All month, weβve been exploring low-carb, low-sugar cocktails to ring in the new year, and we even talked with an actual food scientist about high intensity sweeteners. Weβve explored a whiskey Highball, a skinny Moscow Mule, and a skinny Mojito, but weβre missing one very popular option (and a personal favorite): the skinny Margarita!
Canβt wait? Click here to go to the recipe.
THE SKINNY MARGARITA – THREE WAYS
Whatβs the βSkinnyβ on the Skinny Margarita?
I canβt tell you how many times Iβve ordered a skinny Margarita with wildly varying results. They never look the same from bar to bar, and they often donβt taste any less sweet than a regular Margarita, which got us thinkingβ¦ What exactly puts the βskinnyβ in a skinny Margarita? Our discovery during this experiment will probably shock you. (Spoiler alert: the skinny Margarita youβve been ordering may not be βskinnyβ at all!)
We reached out to our bartender Facebook community to ask for skinny recipes and received a lot of different answers, but one came up more than any others: Quite a few bartenders were making their βSkinnyβ margaritas with Agave Syrup instead of simple syrup. (Sound familiar? Thatβs also often known as the Tommyβs Margarita.)
We decided to do a bit of experimentation. Last week on our Facebook Live, we made three Margarita recipes:
- A βtraditionalβ Margarita (aka a “Daisy”)
- The βSkinnyβ (aka Tommyβs)
- And a third version we made with our Xylitol simple syrup.
When we worked with Xylitol earlier this month, we really liked its natural flavor compared to other artificial sweeteners, so letβs see how it works in a Margarita compared to traditional simple syrup.
Comparing βSkinnyβ Margaritas
Traditional Margarita
Our first drink is a traditional Margarita:
- 1.5 oz tequila
- 1 oz Cointreau
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
The Cointreau offers a wonderful orange flavor, but this version is the most acidic overall. From a health perspective (since weβre talking about low-sugar options after all), it contains 7.4 grams of sugar.
Not-So-Skinny Margarita
Up next is the βSkinny Margaritaβ recipe that most bartenders were using. (Yep, itβs the same thing as the Tommyβs Margarita).
- 1.5 oz tequila
- .75 oz Cointreau
- .5 oz Agave syrup (not nectar!)
- 1 oz lime juice
So how did it measure up? From a taste perspective, Chris and I agree this is the sweetest option, with a really rich, juicy flavor. But thatβs because this version by far contains the most sugar and carbs! Thatβs right: the βskinnyβ Margarita you order to cut down calories actually contains 13.5 grams of sugar.
Xylitol Simple Syrup & Oleo Saccharum
Which brings us to our take on a skinny Margarita using the high intensity sweetener, Xylitol. We made a Xylitol simple syrup (like with the Moscow Mule) with equal parts fine-granule Xylitol and water. Hereβs the rest of the ingredients (and scroll down for the full recipe with instructions)
- 2 oz Tequila
- .75 oz Xylitol simple syrup
- .25 oz Orange xylitol Oleo syrup (Scroll down for instructions in the βRecipeβ box)
- 1 oz lime juice
Although it doesnβt contain the rich, cooked flavor of the Agave in the Tommyβs version, this tastes really good! Itβs less tart than the original but still pretty comparable with 8.5 grams of sugar.
So⦠Scrap the Skinny?
There you have it! The βskinniestβ option is a classic Margarita without any syrup at all. If you want a sweeter version without adding too many carbs, add some Xylitol simple syrup to avoid the sugar and calories of Agave.Β
So if youβre not sure what youβre ordering, just talk to your bartender! They are there to help, so just ask whatβs going into your skinny cocktail and find the right version for you. Most bartenders I know love to talk about their methods and recipes.
And if you have something you want to share or have more questions, join us in our Craft Cocktail Facebook group to talk all things cocktail.
BOSTON SHAKER β WEIGHTED / UNWEIGHTED
The ultimate workhorse of a Boston Shaker. This combination of weighted / unweighted makes for a strong seal thatβs easy to break open. The weight is circle-welded for durability and guaranteed to last!
Skinny Margarita
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 oz Tequila
- 1 oz Xylitol Simple Syrup See directions below
- 1 oz Lime Juice
- 1/4 oz Orange Xylitol Oleo Syrup See directions below
Xylitol Syrup
- 1/2 cup Hot Water
- 1/2 cup Xylitol
Instructions
- Combine tequila, Xylitol simple and lime juice in a shaker tin filled with ice
- Shake to chill and dilute
- Fine strain into a salt rimmed glass and top with fresh ice
- Garnish with orange zest
Xylitol Simple Syrup
- Combine hot water and Xylitol
- Stir until dissolved
- Allow to cool before use
Orange Xylitol Oleo Syrup
- Combine the zest of one orange and 1/4 cup of Xylitol in a ziplock plastic bag and mash them together. Remove all air from the bag and seal shut.
- Wait a few hours or a few days (we forgot about it for a few days i the fridge, whoops!)
- When ready for use, add 1/4 cup of water and fine-strain to create a syrup.