9 Best Low-Calorie Alcoholic Drinks, According to Dietitians

Tequila with fresh citrus juice

Adding fresh lime juice to tequila reduces calories, according to Ansari. Try our Better-for-You Paloma, made with tequila, freshly squeezed citrus juices, and grapefruit seltzer without syrups or sugars.

Vodka soda

Hydrating with water or sparkling water is beneficial as alcohol dehydrates. Besides not adding calories, soda water keeps you hydrated, Ansari says. Add lemon juice or mint for taste.

Champagne

Want a low-calorie brunch cocktail? Avoid pitchers of mimosas, which include fruit juices and more sugar. Instead, try extra-brut champagne with an orange squeeze.

Light beer

Beers with less calories won't fill you up. Light beers are around 50 calories fewer. Although this may not seem relevant, it is when mixing beer with meals, adds Ansari.

Rosé

If not overly sweet, rosé is one of the simplest low-calorie cocktails to order, adds Moskovitz. Sugary dessert rosés should be avoided. To reduce calories, seek for labels with a lower alcohol by volume (ABV).

Diet gin and tonic

If you can't give up tonic water, choose diet cocktails. Regular tonic is high in sugar and calories, but diet tonic plus a dash of regular tonic may save at least 60 calories, adds Ansari. Replace with seltzer or club soda.

White wine

As long as you avoid sweeter wines like rieslings and prosecco, you may enjoy wine. According to Ansari, dry white wines like pinot blanc, chardonnay, pinot grigio, and sauvignon blanc are lower in calories.

Red wine

Red wine should be dry and low in ABV to save calories. Syrah, cabernet sauvignon, and pinot noir are healthy reds. According to Planells, red wine is "rich in antioxidants, lowers bad cholesterol.

Martini

Classic martinis are simple, low-calorie cocktails. To cut calories, Keri Gans, M.S., R.D.N., author of The Small Change Diet, drinks vermouth straight with olives in one glass.