A celebratory brunch just doesn't feel right without a festive cocktail. But all the calories and added sweeteners from drink mixes and sugary juices cause those who are health-conscious to choose abstinence over indulgence. Skip the mixes this year and choose the best low-calorie Mother’s Day brunch cocktails that have pure fruit juice and modest amounts of sugar so you (and mom) can enjoy an adult beverage without the guilt.
Fruity Fizzes
Many cocktails get their sweetness from simple syrup, which is essentially sugar melted in water. Replace this calorie-laden addition with a naturally sweet blueberry or strawberry purée for a fizzy, fruity cocktail. Mix gin with the purée and top with a splash of champagne, which is surprisingly low in calories with just 80 calories per 4 ounces. Each fruity, fizzy drink contains about 165 calories. If you're out at brunch, order a French 75, which is a classic citrusy, fizzy combination of lemon, gin and sugar topped off with champagne, and checks in at about 140 calories.
Bloody Mary
The Bloody Mary, a brunch staple, is a naturally low-calorie option. Instead of using a sodium-heavy mix, use your Vitamix machine to blend up a fresh batch of vegetable juice that you can then spike with Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, Tabasco and vodka. Even restaurant versions tend to be low in calories due to the vegetable ingredients and lack of sugar. The average Bloody Mary weighs in at about 170 calories per serving.
Champagne and Fruit
An Italian treat originating in Venice, the Bellini combines peach purée and Italian sparkling wine, or Prosecco. Florida peaches are in season in mid-May, meaning they'll have plenty of flavor just in time for your Mother's Day brunch. Use your Vitamix blender to create a peach purée that you then top with peach schnapps and Prosecco. Each cocktail contains about 160 to 170 calories. A mimosa is another combination that's light on calories and big on festivity. The combination of orange juice and champagne contains about 100 calories per glass and complements almost any brunch entree, from eggs to waffles to crépes.
Latin Inspiration
Latin-inspired drinks are refreshing, citrusy and sweet, making them a great pairing for a spicy Mother's Day brunch spread. If you are celebrating at home, use your Vitamix machine to blend up whole fruit margaritas, which are lower in calories and sugar. If you’re dining out, the typical restaurant margarita can cost you several hundred calories. Instead, choose a caipirinha, Brazil's national cocktail, which combines cachaca, a sugarcane alcohol, limes and just a dash of simple syrup for 150 calories. Cuban mojitos are another brunch-appropriate choice. The combination of mint leaves, lime juice, rum and a bit of sugar topped off with soda water contains about 160 calories per glass. No matter which drink you choose, these options are bound to be the perfect complement to any Mother’s Day brunch.
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