20 Delicious, Low-Sugar Cocktails That Aren’t Syrupy-Sweet

• Typical Ingredients: club soda, flavored vodka
• Average Grams of Sugar Per Serving: 0

Three drinks in one recipe? Count me in. The vodka soda is arguably the go-to low-sugar cocktail. This three-way spin on the O.G. calls on infused, flavored spirits, fresh fruit and herbs to go beyond the typical lime garnish. The zero-sugar spritzes are super light and honestly, they get the job done. Girls' night, here you come.

• Typical Ingredients: whiskey, bitters, sweet vermouth
• Average Grams of Sugar Per Serving: <1

Whether you use rye or bourbon in this classic drink, it'll come in at <1 gram of sugar. It's mostly booze, zhuzhed up with a few dashes of Angostura bitters and an ounce of sweet vermouth for complexity. So go ahead, ask for two Luxardo cherries.

• Typical Ingredients: sparkling white wine, sweet vermouth, Campari
• Average Grams of Sugar Per Serving: <1

Remember when Emma D'arcy made this low-sugar cocktail go viral in 2022? ICYMI, the negroni sbagliato (sbagliato means “wrong” or “mistaken” in Italian) substitutes sparkling white wine for traditional gin, keeping the drink nearly sugar-free. Not only does the prosecco make the drink lighter and effervescent, but it also curbs the O.G.’s intense bitterness and sweetness.

• Typical Ingredients: gin, lemon juice, Champagne, simple syrup
• Average Grams of Sugar Per Serving: .2

A fruity play on the French 75, this low-sugar cocktail calls for elderflower gin, sparkling rosé instead of standard bubbly and fresh raspberry syrup. Because there's only one ounce of the sweet stuff in each drink, there's less than a quarter-gram in each cocktail. However, you can skip the syrup altogether and muddle a few raspberries into your glass instead for a tarter riff, or use a calorie-free sugar substitute instead of real sugar when making the syrup.

• Typical Ingredients: tequila, lime juice, Topo Chico
• Average Grams of Sugar Per Serving: .5

Head to a bar in Austin or Dallas, Texas and you're bound to see this thirst-quenching, low-sugar cocktail on the menu. It's basically a tequila soda, but with a spritz of fresh lime, which is why it comes in at <1 gram of sugar per drink. Topo Chico is technically optional, but it's beloved for its strong carbonation and mineral flavor.

• Typical Ingredients: gin, sweet vermouth, Campari
• Average Grams of Sugar Per Serving: 1

A traditional negroni is a low-sugar cocktail (or sugar-free) as is. This one has a few tweaks, but stays within range at 1 gram of sugar per sipper.

"Thanks to Lillet Blanc, these are slightly lighter, sweeter and more floral (read: more crowd-pleasing) than the O.G. version," former PureWow food editor Heath Goldman explains. "Plus, you can mix eight servings at the same time...and the result is gorgeous."

• Typical Ingredients: gin or vodka, dry vermouth, olive juice, olives
• Average Grams of Sugar Per Serving: 1 gram

Since martinis only contain alcohol (gin or vodka and dry vermouth), they’re an easy choice if you’re watching your sugar intake. (Really—this one only contains 1 gram.) A dirty martini has an extra splash of olive juice or brine, which is also low in sugar, so sip on.

• Typical Ingredients: white wine, seltzer, ice
• Average Grams of Sugar Per Serving: 1.5 grams

White wine spritzers are low in sugar, and they’re also so easy to make, whether for yourself or a whole crowd. It’s just white wine (any bottle you like will do) and soda water. Most white wines only contain about 1.5 grams of sugar per five-ounce serving. Garnish with lots of fresh mint and lemon if you’re fancy.

• Typical Ingredients: bourbon, sugar cube, bitters, orange peel
• Average Grams of Sugar Per Serving: 4

Was Don Draper onto something? Traditionally, Old Fashioneds are sweetened with a sugar cube. This version uses maple syrup instead, which is more complex and less refined. All in all, the drink contains just 4 grams of sugar per serving. (Skip the cherry if you must, but it’s my favorite part.)

• Ingredients: blood orange vodka, tangerine-infused simple syrup, ginger ale
• Average Grams of Sugar Per Serving: 4.5

Yes, there's simple syrup and soda in the recipe, but modest amounts of each keep this low-sugar cocktail at a cool 4.5 grams per serving. That said, you can sub diet ginger ale, use tangerine juice instead of making the simple syrup or substitute calorie-free sweetener for sugar in the syrup.

• Typical Ingredients: tomato juice, vodka
• Average Grams of Sugar Per Serving: 5

It’s mostly tomato juice, so this low-sugar cocktail must be better for you, right? Well, that’s not far from the truth. Bloody Marys aren’t usually sweetened, so the brunch staple contain only the natural sugar from the tomato (here, about 5 grams per serving).

"Use high-quality bottled or fresh tomato juice," recipe developer Erin McDowell writes. "Second, season the juice properly so that it’s both savory and spicy. The result: a refreshingly bold drink that tops any restaurant version."

• Typical Ingredients: tequila, triple sec, lime
• Average Grams of Sugar Per Serving: 5 grams

There’s a huge difference between a marg made with fresh lime juice and one made with bottled sour mix. The former is actually low in sugar, while the latter…well, you can probably guess. Traditionally, these refreshing, low-sugar cocktails don’t contain added sweetener, but this take calls for a teaspoon of light agave nectar, which contains about 5 grams of sugar. Feel free to skip it or replace it with zero-calorie simple syrup if you want to bring down the sugar content.

• Typical Ingredients: lemon juice, seltzer, cucumber vodka, cucumbers
• Average Grams of Sugar Per Serving: 5 grams

This light drink, which contains 5 grams of sugar, was inspired by the beloved Founding Farmers DC restaurant. It's highly herbaceous and not too sweet.

"I adapted the original recipe to create a simpler version with Pearl Cucumber-Flavored Vodka," Foodie Crush blogger Heidi Larsen says, "so I could skip the muddling of cucumbers because the cucumber flavor comes ready to pour straight from the...bottle." Bonus points for adding the adorable cantaloupe balls.

• Typical Ingredients: orange juice, Champagne
• Average Grams of Sugar Per Serving: 5

Moderation is key here. It's easy to throw back two or three mimosas at brunch, and the sugar adds up. But if you keep it to one serving, it'll only cost you about 5 grams of sugar. You can use any chilled sparkling wine you'd like (Champagne is the go-to, but prosecco and cava are typically cheaper), and spring for fresh OJ if you're feeling ambitious.

• Main Ingredients: mezcal, apple cider, club soda
• Average Grams of Sugar Per Serving: 6

Any drink that uses club soda (or seltzer, tonic or sparkling water) as a main ingredient is likely low in calories and sugar. This one has apple cider too, which is sweet, but since the recipe calls for a mere two ounces, the sugar content is only about 6 grams.

"It’s a little boozy, a little tart and just festive enough to drink all fall and winter long," former PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen asserts.

• Typical Ingredients: vodka, ginger beer, lime
• Average Grams of Sugar Per Serving: 6

I consider this low-sugar cocktail, which has 6 grams of sugar, like a cross between a Moscow mule and a mimosa. Standard ingredients (vodka, lime and ginger beer) meet your choice of sparkling wine and fresh OJ for a doubly citrusy spin on a classic. If you use diet ginger beer, most of the sugar will disappear.

• Typical Ingredients: rum, coconut cream, pineapple juice
• Average Grams of Sugar Per Serving: 8

For a play on one of the most decadent cocktails of all time, 8 grams of sugar isn't too shabby. This piña colada recipe leans on pineapple chunks and extract in place of juice, and substitutes a blend of monk fruit and allulose to keep the flavor sweet without additional sugar. You can also use coconut milk in place of coconut cream to bring the calories down a bit.

• Typical Ingredients: lime, gin, simple syrup
• Average Grams of Sugar Per Serving: 8 to 11 grams

Purists will argue that a gimlet is nothing but gin and lime juice. Nowadays, the cocktail typically includes simple syrup, and depending on how much you use, it’ll set you back 8 to 11 grams of sugar. You can always add as little as you’d like to control the amount, substitute zero-calorie simple syrup or nix the sweetener altogether.

• Typical Ingredients: silver tequila, lime juice, grapefruit soda, ice cubes, salt
• Average Grams of Sugar Per Serving: 12

The paloma is kind of like the cousin of the margarita: It’s made with tequila and citrus, but the predominant flavor is grapefruit instead of lime. The recipe calls for four ounces of grapefruit-flavored soda, which can vary in its sugar content, so look for something less sweet (like Fever Tree). You can also easily make this one entirely sugar-free by using diet grapefruit soda or grapefruit-flavored seltzer instead, or sub fresh grapefruit juice and club soda.

• Typical Ingredients: vodka, grenadine, lemon-lime soda or ginger ale
• Average Grams of Sugar Per Serving: varies

OK, typically this is a sugar bomb, given that it's made with sweetened soda and grenadine. But if you swap in diet lemon-lime soda or ginger ale, most of the sugar is nixed. You can also reduce the grenadine, or substitute sugar-free grenadine or a touch of pomegranate juice for color. I won't blame you for keeping the cherry.