Luscious Low Carb Mixed Drinks

If you're on a low carb diet, watching your weight, or simply don't wish to inundate your system with excess carbohydrates, yet still enjoy imbibing the occasional delicious mixed drink, then you may be interested in some tips for keeping your cocktails low carb friendly. If so, then read on for the gist of mixing up some lovely low carb libations.

The first thing to keep in mind when aiming to create low carb libations is that the carbs aren't in the alcohol; they're in the mixers. This does not apply to sweet liqueurs or schnapps or creamy potions like alcoholized Irish crème, which are indeed carbohydrate-laden, but when it comes to your hard liquors such as vodka, whiskey, and rum, the alcohol itself is carbohydrate-free. Perhaps a good trick to help you remember what kinds of alcohols are carb-free is to think that if it's a distilled spirit, then the carbohydrates have been distilled out. However, if it's sweet, sugary, or fruity, then it's most likely also loaded with carbs.

If you consider the most commonly-used cocktail mixers, it will quickly become apparent that many of them are indeed sweet, sugary, or fruity-and thus brimming with those pesky unwanted carbs. This applies to prefabricated mixers and fruit juice and regular soda pop, all of which many of us use to mix our drinks with. Don't worry, though, there is sure to be a tasty alternative to suit your taste buds without turning up the dial on your carbohydrate intake. Five yummy low carb mixed drink options are noted below to get you started. Don't drink them all at once! Do use them as a guideline to wet your creative whistle and think up even more low carb mixed drinks to please your palate.

1. Homemade Bloody Mary

Tomato juice is considerably lower in carbohydrates than sweet fruit juices, so if you like the taste of it, then a homemade Bloody Mary would be one option for a hearty yet reasonably low carb mixed drink. You can't use a prefabricated Bloody Mary mix, though; you'll need to mix it yourself, using your vodka of choice, your own tomato juice and your own spicing, such as a shake of black pepper and maybe a dash of hot sauce if you like it extra-spicy. Add a celery stick or lemon wedge and voila! You have a robust and savory brunch cocktail that won't break the carbohydrate bank.

2. Limelight Tropical Delight

Lime (and lemon) juice is even lower in carbs than tomato juice, but this does not apply to limeade (or lemonade or any other sugary lemon or lime flavored drink mix); I'm talking about raw lime (or lemon) juice. Although this may initially sound too tart for your taste buds, it can still make a great drink mixer if you sweeten it yourself with a lower carb sugar substitute such as Splenda. Add a few splashes of your favorite rum to your sweetened lime (or lemon) juice mixture, adorn with a festive cocktail umbrella, maybe even light up a Tiki torch for that extra special ambience and hurrah! You have a delectably spiked citrus delight that won't bloat your belly.

3. Blueberry Club Sparkler

For a light, crisp and refreshing taste sensation, try mixing club soda or sparkling water with the flavored vodka of your choice. One might think that even though straight vodka has no carbs, flavored vodkas likely would have carbs, since the flavors are usually fruity. However, with a bit of research, I discovered that due to the production process of flavored vodkas, they also include no carbs, so this lovely libation is about as low carb as you can get. A favorite combination that I have tried is club soda mixed with blueberry flavored vodka, which tastes like a less sweet variation on an Italian soda, spiked. Bellissimo! A little tip about preparing this drink-don't use tonic water in place of the sparkling water or club soda. Tonic water includes sugar, which means it also includes carbs. Luckily, there is such an entity as diet tonic water, which brings me to my next low carb mixed drink notion.

4. A Good Ole Gin & Tonic

As long as you use a diet tonic water, a gin & tonic is another mixed drink that is reasonably low in carbohydrates. This cocktail is pretty self-explanatory, a distinctive and sophisticated classic. Top your glass with a wedge of lemon or lime and you're in business.

5. Sweetie Pie Rye & Ginger

For those who do not wish to sacrifice sweetness even if they are trying to cut back on carbs, soda pop is still an option as a mixer, provided you stick with a diet variety. Try rye whiskey with diet ginger ale and a maraschino cherry on top for a delightfully sweet treat. Some other variations on this theme would be Scotch & Diet 7-Up, Jack & Diet Coke, Rum & Diet Pepsi, or any other distilled spirit mixed with your favorite diet soda pop. Ooh la la!

As you can see, low carb mixed drinks do not have to be lacking in good taste or style. You can use your own imagination and the suggestions above to devise even more fun-filled variations and fabulous low carb mixed drink concoctions of your own. Happy drinking!

(If you or your partner prefers beer to liquor, see also my article on the Best Low Carb Beers.)