Raising the Bar

For many, no holiday party is complete without a cocktail or two, but alcoholic drinks can take a heavy toll on your PointsPlus™ allowance, as well as your resolve. Though you may budget and plan for a few PointsPlus values for your cocktails, the cruel irony of alcohol is that it can cloud your judgment to the point that two drinks become four, and all of a sudden that basket of wings is looking really, really good.

Fortunately, there are a few cocktail trends, as well as lite beers and increasingly popular (slightly) lower-alcohol wines, that can help you make smart decisions when you belly up to the bar.

Beers such as Miller Brands’ MGD 64 (the “64” is the number of calories in each bottle) and Beck’s Premier Light (also 64 calories per bottle) give you a real drink to hold, for very few PointsPlus values. The alcohol by volume — “ABV” on any bottle or can of alcohol — is 3% and 2.3% respectively, which is low for a beer, meaning that a couple of these shouldn’t mess with your judgment when the appetizers show up.

If wine is your tipple of choice, an upswing in the availability and quality of lighter white wines (lower in alcohol content), such as some Rieslings and Gewürztraminers, means you can enjoy a sip without the heavy feeling that some of the higher-alcohol wines give you. Stretch your white wine even further by mixing it with club soda and a slice of lemon for a spritzer. (These normally taste better with lighter wines — skip the Chardonnay.)

Making friends with the mixologist
As for cocktails, look for ones that use fresh fruit and even vegetables; mixologists (as bartenders in higher-end establishments often prefer to be called) take pride in their unique creations and might even be persuaded to mix something a la carte for you, using the veritable fruit salad they have stashed behind the bar.

Tea is popping up in mixed drinks increasingly — and we’re not just talking about the Long Island iced variety. Try brewing your own tea-tini, with fine jasmine, chai (ditch the milk) or green tea, mixed with vodka and a little sugar or sweetener to taste.

Herbs and spices such as ginger are also a popular addition to cocktails, and some bars make their own ginger beers and cordials. While these drinks are often quite heavy on the sugar (a bartender should be able to tell you how it’s made), the robust, warm flavor and the digestive properties of ginger can make for a cocktail that’s easier on the tummy.

There are also some lighter spirits that can give you a great cocktail without the calorie-whack of more traditional drinks. Ty-Ku has several cocktail recipes that come in under 100 calories, but still taste indulgent — some recipes are below.

The experts talk trends
Jay Jones, master mixologist and head bartender at Vancouver club, Voya, shares some other trends you're likely to see at cocktail parties this time of year. "Spicy, wintery flavors shine through,” he says. “You'll find a lot of Cognacs, bourbons and whiskeys used. A proper winter drink is assertive and has a depth and intensity to the natural flavors."

Bartenders and mixologists around the country are seeing a resurgence of the classic cocktails from the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s. During that time, even during the days of the Speakeasy, the drinks had very basic, but intense flavors. Bartenders didn't have access to fancy ingredients, and hadn't come up with complex infusions or molecular mixology yet. It was all about the flavors in the alcohol. Classic cocktails like the Sazerac, widely regarded as America's first ever mixed drink, are becoming popular again.

Also look for drinks like a Tom and Jerry or a Sidecar, both of which offer spicy, satisfying flavors that aren’t exactly calorie-free, but a winter treat worth budgeting for. Enjoy the recipes below, and to the holidays, we say cheers!