A delicious, not-too-sweet, seasonal cocktail that clocks in at 138 calories per serving.
Even though the holidays are over, and many people are trying to cut back on their alcohol consumption in the month of January, it still seems fitting to post this recipe for Skinny Winter White Cosmopolitans today because we are in the middle of a snow storm here in New England. The flakes are falling fast and furious, and this cocktail fits right in with the winter white theme!
In an earlier post I wrote about serving seasonal desserts when entertaining and I like this idea for cocktails too. How about a strawberry margarita in June, when fresh strawberries are at their peak; a Pumpkin Spice White Russian as the first autumn leaves fall; or a cold weather cocktail such as this Skinny Winter White Cosmopolitan, which reminds us of the stunning beauty of a winter white blanket of snow? These fun and festive drinks prompt us to appreciate the change of seasons and what better way to make cocktails more enjoyable than to experience a little gratitude!
Specialty cocktails are all the rage these days, and they can be quite pricey when ordered at bars and restaurants, but my main gripe with many of these drinks is that they are way too sweet and unnecessarily high in empty calories. Not only are many of the liqueurs used in these cocktails high in sugar, but they also usually contain simple syrup, which is nothing more than sugar and water heated together to form a syrup. So, essentially, these cocktails are sugar on top of sugar with some alcohol mixed in. Yuck! When you make your own specialty cocktails you can easily adjust the amount of sweetness/sugar, as I’ve done with these Skinny Winter White Cosmopolitans. The sweetness is tamped down by omitting simple syrup and diluting the white cranberry juice. To dilute the white cranberry juice simply mix it with an equal amount of water and use this as the base for the cocktail. If that’s still too sweet for you, mix 1/3 white cranberry juice with 2/3 water and use this instead.
Skinny Winter White Cosmopolitans clock in at about 138 calories per serving. Served icy cold, straight up or on the rocks, this festive and unique cocktail is great for winter parties. Be careful though – they go down very easy!
- ¾ cup (6 ounces) cranberry vodka or plain vodka
- ¾ cup (6 ounces) diluted white cranberry juice (see notes)
- ¼ cup (2 ounces) Cointreau
- ¼ cup (2 ounces) St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur
- ¼ cup (2 ounces) freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Sugared cranberries or frozen cranberries (see notes)
- Fresh mint
- Stir together the vodka, diluted cranberry juice, Cointreau, St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur, and lime juice in a small pitcher.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and pour in half the cocktail mixture. Shake well and pour into three martini glasses. Repeat with the remaining cocktail mixture.
- Garnish with sugared or frozen cranberries and fresh mint.
SUGARED CRANBERRIES
Combine ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in cranberries until well coated.
Working in batches, roll cranberries in remaining 1½ cups sugar until well coated; let dry for at least 1 hour.
Calories per 3 ounce serving – 138. Note: Labeling laws for liquor manufacturers are different than for food products, which are regulated by the FDA. Therefore, I’m unable to calculate all the information needed for a complete, standard nutrition facts panel, as I usually do.
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