Low-Carb Cosmopolitan Cocktail

Cosmopolitan cocktails are festive and fun to drink. They also have quite a lot of sugar, due to the cranberry juice (which typically has a lot of added sugar) and the Cointreau or triple sec. Between these two, there is the equivalent of at least 4 teaspoons of sugar (16 grams of carbohydrate) in each Cosmo. Here's a way to make it low in sugar and carbs without sacrificing flavor.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 jigger (1.5 oz or 3 tablespoons) Citron vodka or regular vodka (nutritional analysis uses 80 proof)
• 1 oz (2 tablespoons) diet cranberry juice (NOT "light" -- it must say diet)
• OR 2 teaspoons unsweetened cranberry juice and 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon lime juice (fresh preferred)
• 2 to 3 drops orange extract
• 2 to 4 teaspoons sugar equivalent in artificial sweetener (to taste), liquid preferred

Preparation:

Put the ingredients in a cocktail shaker half-full of ice. Shake well. Taste for sweetness if using unsweetened cranberry juice, which is highly variable. You may need to add sweetener. Strain into a Martini glass. Garnish with a small lime wedge or curl of lime peel.

Nutritional Information: Each serving has 2.5 grams effective carbohydrate and 105 calories.

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