While I admit to having have over-indulged ever-so-slightly over the festive period (hic), the thought of doing a Dry January is just a step too far for this particular Belle. I’ve done two rounds of dry nine months in the name of becoming a mother, so the idea of depriving myself of a little tipple now and then once the beasts I bore actually decide to sleep is nothing short of ridiculous! But I am trying to get in the New Year spirit and shed a few pounds and get a bit fitter, so I’m calorie counting with the best of them (and ensuring that an extra lap running round the block leaves me enough calorific room for sip of something lovely on a Friday night). But while a ruby red is my favourite way to relax, it would take about an hour on the rowing machine to justify more than one or two a week, so I’ve been investigating other ways I can unwind with a drink in my hand, and not face the guilt when I jump on the scales. Here are my four favourite Skinny Cocktails. Drinks that taste divine but don’t come with too much guilt. Unless you drink about ten in a session… and then you’ve got nobody to blame but yourself!
Skinny Whiskey Sour from The Dubliner Whiskey– A timeless and sophisticated classic, revised so you can skip the calories and continue the New Year festivities! (160 calories)
50ml Dubliner Irish Whiskey
20ml fresh lemon juice (juice of half a lemon)
10ml Agave nectar
Ice cubes
Add ice to the cocktail shaker. Pour in The Dubliner Irish Whiskey, fresh lemon juice, Agave nectar. Shake until the contents are cold. Strain into a glass over fresh ice .
Greenall’s Gin Rickey– Tall, uncomplicated and refreshing. (120 calories)
50ml Greenall’s Gin
20ml fresh lime juice (juice of half a lime)
Sparkling mineral water
Ice cubes
Add ice to a highball glass. Pour in the Greenall’s Gin, fresh lime juice. Stir and top with sparkling mineral water. Garnish with a lime slice.
Greenall’s is available at Waitrose, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Master of Malt. RRP £15.00 for 70cl. ABV: 37.5%
Skinny Cow from Black Cow– Transform the classic vodka, soda lime with Black Cow Vodka. Black Cow’s unique blending process gives this cocktail a rich creaminess without all the added calories. Add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for a slight kick. Cheers! (100 calories)
35ml Black Cow Vodka
25ml Lime Juice
Topped with soda
Garnish with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper and a lime wedge
Add all the ingredients to the tumbler except the soda. Add cubed ice and stir for around 10 secs until sufficiently chilled. Add soda and garnish.
Black Cow is available from: blackcow.co.uk Marks & Spencer, Sainsburys, 31Dover.com and good independent retailers. RRP from £28.00.
BLOOM Winter Berries G&T– A fruity take on the classic Gin & Tonic. Fresh blackberries give this effervescent drink a slightly floral aroma with a rich and delicious finish. (156 calories)
50ml BLOOM Gin
150ml Slimline tonic water
Blackberries
Ice cubes
Muddle a few blackberries and the BLOOM Gin in a tall glass. Fill with ice. Top with tonic and garnish with a few blackberries. Alternatively replace some of the ice with frozen winter berries. Delicious!
BLOOM Gin is available from: Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Harvey Nichols, Tesco, Asda and Ocado. RRP £24.00 for 70cl. ABV: 40%.
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After almost a decade chasing ambulances, and celebrities, for Fleet Street's finest, Emily has taken it down a gear and settled for a (slightly!) slower pace of life in the suburbs. With a love of cheese and fine wine, Emily is more likely to be found chasing her toddlers round Kew Gardens than sipping champagne at a showbiz launch nowadays, or grabbing an hour out of her hectic freelancer's life to chill out in a spa while hubby holds the babies. If only!
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