Your choice of mixer makes or breaks a cocktail’s nutrition. A shot of vodka has 97 calories and zero sugar. Add orange juice, and you’ve doubled the calories and added 20g of sugar. The solution? Sugar-free mixers that let you enjoy cocktails without the guilt.
Why Mixers Are the Real Problem
Here’s what standard mixers add to your drink:
- Margarita mix: 110 calories, 28g sugar per 4 oz
- Piña colada mix: 180 calories, 36g sugar per 4 oz
- Cranberry juice: 68 calories, 15g sugar per 4 oz
- Tonic water: 80 calories, 21g sugar per 8 oz
- Ginger beer: 140 calories, 32g sugar per 12 oz
The Best Sugar-Free Mixers
1. Diet Tonic Water
Calories: 0 | Sugar: 0g
Fever-Tree, Q Mixers, and Schweppes all make excellent diet tonic options. The bitter quinine flavor pairs perfectly with gin and vodka.
2. Diet Ginger Beer
Calories: 0-10 | Sugar: 0g
Essential for Moscow Mules and Dark ‘n’ Stormys. Gosling’s Diet Ginger Beer and Bundaberg Diet are top picks.
3. Sparkling Water/Club Soda
Calories: 0 | Sugar: 0g
The ultimate zero-calorie mixer. LaCroix, Topo Chico, and Waterloo offer flavored options that add interest without adding calories.
4. Fresh Citrus Juice
Calories: 8-15 per oz | Sugar: 2-3g per oz
Fresh lemon and lime juice have minimal sugar compared to other fruit juices. A little goes a long way.
5. Sugar-Free Simple Syrup
Calories: 0 | Sugar: 0g
Make your own with allulose, erythritol, or monk fruit sweetener. Jordan’s Skinny Syrups also offers pre-made options.
6. Bitters
Calories: 2-5 per dash | Sugar: trace
Angostura, orange bitters, and aromatic bitters add complexity without meaningful calories. A few dashes transforms any drink.
7. Diet Cranberry Juice
Calories: 5 per 8 oz | Sugar: 1g
Ocean Spray Diet Cranberry lets you make vodka cranberries and cosmopolitans with a fraction of the sugar.
Zero-Calorie Cocktail Recipes
Vodka Soda with Citrus
2 oz vodka + sparkling water + lime wedge = 128 calories, 0g sugar
Diet Gin & Tonic
2 oz gin + diet tonic + cucumber = 128 calories, 0g sugar
Skinny Moscow Mule
2 oz vodka + diet ginger beer + lime = 128 calories, 0g sugar
Find more low-calorie drink options at DrinkLeader.