4 Lower-Sugar Boozy Blended Drinks
By Kat Odell
We’re hanging on to summer for as long as we can—so while it’s still hot out, we’re chilling with blended cocktails. But so many of our favorite drinks are loaded with sugar, which can really ruin the party. So we tapped four top bartenders and got them to share some of their favorite concoctions minus the excess sweet stuff, so you can sip and enjoy without the sugar crash.
Life on Freezy Street
Top Chef alum CJ Jacobson is behind Chicago’s newly-minted Mediterranean restaurant Aba, and to complement his plates of lamb-laced hummus and toasted sesame shrimp, lead mixologist Liz Pearce has crafted a slew of fruit and spice-forward libations. Here’s her refreshing, summery twist on super-trendy frosé.
Frozen Aperol Spritz
At Chicago Mediterranean restaurant and lounge Beatnik, bar director Benjamin Wood gives the classic Aperol Spritz a summer update.
New-Fashioned Piña Colada
Newbie Portland, Oregon bar Palomar celebrates the flavors of Cuba via a bevy of daiquiri-dedicated riffs, as well as a number of rum-based drinks. Below, owner and bartender Ricky Gomez shares his take on the classic Piña Colada.
Holy Basil + Matcha + Rum
Gaby Mlynarczyk helms the bar at L.A.’s internationally inspired bar Accomplice, blending beverages with ingredients like Japanese yuzu and smoky Mexican mezcal. The author of cocktail book Clean and Dirty Drinking shared her antioxidant-packed green drink that tastes of the tropics.
Hungry for more?
- 6 Ultra-Refreshing Drinks to Sip While We Still Have Summer
- Clean Plates Party Prep, Take I: Cocktails
- 5 Healthy (But Fun!) Frozen Desserts
BIO: Kat Odell is a food and travel journalist, author of low-alcohol cocktail book Day Drinking as well as Unicorn Food, a plant-based cookbook hinged on medicinal ingredients. Her work has been published in Vogue, New York Times’ T magazine, Travel + Leisure, Bloomberg, and Conde Nast Traveler. Follow Kat on Instagram and Twitter.
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