5 Best Low-Calorie Cocktails In NYC
It's hard to stick to your diet when a night out sounds more enticing. Here are five places that are serving up low-calorie cocktails so you can drink and be merry (without the guilt). By Carly Petrone.
More: NYC's 6 Best Negroni Inspired Cocktails
For those who love Negronis, you'll be happy to know that Beverage Director Amir Nathan is serving up a Negronish at Timna. This lower calorie option is prepared with housemade juniper syrup (for gin-like flavor without the alcohol), Carpano Antica, and Aperitivo Cappelletti. The Campari may be missing but you'd never guess it thanks to all of the bitter notes that have been integrated into the drink. Bottoms up!
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Shinya Yamao is at it again over at Piora. Ever the creative head bartender, he's offering a cocktail on draft that will definitely put you in a good mood after a long day. Try the Salary Man, the drink that pays homage to Japan's white collar workers, that's light and refreshing thanks to its three simple ingredients. Sit back, relax, and sip on a blend of Nikka Japanese whiskey, club soda, and lemon. It's also a drink you can easily recreate at home -- making it a win-win.
More: 8 Best Margaritas In New York City
Believe it or not, the restaurant that serves up the ever-popular Bloomin Onion, also serves up a low-calorie margarita that is actually pretty tasty. Try the Naturally Skinny 'Rita (under 150 calories) from Outback Steakhouse, made with 100 percent Blue Agave El Jimador Reposado Tequila, real citrus juices, and a splash of orange juice. It's also easy to swap out regular vodka in Sydney's Cosmo for Skinnygirl Bare Naked Vodka. It's served straight up with mango, Cointreau, and a splash of cranberry juice -- the perfectly tart treat that won't cost you the extra calories.
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If you're in the mood for something exotic, head over to Fung Tu, where they're creating Chinese-inspired cocktails not to be missed. The Apium Den caters to the health nut thanks to its properties. Dorothy Parker Gin, lemon juice, celery juice, and housemade Sichuan peppercorn syrup is shaken and then served on the rocks. Another drink to try that is both beautiful and tasty is the Chang Pao. This cocktail is named after the golden robes that Buddhist monks wear because it has three layers of pastel colors: gold, clear, and pink. It's built in a tall glass over ice and features Cocchi Americano infused with osmanthus flowers (native to China), dry sparkling wine, and Peychaud's bitters.
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Chef Ella Schmidt is concocting a pickly treat over at Maite. Although the Kiko cocktail is technically only made with two ingredients, Prosecco and pickled Bourbon grapes, it's certainly packed with flavor thanks to the pickled organic black seedless grapes. For two weeks, they're left in a mixture of Bulleit bourbon, pink peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, orange and lemon peels, cinnamon, cloves, and chilies. So basically you know each sip will be perfectly punchy.
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Carly Petrone is a freelance writer living in New York City.
