The Real Skinny Margarita

One of the hardest drinks to make lower-sugar, the margarita is universally loved. Yet, one or two of these drinks, even the "healthy" ones with pure agave nectar, can deliver over 30 grams of sugar. That adds up. Look, I admit it, there's nothing better than a full-sugar margarita at a good Mexican restaurant with some chips and salsa. However, our goal is to make it the best it can be, in a guilt-free format. If you crave the real deal, why not make your first one "full-sugar" and then mix the next few with this skinny recipe.

Ingredients:

1.5-2 oz Silver Tequila

1 oz Organic or fresh squeezed lime juice

1 oz Happier Hours or Qure Simple Syrup

1-3 tsp Madhava Agave 5

1/8 tsp Orange oil extract

Lime garnish

Optional salt

Optional splash of lime seltzer

Preparation:

Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake thoroughly for 45 to 60 seconds. Strain into a salt-rimmed glass full to the brim with ice is my preference. Add a splash of lime seltzer for a softer less tart taste. You can also serve it as is, on the rocks or frozen. I am a HUGE believer in adding fresh lime juice to make the freshest and best margaritas. For me, that means using mostly bottled organic lime juice, out of pure laziness, but I always add a squeeze of 1 to 2 fresh lime wedges to get the benefit of the freshness of ripe limes.

*To make frozen margaritas, double the amount of simple syrup and add 1/2 cup of ice for each desired serving.

Limlet or Gemon Drop

Quick introduction to this versatile drink recipe. It's a twist on Gimlets and Lemon drops, which are very similar and either can be made with gin or vodka. The main difference is whether you use lemon or lime juice. Another option is to go half and half. A quick modification and you can also turn this into a "sour" cocktail or a Cosmopolitan.

Ingredients:

2-3 oz Gin or vodka

1 oz Organic or fresh squeezed lime juice

1 oz Happier Hours Simple Syrup

1-3 dashes Orange bitters (optional)

Lemon or lime garnish

Preparation:

Add liquor of choice, juice of choice and simple syrup to a shaker half full of ice. Shake for 45 to 60 seconds. Serve "up" by straining into a martini glass or vessel of choice. Serve on the rocks by removing the lid from the shaker and pouring mixture with the ice into a rocks glass.

*To make this recipe into a "sour" cocktail, reduce simple syrup to 1/2 ounce. This works for whiskey and other popular sour recipes. Simply replace the liquors above with your liquor of choice and reduce the amount of sweetener.

*To make a Cosmopolitan add 1/2 ounce of Cheribundi Tart Cherry, which acts as a natural anti-inflammatory to further prevent the negative aftereffects of alcohol consumption. Not only does this taste amazing but, it is as functional as over-the-counter NSAID drugs with none of the side effects.

Pina Colada

While truly delicious, the traditional version of this drink is a total killer. It's a calorie bomb that can give you terrible hangovers and leaves you in a sugar coma. Not only does it have high sugar, but it also has quite a lot of fat. We make it as healthy as it possibly can be by limiting the sugar content and using organic coconut milk, which is actually a source of good for you fat-burning fats.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Rum

1/2 cup Frozen pineapple

1 oz Happier Hours or Qure simple syrup

1 oz Organic Coconut Milk

Cherry garnish

Preparation:

Add all ingredients to a blender and mix for 45 to 60 seconds. Pour into your glass of choice and add the cherry garnish because it's pretty.