My Go-To Holiday Cocktail – Quick, easy, festive, and low in sugar!

I’ve never been a big fan of cocktails due to how sweet most of them are made. The only thing worse than a hangover is an alcohol and sugar hangover, don’t you think? I’ve had a few bad experiences in my younger years drinking those cheap, 2-litre bottles of sickly sweet coolers. The thought of drinking something so sugary now makes me a bit queasy. Since I’ve become more sensible in my years (or at least my mom says so), I now enjoy coming up with cocktail recipes that aren’t loaded with sugar and other junk. My go-to drink is usually a vodka soda with lime and sometimes a splash of cranberry juice. Simple, yet flavourful. It just lights up a room!

All without a lick of food dye. Best of all, it takes seconds to throw together. Thankfully, you don’t have to make a simple syrup for this cocktail, so you can get back to the party and out of the kitchen. If you’re like me and you usually leave the drinks to the last minute, you’ll appreciate how easy this comes together without anyone being the wiser.

Festive, low in sugar, and super quick to throw together, this is a great last-minute holiday drink option for a party! Often referred to as a "Cape Codder" this mix of cranberry + lime + vodka is sure to please the folks who aren't crazy about sweet drinks. I love adding club soda instead of using all cranberry juice to give it a bit more bite and a pretty sparkle. The recipe below makes one large (16-ounce) glass, so feel free to increase the servings as you see fit. This cocktail comes in at under 100 calories and just 6 grams of sugar (or, if you omit the agave, only 3.5 grams of sugar).

Yield

1 (16-ounce) glass

Prep Time

5 Minutes

Cook time

0 Minutes

Total Time

5 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce vodka (about 2 tablespoons)


• handful fresh cranberries (or thaw frozen)


• 2-3 lime slices


• ice


• 1/4 cup 100% pure unsweetened cranberry juice


• 1 cup club soda


• Agave nectar or other liquid sweetener, to taste (I use 1/2 teaspoon agave)

Directions:

1. Add the vodka into a 16-ounce tall glass. Now add a handful of cranberries and a couple lime slices. Add the ice on top.


2. Pour in the cranberry juice followed by the club soda.


3. Add a squeeze of lime juice (if desired) and agave to taste. Stir to combine.


4. Enjoy immediately!

Our first snowfall of the season arrived just in time for my photo shoot earlier this week. What luck. Mind you, I almost bailed on the wet snow while desperately clutching my camera for dear life, but that serves me right for going on the deck in my slippers. I’ll never learn.

Have a great weekend!