From 450 to 90 calories: How restaurants are taking the health-conscious route with low-calorie cocktails

Mumbai is becoming a really interesting city to dine in if you love sipping on cocktails because the cocktail-drinking culture is evolving in many ways that you would not have thought of before. The last few years have seen more bars experiment with their cocktail menus to include alcohol-forward cocktails that shows how much Mumbai drinker has evolved over the last decade. The evolved tastes have also led to the city's bars and restaurants taking it a step further by hosting bar takeovers by some of the best bars and bartenders from around India and the world. While these have taken the spotlight in the recent past, restaurants and bars are trying to push their limits by giving cocktails a healthy twist.

While there may be several ingredients used that may be considered healthy without really emphasising on the health quotient, ‘low-calorie cocktails' or ‘low-cal cocktails' as they are popularly called are slowly on the rise and becoming popular in Mumbai. The move towards these cocktails isn't surprising as a lot more people take the healthy route, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic.

"People are increasingly health-conscious, especially after the impact of Covid-19. While everyone desires to enjoy good food and drinks, there's a growing awareness of ingredients and preparation methods," says Yashvant Thakur, bartender at Novotel Imagicaa Khopoli.

What are low-calorie cocktails?
Vaibhav Salvi, bar manager at Poco Loco Tapas and Bar in Khar and South Mumbai, explains, "Low-calorie cocktails are drinks that have fewer calories compared to traditional cocktails. They are often achieved by using lower-calorie mixers, reducing or eliminating high-calorie ingredients like syrups, and focusing on spirits with lower calorie counts." These cocktails particularly have low carbohydrates, shares Thakur, and aim to minimise the impact on your diet compared to regular cocktails. "As bartenders, we substitute sugar with honey, creating a balanced drink with natural ingredients to minimise its impact on their diet," he adds.

It is not like low-calorie cocktails didn't exist in the past, it is just that people weren't really aware or educated about cocktails enough to even order or consider them, except for the discerning drinker who was well-travelled and knew how he liked his cocktails. Salvi says some of the most popular classic cocktails include Gin and Tonic, Aperol Spritz, Negroni, Bloody Mary, Moscow Mule, Vodka Sour and even the Gimlet are some of the most popular ones that can be consumed because of their low-calorie count.

The city restaurant has had low-calorie cocktails on their menu since 2022 but Salvi started noticing how there was a growing demand for them since January 2023, and it only went upwards from there as more people want to know more about what they are drinking. He adds, "The number of people drinking them has increased because people prefer cocktails which have low sugar intake these days." Currently, the restaurant has as many as four cocktails on the menu, which come under the low-calorie category like Fig Fantasy or 'Higo Lima' which has a heady mix of botanicals, sweet figs with gin; the ‘Whiskey Whimsy' or ‘Miel De Naranja' has complex flavours of dark rum, whisky, and the sweetness of honey and figs. Spicy Citrus Fiesta or 'Mojo Rojo', which has a potent mix of tequila, tangy grapefruit, and spicy kick of homemade Mojo sauce. Last but not the least, the Tropical Bliss or 'Delicia Tropical', which has a mix of white rum, pineapple, and coconut. Interestingly, all of these cocktails are anywhere between 167 calories to 217 calories, which is almost reduced to half, according to Salvi, who says otherwise they would be as high as 450 - 500 calories.

He further adds, "In Mumbai and across India, there has been a noticeable evolution in the availability and popularity of low-calorie cocktails in recent years. The evolution in Mumbai and India reflects broader shifts in consumer preferences towards healthier and more mindful consumption choices. As the demand for these options continues to grow, it's likely that we'll see even more innovation and diversity in the low-calorie cocktail offerings available in the region."

Making cocktails for the evolved drinker
Elsewhere in the city, Stanley Fernandez, who is the corporate bar manager at Butterfly High in Mumbai, has also noticed the shift towards the health-conscious consumer. He explains, "The popularity started off in 2022. However, people are asking for them after having a conversation about cocktail with the bartenders, and then have it made as per their request."

Such has been the demand that it has also inspired bartenders and mixologists to put on their thinking cap and go back to the drawing board to create traditional cocktails with a low-calorie twist or simply make new cocktails to suit the palate of the drinker today. The Mumbai-based bar manager shares, "Mixologists are using fresh, natural ingredients and using innovative techniques to create flavourful cocktails with lower calorie counts. Additionally, there's been an increase in the availability of low-calorie spirits and mixers, catering to health-conscious consumers."

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At Butterfly High, Fernandez says one of the most popular low-calorie classic cocktails is the Moscow Mule. "The Moscow Mule with ginger beer, vodka, and fresh lime juice with lots of crushed ice in a copper mug skipping the simple syrup. It's so refreshing, and when you don't use the simple syrup, it is only around 80 - 90 calories." These are the kinds of calories that he says lets people enjoy their cocktails without thinking about their calorie intake. Along with the Moscow Mule, Fernandez says the other classics are Dry Martini, Paloma and Cuba Libre but they also take the liberty to make their own cocktail called 'Her Mysterious Garden', which has an interesting mix of gin, elderflower, lime, sparkling wine and garnished with rosemary, thyme, orange, lemon, watermelon and edible flowers.

Experiment with flavours
Thakur along with his team are one of the many who have been busy experimenting and, in the process, created four cocktails that have low sugar content in them. He explains, "The inspiration behind these low-calorie cocktails lies in a desire to innovate and reimagine classic recipes, infusing them with unique flavours and ingredients while maintaining a focus on health-conscious choices."

The Cumin Spiced Old Fashioned has a delicious mix of whiskey, cumin bitters and homemade jaggery with a twist of orange zest, thus completely eliminating traditionally used ingredients like sugar and soda. On the other hand, the Mudita is simple and low on calories because it only has a concoction of vodka with clear carrot juice and honey, served with ice; the Red Velvet, inspired by the classic dessert, is made with gin, beetroot and apple juice to retain the hue, with some tonic water. Last but not the least, The Colada has white rum with some fresh pineapple juice and a pinch of black salt, that is served over ice.

Vaum Tonics is one of the many brands catering to the evolved consumer like Fernandez shares. Bernice Dias, who is the bartender with the premium botanical beverages and mixers brand, says they have been in the midst of it. While they sell low-cal premixed sparklers, they have also seen a demand from more and more food and beverage outlets across the country, asking them to create low-calorie cocktail menus in the last few years. "Each serving of Vaum is under 25 calories with lesser than 5 gm of sugar, giving you full flavour but with lesser sugar and calories," Dias adds.

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It also why she boasts of the Mango Fig Highball, Low Cal Paloma and the Cucumber Mint Spritz. While the highball has a mango fig sparkler, the Paloma includes a Grapefruit Rosemary flavour and unsurprisingly the Spritzer uses a Cucumber Mint botanical sparkler that reduces the calorie intake by quite a bit. Interestingly, she has noticed a shit in the older consumers. "Low-calorie cocktails have been a bit popular, especially in the age bracket above 28 years, when you start thinking a bit more about your health," she observes. The consumer has come a long way from indulging in the classic vodka, soda, lime mixture or a tequila, lime and club soda cocktail on any relaxed day.

While there are more drinkers who are gravitating towards low-calorie cocktails, Dias also finds it important to find out another kind of cocktail drinker. "There is also a large part of consumers that dislike the artificial taste of sweeteners such as aspartame. As a result, there is a growing demand for low-calorie cocktails, rather than completely zero calorie ones prompting bartenders and beverage establishments to adapt and innovate to meet these changing consumer preferences," she informs.

On the other hand, Imran Sheikh, beverage head at Farzi in Goregaon says people need to move away from drinking for style, and that can only happen when the bartenders and mixologists educate them about their drink. It is also why he feels that there is still a long way to go for people to drink while being health conscious. He explains, "Those who are health conscious have right now started to replace their drinks with water tonic but I would see that as a first step towards healthy drinking."

Avoiding the use of aerated beverages and syrups, Sheikh currently has two low-calorie cocktails on his menu. While the first one is a Yuzu Delight made with gin, yuzu juice, elderflower syrup and fresh pineapple, the other is Vitality Jumble, which gin, green tea, fresh cucumber and min, and agave nectar syrup to keep it straight and fresh.

But, are low-calorie cocktails effective?
While many restaurants and bars have jumped on the bandwagon, many may debate over the effectiveness of low-calorie cocktails, which may also seem like a marketing gimmick. While the gimmick may actually work and do the trick for the business, Varsha Gorey, clinical nutritionist at Apollo Hospitals in Navi Mumbai, says people need to be aware of the different types of alcohol, how they are served, and their quantities.

Gorey explains, "For example, if you have one beer, the serving size would be 350ml. When you have gin or vodka, it typically starts with 30 ml, 60 ml or 90ml, but these are concentrated alcohols that are often mixed with plain water, soda, or sweetened beverages. Adding sweetened beverages also increases the additional calorie intake. Considering the calories in alcohol, 1g of alcohol provides 7 kilocalories, meaning consuming even small amounts can add up quickly."

Interestingly, Gorey says with the low-calorie content in cocktails, people may often take an important aspect for granted. "One should keep in mind that alcohol must be consumed in moderation. Alcohol is harmful for the body, and one should not go overboard with the cocktails just because the calorie content is low," she shares, reminding people that after drinking at a restaurant, one should also not drink and drive for everyone's safety.

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