A Low-Cal Cocktail You Can Actually Order

(Please Remember: My terrible suggestions work for me because I know what my body can and cannot handle, and I am always aware of my surroundings. Mio says specifically on the bottle to not mix with alcohol, so don't do it!)


Anyone who knows me know I like to party. But, my definition of party is probably a lot different than you might think...No longer a young buck, my "partying" now consists of sitting at the pool or on my balcony, sipping on an adult beverage and propping my feet up. Aahh, so wonderful!


I may love a refreshing cocktail, but good grief! the calories that follow are not welcome to me or my tummy. Most the ladies I gripe to about this agree; it is a struggle to find something you can sip on without consuming a day's worth of empty calories. There are thousands of fancy and delish cocktails featured in magazines and on my fave cooking websites, but really? A muddled fruit this-and-that with agave nectar and special garnish? Um...I go to The Goat. There are no special glasses, stirrers, syrups, and I'm sorry, but I refused that nasty lime for a reason. I definitely don't want bar fruit muddled into what I'm ingesting. (That's not meant to be a dig at this, one of my favorite watering holes. Anyone who has ever worked in a bar knows what I'm talking about. That fruit is deeeeesgusting!)


I've searched high and low for a cocktail that is refreshing and low calorie, but with a kick for those rough days, because unwinding is the real reason we drink, right? Something you wouldn't look snooty for ordering at a dive bar, a cocktail that requires few ingredients but never gets old. I've stopped looking, here is my go-to libation: Mio mixed with vodka and water.


Mio is a zero-calorie water-flavor syrup that is sold in every grocery store for about $4. There are a ton of flavors for variety, and this recipe means no bloating from carbonation (like in a yucky vodka soda), and it typically packs a wholloping 69 calories. I know that fake sugar is not more amazing for you then the calories, but it works for now. Do you have a better recipe that is actually usable at the bar? I'd love to steal it if you'll share!