Popsugar Health & Fitness Happy Hour Low-Calorie Summer Cocktails 16 Low-Calorie Cocktail Recipes to Make When You Want Something Light and Refreshing 23 May 2020 by Wendy Gould Image Source: Hello Fresh It doesn't matter where you are — poolside, hanging out in a nice air-conditioned home, or chilling on the front porch — there's something exceptionally satisfying about an ice-cold ultrarefreshing cocktail in your hand on a sweltering summer day. The only downside is that throwing back a few drinks can start to add up, calorie-wise. Though we can't make all the calories disappear, we did our best to round up some truly tasty, low-calorie options for you to indulge in all summer long. Read ahead for the best low-calorie cocktail recipes and cheers to these de(light)ful drinks! — Additional reporting by Lauren Harano Related: This Boozy Pineapple Whip Tastes Like Summer in a Cup, and I'm Obsessed 1 Elderflower-Grapefruit Paloma Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Anna Monette Roberts Created by Bartender Tobin Shea at Redbird restaurant in LA, this elderflower-grapefruit paloma takes full advantage of seasonal ingredients, making it a drink that tastes exactly like something you'd be sipping during summer holiday. The fresh grapefruit juice makes it ultralight and ultrarefreshing. Ingredients: Ice 1 1/2 ounces silver tequila, like Herradura Silver 1/4 ounce St-Germain elderflower liqueur 1 1/2 ounces grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed Juice of 1/2 lime 2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters 2 ounces soda 1/2 ounce agave syrup Directions: Fill a shaker with ice. Add all ingredients, except for soda. Close and shake well. Add soda and strain into Collins glass. Garnish with a grapefruit twist. 1 / 7 2 LaCroix Pamplemousse Paloma Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Tara Block Since LaCroix has zero calories, it's no wonder this refreshing cocktail made the list! Made with just a handful of fresh ingredients, this delightful LaCroix paloma can be made in minutes. Ingredients: 5 oz. Pamplemousse LaCroix 2 oz. tequila 1 oz. fresh lime juice 1 oz. Grand Marnier (or triple sec) Kosher salt Lime wedge (for serving) Directions: Prepare the glass by rubbing the rim with a lime wedge. Fill a small plate with salt and dip the wet rim of the glass in the salt. Pour LaCroix into salt-rimmed glass. Combine tequila, lime juice, and Grand Marnier in a measuring glass or cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and stir or shake well to combine, about 20 seconds. Pour over salt-rimmed glass of LaCroix and garnish with lime wedge. 2 / 7 3 Strawberry Margarita Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Anna Monette Roberts Take full advantage of summer's best produce offering when you whip up this low-calorie strawberry margarita. Made with fresh berries and a dash of tequila, this is really a dream come true. Ingredients: 1/2 of a pint of strawberries 1 cup tequila 1/2 cup orange liqueur 4 limes, juiced Ice Directions: In a blender, blend strawberries, tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice. Fill a pitcher with ice and pour in the blended margarita. Stir well to ensure that the mixture is combined. Prepare the glasses by rubbing each rim with a lime wedge. Fill a small plate with salt and dip the wet rim of the glass in the salt. Divide margarita into the salted glasses, and garnish each glass with a strawberry and lime wedge. Enjoy immediately! 3 / 7 4 Cucumber-Mint Gin Cocktail Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Nicole Perry Shake up the traditional mojito by giving it a drool-worthy gin spin. Since gin only has 73 calories in an ounce, this cucumber-mint gin cocktail recipe is super light and super refreshing. Ingredients: 5 cucumber slices, divided 2 sprigs of mint 3/4 ounce simple syrup 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice 1 1/2 ounces gin, such as Beefeater 24 Directions: Add three slices of cucumber, the leaves from a sprig of mint, and the simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Muddle. Add the lime juice, gin, and ice, and shake until chilled. Strain into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass. Spank the remaining sprig of mint before garnishing the cocktail with it and the remaining two slices of cucumber. 4 / 7 5 Coconut Water Margarita Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Zack Peter If you're looking for something hydrating and light that will give you a buzz, we recommend this coconut water margarita. The key is to naturally sweeten it with a fresh squeeze of orange juice! Ingredients: 1.5 oz of premium blanco tequila (Casamigos used here) 0.5 oz of Grand Marnier 1 lime, juiced 1 orange wedge 1 splash of fresh coconut water Directions: Take a lime wedge and use it rub the rim on the edge of a rocks-glass. Then, dip it into some freshly ground pink Himalayan salt. You won't need too much because the saltiness is a very strong flavour. Next, combine all remaining ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Once mixed, pour over fresh ice in your salted rocks-glass. Garnish with a lime wedge and enjoy! 5 / 7 6 Aviation Cocktail Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Nicole Perry The aviation, a classic Prohibition-era cocktail, consists of: gin, lemon juice, crème de violette, maraschino liqueur, and cherries (no, not the glowingly red sort) mingle into an elegant, lavender-hued beverage that you'll likely either love or hate; the only way to find out is to try it for yourself! Ingredients: 1 1/2 ounces gin 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice 3/4 ounces maraschino liqueur 1/4 ounce crème de violette (optional) Maraschino cherry, for garnish Directions: Add the gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, and crème de violette to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until thoroughly chilled, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a maraschino cherry. 6 / 7 7 Pin It! Image Source: Hello Fresh 7 / 7 Happy HourEasy RecipesCocktailsDrinksHealthy RecipesHealthy LivingSummer