While Dry January continues to grow in popularity each year, Damp January is worth considering if you’d rather consume alcohol responsibly and moderately this month rather than give it up entirely. One way you can limit your intake is by opting for drinks with a low alcohol by volume (ABV). These drinks containing less alcohol makes them ideal to still enjoy booze without overdoing it. Creating your own low ABV drinks at home is especially simple thanks to a host of cocktail recipes that require five ingredients or less. Keep reading to learn more about low ABV cocktails and the easy recipes you’ll want to sip this month and throughout the year!
Do low ABV cocktails seem appealing to you?
The scoop on low ABV drinks
Low ABV cocktails are designed to offer the flavors of alcoholic drinks with less of a focus on booze. The ABV in these cocktails often ranges between four and eight percent, while standard cocktails like a gin martini could have 30 percent ABV. The amount and the type of spirits used will determine a drink’s ABV. According to the Soberish Mom blog, vermouth, fortified wine and aperitif are considered low ABV spirits and high ABV ones include bourbon and vodka. (Click through for the health benefits of reducing alcohol consumption.)
It may seem like a tall task to tweak your go-to cocktail recipe, but take it from mixologists and bartenders who see it as an opportunity to get creative and find new ways to craft the drink. “The great thing about low/no-ABV cocktails is that they are a blank canvas, even more so than their boozier counterparts,” bartender Louis Macpherson tells Liquor.com. “Without heavily relying on spirits, we are forced to work with produce and other ingredients to bring flavor to drinks.” Need low ABV drink inspiration? Read on for a handful of recipes.
5 simple and tasty low ABV cocktails worth making
From an espresso martini to a red wine spritz, these five cocktail recipes are delicious and refreshing options for Damp January or times when you want a less boozy sip. They need five ingredients or fewer so save yourself a trip to the bar and make them from scratch in mere minutes. Cheers!
1. Riunite Lambrusco Spritz
Ingredients:
- 1 part Riunite Lambrusco
- 1 part Maschio Prosecco DOC
- A splash of lemonade or a squeeze of lemon
- Garnish: lemon wheel
Directions:
- Combine ingredients in a wine glass over ice.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel.
2. Disaronno Sour
Ingredients:
- 50 ml Disaronno Originale
- 25 ml fresh lemon juice
- 5 ml sugar syrup (simple syrup)
- 1 egg white
- Garnish: lemon slice
Directions:
- Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker without ice.
- Dry shake and then add ice to the cocktail shaker.
- Shake and strain into a chilled rocks glass with ice. Garnish with a slice of lemon.
3. Pallini Spritz
Ingredients:
Directions:
- Add all the ingredients in a large wine glass filled with ice and garnish with a lemon slice.
4. The Low ABV 6%
Ingredients:
Directions:
- Add all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass.
- Garnish with three coffee beans
5. Classic NUVO Cocktail
Ingredients:
Directions:
- Add french cognac and soak 1 sugar cube in a chilled cocktail glass.
- Top with NUVO Sparkling Liqueur.
