10 Refreshing Summer Cocktails That Contain Less Than 150 Calories



Gargi Shanbhag is a polyglot and bibliophile who is always…
If you’re one of those drinkers who’s watching their weight during this lockdown, this is perfect for you. For others who’re looking to add some low-calorie drinks to their collection, you’re sure to find something interesting in the list below. Without further ado, here are 10 cocktails that contain less than 150 calories so you can enjoy them guilt-free.
1 – Watermelon and Champagne Cocktail
Watermelon is high in water content and low in calories. Champagne is also low in calories as well, so why not put them together to enjoy this fruity bubbly magic!
Calories: 100
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Champagne
1/2 cup Watermelon juice
Splash of lime
How to:
Slice and puree watermelon in a food processor or blender. Using a fine-mesh strainer push the watermelon puree through with a spoon and make sure all of the seeds are removed. Add 1/2 cup strained watermelon juice to a wine glass. Add a squeeze of lime. Top with champagne (something not too sweet). Let the bubbly settle and top it off again.
2 – Skinny Blueberries Spritzer
The freshness of berries and touch of champagne is what this spritzer is all about. Did we mention it’s also perfect for the hot weather outside?
Calories: 117
Ingredients:
½ cup blueberry juice
2 tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. fine sugar (more to taste)
¼ cup champagne
1 cup of ice cubes
A few blueberries, garnish
How to:
In a measuring cup add blueberry juice, lime juice, and sugar, mix well.
In a glass, fill it up to the top with ice cubes and pour blueberry juice mixture over the top. Add champagne and a few blueberries.
3 – Ginger Mule
This is a diet-conscious take on Moscow mule where we don’t use ginger beer. Instead, we prefer the delicious combination of vodka and ginger syrup.
Calories: 98
Ingredients:
60ml Vodka
15ml Ginger syrup
15ml Fresh lime juice
Concord grape juice ice cubes
60ml Club soda
Garnish: Grape
Garnish: Crystallised ginger
How to:
Add the vodka, ginger syrup, and lime juice into a shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a rocks glass over the grape juice ice cubes. Top with the club soda. Garnish with a grape and piece of crystallised ginger.
4 – Raspberry Pomegranate Lemonade
After drinking this, you’ll swear to drink lemonade only with this fabulous cocktail.
Calories: 93
Ingredients:
45ml Smirnoff Sorbet Raspberry Pomegranate Vodka
240ml Minute Maid Lemonade
How to:
Fill glass with ice. Pour in Smirnoff Sorbet Raspberry Pomegranate Vodka and Lemonade.
5 – Skinny No-Hangover Cocktail
Staying true to its name, this cocktail won’t give you any hangover or calories.
Calories: 122
Ingredients:
180 soda water (also called club soda)
1–2 wedges of lime
Ice, as required
How to:
In a 300ml glass, combine vodka and soda water over ice. Serve with the juice from 1-2 wedges of lime.
6 – Orange Crush
Make sure bottled juices aren’t used while making this cocktail, otherwise you’re good to go.
Calories: 108
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
60ml orange-flavored vodka
30ml triple sec
60ml seltzer water
How to:
Begin by adding ice, fresh-squeezed orange juice, vodka, and triple sec to a cocktail mixer. Shake for 30 seconds until combined. Pour drink into a glass and top with seltzer and enjoy.
7 – Celery Cilantro Cocktail
Want some greens as well as something heady to go with it? This cocktail is what you need.
Calories: 135
Ingredients:
30ml Absolut Citron
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp simple syrup
5-inch piece celery
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tbsp seltzer
Ice
How to:
In a mixing glass or pitcher, combine celery and cilantro and muddle together with vodka, lime juice, and simple syrup. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a glass filled with ice and top with seltzer. Garnish with celery greens and cilantro, maybe even a lime wedge!
8 – Lemon Square Martini
This martini is exceptionally low in calorie count and has the goodness of lemons to further become your best summer cocktail.
Calories: 113
Ingredients:
60ml vodka
A few cubes of ice
30ml sugar-free lemon syrup
1/2 lemon, juice of
Zero-calorie sweetener to garnish the rim
How to:
Add sweetener and lemon juice to separate spots of a glass rimmer. Dip a martini glass in the lemon juice and then the sweetener to line the glass with sweetener. Place the ice in a cocktail shaker with the vodka, fresh lemon juice, and lemon syrup. Shake. Pour into the martini glass.
9 – Skinnygirl Cucumber Refresher
Cucumber, the name itself sounds refreshing on a hot summer day. Without a doubt, this cocktail stays true to its name and how!
Calories: 86
Ingredients:
4 mint leaves
1 large basil leaf
1 lime wedge
45ml Cucumber Vodka
90ml soda water
1/2 teaspoon agave nectar
How to:
Squeeze lime wedge into a rocks glass, muddle (aka mash) lime wedge with mint and basil leaves and vodka. Add ice. Top with soda water. Add agave nectar and stir. Garnish with a lime wedge.
10 – Fireworks In A Glass
It has strawberries and it has jalapeno – little wonder it’s called Fireworks in a Glass.
Calories: 133
Ingredients:
180ml jalapeño-infused tequila
2 cups fresh pineapple juice
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 cup strawberries, muddled, aka mashed, like mint in a mojito
Ice as needed
How to:
Prepare jalapeño-infused tequila by slicing one fresh jalapeño in half and adding to a 750ml bottle of tequila. Let sit for at least 24 hours (the longer it sits, the spicier it gets). Then, in a shaker, combine tequila, pineapple juice, lime juice and muddled strawberries. Pour over ice.
There you go. Now you have no excuse to simply add on the calories while you’re under quarantine. Enjoy these refreshing drinks without thinking twice about putting on weight.
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Gargi Shanbhag is a polyglot and bibliophile who is always up for discussing regional movies - preferably over many cups of filter kaapi.