12 Three-Ingredient Cocktails That Won't Kill Your Diet
There are plenty of low-calorie cocktail recipes, but, in general, a lot of familiar cocktails include added sugars your body really doesn't need. We thought that gathering some simple cocktail recipes that don't include enough sugar to rot your teeth with one sip would be appreciated. These drinks require no more than three ingredients each (excluding garnishes). Your next spring shindig may be tastier, less guilt-inspiring, and more enjoyable if you make one of these simple, healthy cocktails.
Click ahead to see 12 Three-Ingredient Cocktails That Won't Kill Your Diet.
Berry & Basil
At heart, this berry-lemonade cocktail really only requires three things (excluding garnishes): tequila, pink lemonade, and fresh strawberries. To make it even healthier, consider using our Healthy Lemonade recipe in place of a store-bought lemonade. If you decide to add the optional garnishes (which we feel is totally worth it), you'll be benefitting from even more detoxifying lemon and anti-inflammatory basil.
The Best Martini
"What actually goes into a proper martini?" asks The Daily Meal special contributor Jess Novak. She says, "The most important element is gin. A true martini is prepared almost entirely — and exclusively — with gin. Not vodka, not chocolate liqueur, gin. The second ingredient is dry vermouth, and the third is an olive." With three simple ingredients, enjoying one or two of The Best Martinis is forgivable on almost any diet plan.
The Blue Ice Black Russian
This simple twist on a Black Russian (essentially a White Russian without the cream) will please vodka-lovers and fans of coffee-flavored cocktails alike. With nothing but vodka, coffee liqueur, and a cherry on top, one of these Black Russians will hardly make a dent in your diet.
The Cointreau Rickey
Using Cointreau, you can serve this cocktail for any spring soirée. With just three ingredients (Cointreau, seltzer, and lime juice), this drink is healthy and can be made in no time!
Hornitos Plata Paloma
Tequila is tequila, and while it may help you lose weight, it shouldn't be considered an extremely healthy substance. If you're not a fan of the healthiest, lowest-calorie way to consume your liquid agave (the salt, shot, lime method), then you may want an alternative. This recipe includes equal parts tequila, toxin-flushing grapefruit juice, and calorie-free club soda, rendering it not only low in calories but also refreshing.
Minted Mexican Mule
There's something undeniably pleasant about sipping your cocktail from an ice cold copper mug and, luckily for fans of vodka, Moscow mule recipes traditionally call for the drink to be served in such a fashion. This take on the Moscow mule, however, substitutes tequila for vodka. Combined with lime juice (no scurvy here) and ginger beer (a variety that doesn't explode. we hope) and garnished with healthy, refreshing mint leaves, this cocktail is a great, health-conscious way to wet your whistle.
Rum Old Fashioned
Spicy Piñata
Pineapple juice, one sliced jalapeño, and tequila. Does it get simpler (or more delicious) than that? Choose pineapple juice with only pineapple listed in the ingredients list or juice your own for the healthiest version of this sweet, spicy, three-ingredient cocktail.
Spicy Repo
Do you crave a little fire in your cocktails? If so, this Spicy Repo recipe is for you. Much like the Spicy Piñata, this recipe includes tequila and pineapple juice. Instead of jalapeño, though, it gets its spiciness from hot sauce.
Stone Fruit Gin & Ginger
Sometimes the taste of a gin and tonic gets tired. Sometimes there's gin, but no tonic. While the former is likely not to happen, gin drinks that aren't a proper gin and tonic are rare finds at the parties of friends and family. With dry gin, sliced nectarine, and ginger beer on this simple cocktail's ingredients list, you'll certainly be able to serve it at your next spring party.
Tequila Bay Breeze
You may have had a Bay Breeze with vodka or rum before, but have you ever tried one with tequila? This cocktail combines tequila with pineapple juice (an ingredient often used in detox diets) and urinary tract-friendly cranberry juice for a pleasant take on this delightful warm weather drink. As always, choosing juices without added sugars will prove to make your cocktail less of a diet killer.
Vodka Lemon
Two ounces of vodka, two teaspoons of colon-cleansing lemon juice, and a nearly negligible two teaspoons of sugar combine for a simple, slightly sweet cocktail. Sure, sugar isn't a healthy eater's friend, so we understand if you'd like to choose a sugar alternative instead.