Low Alcohol Cocktails
Explore 76 Low Alcohol cocktail recipes.
Low-alcohol cocktails do the opposite job from the strong list. They keep flavour and complexity up while keeping the proof down, which means they hand more of the work to vermouth, aperitivi, beer, sparkling wine and bitters. The Aperol Spritz is the obvious anchor: Aperol, prosecco and soda over ice, two parts to three parts to one, somewhere around ten percent ABV total.
The Americano runs the Negroni shape at the same lower strength by swapping the gin for soda. The Sherry Cobbler, Bamboo, Adonis and Garibaldi all live in this territory, building around fortified wine or vermouth as the spirit slot rather than gin or whisky. Sangria and Pimm's Cup sit on the very low end of the proof scale and the very high end of the easy-to-make scale.
What ties this list together is technique rather than ingredient. Low-alcohol drinks have to do more flavour work in less alcohol — which usually means brighter citrus, more aromatic structure, and a willingness to lean on bitterness and fortified wine to fill the gap. They reward fresh ingredients more than the high-proof equivalents because there's nowhere for the citrus to hide.
Most are built or stirred over plenty of ice, most are forgiving of a second one, and most pair unusually well with food. They're also the right answer for a long afternoon — you'll be on the third before any of the stronger drinks would have let you make it to the second.
Our top Low Alcohol cocktail
Snowball
Advocaat, Lemonade, Lime juice
More top Low Alcohol cocktails
Salmoncito
Gin, Campari, Eau tonique, Grapefruit juice
Passion to Win
Aperol, Double Dutch Pomegranate & Basil, Lemon juice, Sirop de fruit de la passion
Sherry Mary
Sherry (dry), Tomato juice, Lemon juice, Sauce Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, Poivre, Salt
Pear Vodka Collins
Vodka, Soda water, Jus de poire, Thym
Cranberry Twist
Vodka, Jus de citron vert, Jus de canneberge, Ginger ale, Lemonade, Mango puree
Eldercooler
Vermouth blanc, Sirop de fleur de sureau, Soda water
Air Cleaner
White rum, Liqueur de framboise, Cidre, Blackberries, Orange
Fuzzy Navel #2
Vodka, Peach schnapps, Jus d'orange
Shirley Temple Black
Liqueur de café, Lemon-lime soda, Grenadine, Cherry
Teaplanter
Gin, Bitters aromatiques, Lemonade, Orange
Orange Dreamsicle
Advocaat, Lemon-lime soda
Mushy Peas
Blue curaçao, Jus d'orange, Jus de pomme
Salmoncito
Gin, Campari, Eau tonique, Grapefruit juice
Passion to Win
Aperol, Double Dutch Pomegranate & Basil, Lemon juice, Sirop de fruit de la passion
Sherry Mary
Sherry (dry), Tomato juice, Lemon juice, Sauce Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, Poivre, Salt
Pear Vodka Collins
Vodka, Soda water, Jus de poire, Thym
Cranberry Twist
Vodka, Jus de citron vert, Jus de canneberge, Ginger ale, Lemonade, Mango puree
Eldercooler
Vermouth blanc, Sirop de fleur de sureau, Soda water
Air Cleaner
White rum, Liqueur de framboise, Cidre, Blackberries, Orange
Fuzzy Navel #2
Vodka, Peach schnapps, Jus d'orange
Shirley Temple Black
Liqueur de café, Lemon-lime soda, Grenadine, Cherry
Teaplanter
Gin, Bitters aromatiques, Lemonade, Orange
Orange Dreamsicle
Advocaat, Lemon-lime soda
Mushy Peas
Blue curaçao, Jus d'orange, Jus de pomme
More top Low Alcohol cocktails
Salmoncito
Gin, Campari, Tonic water, Grapefruit juice
Passion to Win
Aperol, Double Dutch Pomegranate & Basil, Lemon juice, Passion fruit syrup
Sherry Mary
Sherry (dry), Tomato juice, Lemon juice, Tabasco Sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Pepper, Salt
Pear Vodka Collins
Vodka, Soda water, Pear juice, Thyme
Cranberry Twist
Vodka, Lime juice, Cranberry juice, Ginger ale, Lemonade, Mango puree
Eldercooler
White vermouth, Elderflower syrup, Soda water
Air Cleaner
White rum, Raspberry liqueur, Cider, Blackberries, Orange
Fuzzy Navel #2
Vodka, Peach schnapps, Orange juice
Shirley Temple Black
Coffee liqueur, Lemon-lime soda, Grenadine, Cherry
Teaplanter
Gin, Aromatic bitters, Lemonade, Orange
Orange Dreamsicle
Advocaat, Lemon-lime soda
Mushy Peas
Blue curaçao, Orange juice, Apple juice
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