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7 Skinny Holiday Cocktails that Everyone Will Love

For all of you health-conscious holiday party goers out there, don’t fret! There are some cocktails that you can manage to work into your diet at under 200 calories each and still leave you able to taste the great flavors of the season.

One of the most popular cocktails for cold weather is the traditional Hot Toddy. This warm, spicy drink can not only get rid of the chill in your bones, but can also warm your spirit with the cinnamon and honey that are added to the mixture. The ingredients are simple;
1 1/2 ounces of your favorite bourbon, 8 ounces of hot water, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 pinch of anise, a whole cinnamon stick, and a piece of lemon to top it all off. Mix these together and get ready to have a healthy celebration for you and your palate.

Another holiday favorite is spiked hot cocoa. Instead of using calorie-rich hot cocoa mix, try dark cocoa mix with chocolate or vanilla flavored vodka instead. The recipe is simple and easy to make, while still being extremely tasty. Just take a packet of dark cocoa flavored hot cocoa mix and mix in your desired amount of vodka with 8oz water and mix well. This is the easiest drink you can make for you or your party guests. This cocktail only adds a mere 110 calories to your daily diet.

If cocoa doesn’t do the trick, you will love the fruity zest of a pomegranate citrus punch. This uses 2 cups of champagne, 1 cup of seltzer water, 1/2 cup citrus vodka, and 1 cup of pomegranate juice for every 6 servings. Garnish this drink with a little twisty piece of lemon peel and you can look like a professional bartender while serving up a completely delicious drink at the same time.

Many party goers like to drink a martini or cosmopolitan when socializing. The problem is that most of the time, these are a little more calorie-rich than most people prefer. However, there is a great little cosmo recipe that only costs you 75 calories per serving. You will need some crushed ice, a shot of citrus vodka, a shot of light cranberry juice, a splash of lime juice, a teaspoon of orange extract, and three teaspoons of sugar. Just mis well and serve in a nicely garnished martini glass for a classy, low-calorie treat for any dinner or party guest.

The newest “thing” with drink makers these days is to use pomegranate and blood orange because of their awesome antioxidant and taste qualities. Well, if you like these, the Blood Orange Pomegranate Twist might be for you. You will need to take the seeds out of three large blood oranges and mash them until they are fairly close to pureed, add 1 1/2 cups of Seagram’s gin, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 bottles of champagne, and 1/2 teaspoon of bitters and mix well. Let refrigerate for approximately 3 hours to allow the mixture to marinate. The end result is a drink with a little texture and a lot of flavor that will only add 80 calories to your daily calorie count.

Another popular drink flavor for the holidays is peppermint, so what better drink to serve your party guests than a peppermint coffee? This is a simple recipe, only using three ingredients and only adding up to approximately 75 calories. Simply brew up a pot of your favorite coffee, pour an 8 oz cup, add 1 tbsp of sugar and 1 shot of peppermint schnapps to your cup. You can garnish with a peppermint stick, but watch out! The peppermint will only melt and make your coffee more tasty!

Finally, we all know that a holiday party isn’t a party without a nice martini in the mix. This one, a gingerbread martini, is a favorite at many parties. You have to mix 1 oz vodka, 1 oz Bailey’s Irish Cream, 1 oz of Kahlua, 1/2 oz gingerbread flavored syrup, and 1/2 scoop of almost melted vanilla or chocolate ice cream together in a shaker until mixed well. Dip the rim of your glass into a small saucer of Bailey’s Irish Cream and then roll it into crumbled up gingerbread cookie crumbs. Pour your mixture into the glass and enjoy a very decadent drink at only 210 calories per serving.