How to Make the Best Sugar-Free Cocktails
Yes, I know it sounds too good to be true, like having your cake and eating it, but sugar-free cocktails are not only real, but in your grasp (or should we say mouth…?).
A lot of sugar-free/calorie-free sweeteners on the market can have a really nasty aftertaste, but thankfully there are some great alternatives that don’t taste like you are drinking triple-distilled minerals:
Made from actual monk fruit, this sweetener has been around for hundreds of years, and is around 150 times sweeter than regular sugar. However, many brands on the market today (such as Lakanto) have pre-diluted their mixes, so you can use them as a 1:1 replacement for sugar (just always be sure to read the packet information).
Great news: Lakanto has a pre-made simple syrup that is really yummy in cocktails, so you don’t have to do any of the work of making your own!
2) Erythritol:
This sweetener is essentially the by-product of fermentation (more specifically, when yeast ferments glucose from a starch). It is also a lot sweeter than sugar, so read the replacement information before adding it to your drink.
I personally love Swerve’s range of products, which are widely available and affordable.
My personal favorite recipe for sugar-free simple syrup using erythritol is from Urban Cowgirl, who adds xanthan gum to her mixture to get the thickness of syrup associated with regular sugar.
3) Allulose:
Found naturally in certain foods, this sugar-free sweetener is pretty new on the market, and some people experience intentional distress when consuming it. If it doesn’t affect you, however, it is a great natural alternative to regular sugar.
For allulose, I use it as a 1:1 replacement for regular sugar, and add 1/8 tsp xanthan gum to the mixture to make it syrupy.
So, now that you know about these wonderful sweeteners, get shaking! One of my favourite sugar-free cocktail recipes is a strawberry-basil lemon drop:
Muddle two ripe strawberries, add 3/4 sugar-free simple syrup, 1 oz fresh lemon juice, 3 basil leaves and 2 oz vodka and shake with ice. Serve with or without ice, and garnish with a lemon peel or basil leaf.
