6 GO TO LOWER SUGAR COCKTAILS  

In response to our Winter Cocktails article, we received lots of requests for some lower sugar cocktails that taste great so thanks to drink mixing extraordinaire Chase Bickerton @ Lion here are six awesome new cocktails for you to try.  It is important to note that while these cocktails are lower in added sugar, alcohol itself contains quite high levels of sugar (approx. seven calories per gram of pure alcohol or 70 calories per standard drink) so always take time to understand exactly what you’re drinking and make the decisions that are right for you. 

Bartenders Quick Tip – most of these cocktails ask for a Chilled glass which you can do either by filling it with ice and leaving it to sit while you mix the rest of the ingredients OR by putting it in the fridge/freezer for a while beforehand. If you are using ice to chill the glass, make sure you tip it out and use new fresh ice for your actual drink. 

 

The New Zealand Margarita  

Contains 1.57 STD DRINKS – so it will take approx. 94 mins for the liver to process this 1 drink 

INGREDIENTS: 

  • 15 ml Honey Syrup (2:1 ratio of water and honey) 
  • 20ml Fresh Lime Juice  
  • 50ml 1800 Silver Tequila  
  • 2ml Angostura Bitters  
  • 1ml Saline Solution (1 part salt : 5 parts water) 

 

BUILD METHOD: 

  • Chill a Glass 
  • Into a cocktail shaker add Tequila, Lime, Honey, and bitters 
  • Shake gloriously hard 
  • Fine strain into empty, chilled glass 
  • Spritz with Salt and serve  

 

Gin Zeppelin  

Contains 1.35 STD DRINKS – so it will take approx. 81 mins for the liver to process this 1 drink 

INGREDIENTS:  

  • 45ml Bombay Bramble 
  • 120ml Strangelove Light Tonic 
  • 1x wedge of Fresh Lime 
  • 3x Freeze Dried Raspberries (we like the Fresh As brand)  

 

BUILD METHOD: 

  • Chill your glass 
  • Into the empty, chilled glass add Bombay Sapphire Bramble 
  • Fill Glass with fresh Ice  
  • Add Strangelove Light Tonic  
  • Stir well and then top with more ice 
  • Garnish with fresh lime wedge, 3 freeze dried berries 

 

Rangpur Refresher 

Contains 1.47 STD DRINKS – so it will take approx. 88 mins for the liver to process this 1 drink 

 INGREDIENTS: 

  • 45ml Tanqueray Rangpur  
  • 120ml Strangelove Light Tonic 
  • 1x wedge of fresh Lime 
  • 1x Kaffir Lime Leaf 

 

BUILD METHOD: 

  • Chill your favourite glass  
  • Into empty, chilled glass add Tanqueray Rangpur 
  • Fill Glass with fresh Ice  
  • Fill with Strangelove Light Tonic 
  • Stir well and then top with more ice 
  • Garnish with fresh Kaffir lime leaf (small) & 1 lime Wedge 

 

Tropical Titirangi 

Contains 1.08 STD DRINKS – so it will take approx. 65 mins for the liver to process this 1 drink 

INGREDIENTS: 

  • 30ml 42BELOW Passionfruit 
  • 45ml Pineapple Juice  
  • 15ml Aperol   
  • 60ml Soda Water 
  • Orange Zest 

 

BUILD METHOD: 

  • Chill your favourite glass  
  • Into empty, chilled glass add Vodka, Pineapple juice & Aperol  
  • Fill glass with fresh Ice 
  • Fill with soda to just under the rim of the glass 
  • Stir well and top with 2 more cubes of ice 
  • Garnish with Orange Zest and serve 

 

Rushing Raspberries 

Contains 1.33 STD DRINKS – so it will take approx. 80 mins for the liver to process this 1 drink 

INGREDIENTS: 

  • 45ml Bacardi Carta Blanca 
  • ½ Fresh Lime 
  • 10gms of Fresh Raspberries 
  • 5gm of fresh Mint 
  • 60ml Soda water 
  • 1 gm of Fresh ginger (Julienne) 

 

BUILD METHOD: 

  • Chill a Highball glass  
  • Into empty, chilled glass add 1/2 a lime & the Raspberries 
  • Muddle (or mush) to release the juice and the oils in the lime skin 
  • Add Bacardi Carta Blanca and mint leaves 
  • Fill with ice and churn (stir well) to combine 
  • Top with more ice 
  • Charge with soda water 
  • Garnish with mint sprig, fresh ginger julienne and serve 

 

Air Jamaica 

Contains 1.39 STD DRINKS – so it will take approx. 83 mins for the liver to process this 1 drink 

INGREDIENTS: 

  • 30ml Appleton Estate Signature Blend Rum   
  • 15ml fresh Lime juice  
  • 10ml Honey Syrup (2:1 ratio of water and honey) 
  • 45 Brut Methode Sparkling wine 
  • Fresh Mint to serve 

 

BUILD METHOD: 

  •  Chill a Highball glass 
  • Into a cocktail shaker add Rum, Lime and Honey Syrup 
  • Shake gloriously hard 
  • Fill chilled Highball glass with fresh ice 
  • Fine strain cocktail over the ice 
  • Top with Brut Methode/Sparkling Wine 
  • Garnish with a Mint sprig and serve 

 

Let us know what you think of these and if you have any other special requests, please email them to us at alcoholandme@lionco.com and we will get the mixed drink experts to put their thinking caps on again. 

 

The Alcohol&Me team