3 Low-Sugar Holiday Cocktail Recipes You’ll Want to Sip All Season

‘Tis the season for booze filled parties and holiday hangovers. Avoid the hangovers and health risks by mixing up these low-sugar cocktail recipes.

When it comes to drinking, Parsley Health’s doctors know that while alcohol has many negative health consequences , many of our members may still choose to drink once in a while.

“The average American adult gains one pound per year, but you stand to gain a lot more over the holidays by more than doubling your daily calories with sugary holiday drinks,” says former Parsley Health physician Zandra Palma, MD.

“Even a few glasses of wine adds up, so moderate your consumption and choose low-sugar drinks and neat spirits whenever possible,” recommends Dr. Palma.

While some studies have pointed to potential benefits of moderate alcohol consumption, a recent analysis in the journal The Lancet  concluded that no amount of alcohol is good for your health and alcohol consumption was the top risk factor for disease and premature death for people ages 15 to 49 worldwide in 2016.

Aside from the long term health effects, there’s the short term: 76 percent of adults report a hangover after a drinking session.

Our doctor’s orders for healthier drinking with no hangover?

1. Choose clear liquors.

Clear liquors like mezcal and tequila are gluten free and low in congeners, a substance created during fermentation that one study has linked to increased hangover severity . Vodka is also low in congeners, but if you’re on a gluten free diet, look for varieties made with corn or potato.

2. Don’t drink on an empty stomach.

Have protein and a healthy fat before you drink to help balance blood sugar. Because alcohol can deplete your body of nutrients, it’s even more important to ensure you’re eating vitamin-rich foods when you’re drinking instead of reaching for processed foods common at parties.

3. Stick with low-sugar ingredients.

Avoid cocktails with sugary mixers—often, it’s the sugar that leaves people feeling bad the next day. Use naturally sweet ingredients like fruit and fresh fruit juice to add flavor. Try our festive low-sugar cocktail recipes below, or create your own.

Cranberry Frost

• 1 oz gluten-free vodka
• 1 oz fresh cranberry juice
• 5 oz sparkling water
• Squeeze of lime
• Cranberries for garnish

Sleigh Ride

• 1 oz mezcal
• 6 oz kombucha
• Muddled mixed berries (we like blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries)

Snow Day

• 6 oz organic coconut water
• 1 oz gluten-free vodka
• Orange twist