The holiday season is very much upon us, and this season of joy and cheer inevitably brings an influx of sweet, sweet goodness. Sugary baked goods and decadent desserts are everywhere — and oftentimes, it feels rude to refuse a homemade gingerbread cookie or hot toddy. But indulging too much can be stressful if you’re watching your blood sugar or just feel overwhelmed by the amount of sugar you’re being offered.
Luckily for us, Tatiana Boncompagni is here to help. Boncompagni is the founder of Eat Sunny, an organic meal delivery service based on the Mediterranean diet that also catered the set of And Just Like That… (Pro-tip: If you live in the New York area, you can also find Eat Sunny meals in Fairway Market, Gourmet Garage, and select ShopRite locations starting in March.) Boncompagni took some time out of her busy schedule to talk to us about reduced-sugar cocktails that are show-stopping yet easy to make at home.
“The best cocktails aren’t super sweet, but flavorful and balanced. I really like using spices like ginger, jalapeño, and star anise so that people really don’t miss that extra sugar,” she says. She advises using spices and aromatics to flavor the little sugar you will use: “You can either infuse simple syrup with ginger, star anise, or hot peppers — or even easier is to open a honey jar and plop in some washed and peeled ginger or some washed and cut jalapeño slices or pieces of star anise, and leave it for a week. In the end, you have infused honey you can use in cocktails.”
If using honey in cocktails seems like too sticky of a situation, Boncompagni reminds us that temperature is everything: “With honey, the key is mixing or blending everything — lime juice, alcohol — at room temp, before you add the ice so it will emulsify.”
Read on for three of Boncompagni’s low-sugar recipes that immediately will put you in the mood to celebrate.
Ginger Grapefruit Margarita
Makes 2-3 drinks
Ingredients
2 Grapefruit, room temp
4 limes, room temp
1/4 cup honey
1-inch piece ginger, peeled
½ cup high-quality tequila
2 cups ice
Method
Juice grapefruit and lime. Add all ingredients except ice to the blender. Blend until well combined and frothy, 30-60 seconds. Pour over ice divided into two glasses. Serve immediately.
Not Egg Nog Nog
Makes 2 drinks
Ingredients
1 cup salted roasted almonds
½ cup oat milk creamer
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup high-quality spiced rum
2 cups ice
Star anise and sprinkle of cinnamon, for garnish
Method
In a high-speed blender, blend the almonds, maple syrup, rum, and 1 cup of ice for 30 seconds. Add 2 cups of ice and blend for an additional 5 seconds. Do not over-blend.
Divide into two glasses and serve immediately.
Razzle Dazzle
Make 2 drinks
Ingredients
4 oz Bourbon
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp grapefruit juice
1 tbsp honey
8 Blackberries, room temp
4 pieces of fresh mint
2 cups ice
Method
In a small tin, bowl, or cup, thoroughly muddle the blackberries and mint into the honey. Then strain the blackberry mint mixture through a strainer into a blender. Add the other ingredients to the blender, blend for 20 seconds. Pour over ice divided into two glasses and serve immediately. Optional: Top with a little champagne or sparkling wine if you happen to have some open.
