Photo 6/10
Gin Infusion
Ingredients:
Fresh mint
English cucumber
Zest of 1 lemon
6 strawberries
1.75 liters of gin (any brand)
Directions: Wash all ingredients (except the gin, obviously) and tie the mint into a bundle. Put all ingredients into a pitcher, cover, and leave overnight. Then filter the liquid through a coffee filter and rebottle it. Now you can mix it however you like, but try serving it in a martini glass with club soda and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Because of the natural sweetness of the strawberries and the flavor of the mint and cucumbers, you won't need to add sugar or anything else.
Source: Wendy Verdel-Hodges, mixologist
Photo 7/10
Javatini
Ingredients:
2 parts espresso vodka
1 part Coffee-mate Natural Bliss Low-fat Vanilla
Ice cubes
Directions: Fill cocktail shaker halfway with ice, then add espresso vodka and Coffee-mate. Cover and shake for 10 seconds, then strain into a chilled glass.
Created for the MTV Beauty Bar event in Los Angeles
Photo 8/10
Honey Lemonade
Ingredients (makes 1 full pitcher):
8 organic lemons
8 ounces tequila
8 teaspoons raw, local honey
Water
Directions: Juice the lemons and add to a 64 ounce pitcher, along with the tequila. Dissolve the honey in warm water, then add to the pitcher. Fill the rest of the pitcher with cold water and stir well. Pour into iced glasses and garnish with a lemon or lime wedge. Honey is a good alternative to sugar because it's anti-microbial, aids digestion, has B vitamins, and live enzymes.
Source: Amy Rzepka, beecology.com
Photo 9/10
Gluten-Free Mojito
Ingredients:
6 to 8 mint leaves
6 lime slices
1 ounce agave nectar
1.5 ounces Blanco Tequila
Directions: Muddle together the mint, lime, and agave nectar, then pour the mixture over ice. Add the tequila, top with soda water and stir together.
Source: Jennie Blomberg, mixologist at Book & Stage, Cosmopolitan Resort in Las Vegas
Photo 10/10
Mint Garden
Ingredients:
Chopped red bell pepper
Fresh mint leaves
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
3/4 ounce fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1/2 ounce Triple Sec
1 ounce Gold tequila
Directions: Muddle the bell pepper, mint, lemon juice, simple syrup and grapefruit juice, then add the triple sec and tequila. Shake and add into a glass with ice.
Source: Enzo Cangemi, mixologist in New York City
Is there anything better than reclining on a beach chair, looking out at the crashing waves, and sipping a summer cocktail like a margarita or piña colada?
Pure heaven. The only downside? That piña colada has a staggering 664 calories.
If we really wanted to keep our bikini bodies looking great the easiest solution would be to forgo those tasty summer cocktails altogether, but how boring is that? Very. Which is why we tapped a team of mixologists and nutritionists and asked them for best-of-both-worlds solutions: low calorie drinks that taste just as good, or even better, than your high-cal summer cocktail staples.
If these tasty, low-calorie sips sound too good to be true (we were skeptical at first, too), keep reading to see the recipes our team came up with. The secret? Instead of using calorie-filled mixes loaded with sugar, they swapped in fresh fruit and juices that give you plenty of flavor without all the extra stuff.
Consider these 10 summer drink recipes your key to diet-friendly fun. And if you want to go even further and try your own hand at mixology, keep these guidelines in mind:
•Use soda water as a low-calorie mixer.
•Add pieces of fruit for sweetness, instead of sugar.
•Try making summer cocktails with sake, shochu, or soju, they tend to have fewer calories than traditional spirits, like vodka or gin.
*Editors note: All calorie counts are approximate. Photo courtesy of: A Beautiful Mess
Pure heaven. The only downside? That piña colada has a staggering 664 calories.
If we really wanted to keep our bikini bodies looking great the easiest solution would be to forgo those tasty summer cocktails altogether, but how boring is that? Very. Which is why we tapped a team of mixologists and nutritionists and asked them for best-of-both-worlds solutions: low calorie drinks that taste just as good, or even better, than your high-cal summer cocktail staples.
If these tasty, low-calorie sips sound too good to be true (we were skeptical at first, too), keep reading to see the recipes our team came up with. The secret? Instead of using calorie-filled mixes loaded with sugar, they swapped in fresh fruit and juices that give you plenty of flavor without all the extra stuff.
Consider these 10 summer drink recipes your key to diet-friendly fun. And if you want to go even further and try your own hand at mixology, keep these guidelines in mind:
•Use soda water as a low-calorie mixer.
•Add pieces of fruit for sweetness, instead of sugar.
•Try making summer cocktails with sake, shochu, or soju, they tend to have fewer calories than traditional spirits, like vodka or gin.
*Editors note: All calorie counts are approximate. Photo courtesy of: A Beautiful Mess
