HOLIDAY COCKTAILS: MACRO-FRIENDLY DRINKS AND HOW TO TRACK ALCOHOL
When you think of holiday treats, a cocktail may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But between more dinners with family or friends and other holiday celebrations, chances are you’ll run into a cocktail or two. Whether you’re hosting Christmas brunch or having a cozy snow day at home, here are some of our favorite winter cocktails.
ALCOHOL & YOUR MACROS
First, let’s talk a little bit here about tracking alcohol as part of your macro tracking. The calories from alcohol are not classified as protein, carbs, or fats. This means that you can’t log a drink accurately by just scanning the barcode; however, it does mean that you get to decide how you want to account for your drink. You can choose whether you want to track it as carbohydrates, fat, or a mix of the two.
EXAMPLE || A 5oz glass of red wine is listed as 129 calories in MFP (0P/0F/4C). If you log this red wine as is, you are only accounting for 4 grams of carbohydrates, or about 16 calories. This leaves you with 113 calories that are simply not accounted for, but have indeed been consumed. Here is an example of how to track that glass of wine.
If tracking using carbohydrates: 129 calories divided by 4 cal/g = 32g carbs
If tracking using fat: 129 calories divided by 9 cal/g = 14g fat
If tracking using a combination: 64.5 calories divided by 4 cal/g = 16g carbs PLUS
64.5 calories divided by 9 cal/g = 7g fat
Tracking alcohol accurately can seem burdensome, but it is an important aspect of tracking (or if not tracking; just being aware of the calories in alcohol). You don’t have to always do a ton of math to make sure you are accounting for alcohol correctly. If you have a go-to drink, you can use the alcohol calculator below and create a “New Food” in MFP (or another tracking app) and use that as your standard food journal entry.
Now, for some of our favorite holiday drinks:
Bourbon Apple Smash by Whitney
One of the things I love about a “smash” style cocktail (which uses muddled fresh fruit rather than fruit juice) is that you often make a snack while you make the cocktail. This uses about ¼ of an apple per serving. So if you’re making two cocktails, you still get about half of an apple left over to snack on. Also, there can be something cathartic about smashing up fruit until it’s juicy and ready to use (especially if you’ve got some of your less favorite family members in town).
PREP TIME: 5 minutes || Makes 1 serving
WHAT YOU NEED:
40g apple, chopped [0P/0F/6C]
0.75 oz fresh lemon juice [0P/0F/2C]
5-10 drops stevia (to taste, and depending on tartness of apple)
1.5 oz bourbon (tracked as carbs & fat) [0p/5.5F/12.5C]
Ice
NOTES:
I recommend using Honeycrisp or Lucy Rose as your apple of choice
WHAT TO DO:
Place chopped apple, lemon juice, and stevia in a shaker (pro tip: you can use a protein shaker if you don’t have a cocktail shaker). Muddle until mixture begins to look a little mushy.
Add bourbon and fill the shaker with ice. Shake for 30 seconds - 1 minute. Strain into a glass of fresh ice. Garnish with additional apple wedges.
Don’t forget to eat your boozy apple wedges when your cocktail is gone!
MACROS PER 100g SERVING: 0P/5.5F/20C
Fireball Hot Toddy by Whitney
This drink is so easy that it shouldn’t even count as a recipe. But a hot toddy is a winter essential that a lot of people are missing out on. And this is the world’s best use of Fireball (according to Whitney, anyway). Note: Fireball does have some sweetness to it, so this recipe doesn’t call for any added sweetener. You could add stevia to this, if you prefer a sweeter drink.
PREP TIME: 5 minutes || Makes 1 serving
WHAT YOU NEED:
1.5 oz Fireball cinnamon whisky (tracked as carbs & fat) [0P/6F/18C]
.75 oz fresh lemon juice [0P/0F/2C]
4-8oz hot water
Lemon wheel (if desired)
WHAT TO DO:
Measure Fireball and lemon juice into a teacup, then fill with hot water.
Add a slice of lemon, if desired. Remove lemon wheel if drink starts to become bitter.
MACROS PER 100g SERVING: 0P/6F/20C
Snowmosa Mimosa by Zach
I am a HUGE fan of mimosas (especially bottomless for brunch--#tokengaythings). But the holidays call for giving it a bit more of a razzle-dazzle. This delightful mimosa provides some crisp fruit, with that perfect little breakfast jazzy juice.
PREP TIME: 5 minutes || Makes 1 serving
WHAT YOU NEED:
50g Granny Smith apple, chopped [0P/0F/7C]
50g whole fresh cranberries [0P/0F/6C]
50g pomegranate seeds [0P/0F/9C]
4 oz cranberry juice [0P/0F/17C]
4 oz Champagne (tracked as carbs & fat) [0P/5F/11C]
WHAT TO DO:
Chop a Granny Smith apple, place into a wine glass. Add the whole cranberries and pomegranate seeds. Measure cranberry juice and champagne into the wine glass. Lightly stir.
MACROS PER 100g SERVING: 0P/5F/50C
MULE TIDE CAROL by Zach
Mules are a personal favorite with dinner, dessert, or an evening cigar to celebrate. This holiday mule brings some seasonal flavors to life in a cup. The crisp tastes seem to make the winter cold outside manageable, and the social events more fun. Your guests are sure to love this treat at your home bar.
PREP TIME: 5 minutes || Makes 1 serving
WHAT YOU NEED:
2 oz. vodka (tracked as carbs & fat) [0P/7F/16C]
1 oz. fresh lime juice [0P/0F/3C]
4 oz of Diet Ginger Ale or Diet Ginger Beer
50g pomegranate seed [0P/0F/9C]
4 oz cranberry juice [0P/0F/17C]
Fresh mint, for garnish
Lime wedges, for garnish
Ice
WHAT TO DO:
In a copper kettle for mules, add a small scoop of ice. Measure and add vodka, lime juice, Diet Ginger Ale or Ginger Beer, and cranberry juice. Add pomegranate seeds. Lightly stir. Garnish with fresh mint and lime wedge.
MACROS PER 100g SERVING: 0P/7F/45C
Interested in more holiday recipes as well as tips and tricks to help you navigate a busy holiday season without throwing your nutrition goals out the window? Be sure to grab our Holiday Guide among other free nutrition resources.