Bethenny Frankel and her line of Skinnygirl premixed cocktails (and now wines), the idea has spread, particularly to beach and resort destinations where a few extra calories go a long way. New York’s Haru Sushi recently launched a Skinny Happy Hour. The very posh St. Julien Hotel and Spa in Boulder is offering an elegant lineup of low-cal and no-cal (mock) cocktails, as is the Saltbox gastropub in San Diego. While most mixed drinks run in the 200 to 500 calorie range (or more!), drinks on the new menu have as few as 90 calories per glass (usually a 4ounce serving) and are still full of flavor. ‘‘We have plenty of higher proof and classic cocktails on the menu,’’ says Erin-Elizabeth Williams, the beverage manager for Saltbox. ‘‘But San Diego is also a driving city and a fitness-oriented city. The designated driver and dieter shouldn’t have to miss out on all the fun.’’ Patti Stanger, host of Bravo’s The Millionaire Matchmaker, agrees. She recently became a strategic partner at TyKu spirits (sake, soju and liqueurs), in part because of her desire to promote tasty, low-cal cocktail options. ‘‘A while back, I had lost a lot of weight, and wanted something that could get me over first-date jitters without a lot of calories. Sake was the drink.’’ A mojito made with Ty-Ku liqueur,