I enjoy a good cocktail. I do. The intensity of flavor, the splash of color, the relaxing effects — it’s no wonder that the cocktail hour prevails, whether at home or in the happy hour activities at every bar in town. Growing up in the 1950s, my parents were just like everyone else on the block. The dad came home and the mom made a martini. Stirred, not shaken, because we had not experienced James Bond.
Thing is, there are some drawbacks to drinking, particularly if you drink more than one. First, there are the alcohol effects. You can get a tad tipsy, which is not an immediate problem unless you decide to drive. Suzen and I have a pretty strict rule: when we go out, I have one drink because I’m driving. Suzen is free to drink all the water she wants.
The second drawback is the impact on your waist. Cocktails can be rich not just in flavor but in calories, lots and lots of calories.
So it was a delight to get this treat in the mail: Skinny Sippers from Spruce Publishers. There are 100 beverages here, all 150 calories or less. How do they do it? Diet soda and fruit juice for mixers, cucumber juice or mango puree, and no sugar syrup. Adding some spice — cinnamon or nutmeg — can transform a drink from bland to exciting. These ideas abound in Skinny Sippers.
Sure, that fruit has some sugar and calories, but going heavy on the fruit and lighter on the alcoholic components can and does give you a “lighter” beverage. The trick is to have “lighter” still be “tasty.” The drinks in Skinny Sippers certainly provide taste and satisfaction.
There are old friends here because some of our classic cocktails are already calorie-light: the Classic Dry Martini, the Bond-inspired Vesper using Lillet + vodka + gin, or a Salty Dog with gin + grapefruit juice.
Most of the ideas in Skinny Sippers are brightly new:
- Gin Tropical: gin + lemon juice + passion fruit juice + orange juice
- Basil Vice: basil leaves + vodka + raspberry syrup
- Dangerous Detox: peach schnapps + cranberry juice + vodka
- White Cucumber Fizz: white wine + citrus vodka + cucumber juice + elderflower cordial
Skinny Sippers is a page-turner with surprises everywhere you look. You are sure to find a beverage or two or more using the bottles on your liquor shelf. And you just might be enticed to purchase some additional volumes for serious cocktail experimentation. Skinny Sippers is an invitation to cocktail enjoyment with no calorie guilt. The perfect combination for your cocktail shaker.