The Classic Tequila Cocktail Without The Calories
Can you still celebrate National Margarita Day when you’re in the end stretch of a 8-week fitness transformation program?
Answer: You should always celebrate National Margarita Day. Just make some modifications to the classic drink recipe to get a lighter, refreshing take on the Mexican classic.
Warning: If you haven’t been drinking for the past 7 weeks, this one could hit you hard. My legs had the telltale tequila tingle after just a few sips and somewhere, college “me” shook her head in embarrassment.
In my book, though, getting tipsy off a couple of sips isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Use any flavor of sparkling water to mix this drink, and experiment to find your favorite. Lime would be the most classic choice, obviously, and Lacroix Curate Cerise-Limon (cherry-lime) would be my personal flavor of choice. I used Pineapple-Strawberry most recently, and it pared surprisingly well with the tequila too.
One more tip relevant to my fellow cocktail lovers: If you aren’t buying your spirits from Costco, get yourself a membership and start. (Or better yet, find yourself a friend with a membership and make a Costco date.) Rumor has it that the Kirkland house brand is identical to some more famous top-shelf brands, and I can confirm that both their tequila and vodka pass my quality test.
¡Salud to that!
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Sparkling Water Skinny Margarita
Ingredients:
- 12-ounce can your favorite flavor sparkling water
- 0.5 ounce tequila
- 0.5 ounce lime juice
- Fine Himalayan pink salt for the rim
- Trader Joe’s Chili-Lime Seasoning or Tajín Clásico Seasoning for a little heat
- Random fruit of choice for garnish (lime slices would be ideal but anything will do, really)
- Crushed ice (optional)
Steps:
1. Grab your favorite margarita glass and swirl the rim in lime juice.
My hand-blown confetti glasses are my favorite barware. Because the glass is recycled and these are handmade, the options get pricy.
2. Dip rim of glass into a saucer of fine Himalayan pink salt. (For the health benefits of the salt, obviously … 😉 )
3. Fill margarita glass with crushed ice (if desired) and pour 12 ounces sparkling water.
4. In a shot glass, combine 0.5 ounce of your favorite tequila and 0.5 ounce of lime juice. (Fresh-squeezed lime juice tastes deliciously tart but bottled works just as well in my opinion.)
5. Pour over sparkling water and swirl gently to combine.
6. Garnish with a dash of chili-lime seasoning for a hint of heat to complement the subtle flavors.
7. Add fruit for garnish and sip slowly to savor. (If you’re serious about watching calories and sugars, one Skinniest Margarita should be your limit.)
Do you prefer your margaritas on the rocks or frozen? I like a frozen drink myself — a throwback to my Spring Break days of drinking excess.
Enjoy responsibly friends. Share your skinny margarita wins with #NeverDoneWithFun and follow along on Instagram and Pinterest for more daily ideas and inspiration!
P.S. If skinny cocktails aren’t your thing, check out my ‘Fall 75’ Caramel Apple cocktail (a decidedly autumn take on the classic French 75) or Pomegranate-Cider Martini. with spiced orange simple syrup.
