Quick Summary: A refreshing blackberry mojito using homemade shrub syrup instead of sugar. Barely over 100 calories. Includes tips for drinking alcohol on a low-carb diet and ingredient substitutions. Prep: 10 min | Serves: 1
Jump to: RECIPE | Alcohol and Slow Carb | What Alcohol is OK vs to Avoid | Ingredients for Slow Carb Mojito | FAQ
“What can I drink?” is one of the most common questions I got when I was a slow carb diet coach. The good news is there are cocktails you can enjoy, as long as you choose compliant ingredients.
This blackberry mojito uses a blackberry mint shrub syrup instead of sugar, which adds complex flavor without a load of carbs. The result is a refreshing cocktail at barely over 100 calories.
The key to slow-carb cocktails is knowing your ingredients. Distilled spirits have no carbs. The problem is usually the mixers. Skip the tonic water, sweet and sour mix, and bloody mary mix. They’re loaded with sugar.
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What to know about alcohol and a slow carb lifestyle?
These are the five tips that I consider most important when incorporating alcohol into a low carb lifestyle:
- Metabolism priority: Alcohol is processed in the liver and it is metabolized first, before anything else. It will temporarily disrupt or pause fat burning if you are in a state of ketosis. If you are on a keto diet, just know that the disruption of ketosis is temporary, unlike the longer term impact of eating sugar and carbs.
- Faster effects: People on a low carb or keto diet will feel the effects of alcohol much quicker than those on a Standard American Diet (SAD).
- Faster recovery: You’ll also recover from alcohol’s effects more quickly.
- Worse hangovers: Hangovers are significantly worse on low-carb diets. Be careful and moderate your intake.
- Electrolytes help: Replenishing electrolytes after a night out before bed can help tremendously with avoiding a hangover the next day. This video will walk you through a quick and easy morning drink called Ketorade that is great for replenishment of electrolytes. Ketorade is also an excellent morning drink for starting any day with energy.
What Alcohol is Acceptable vs What to Avoid?
Here are 4 tips to be aware of when choosing your drinks:
- Avoid beer: Beer is quite high in carbs and gluten and even “low carb beer” isn’t really compliant. This is probably the worst form of alcohol you can have if your goal is to lose fat, especially belly fat. They don’t call it a beer-belly for nothing!
- Choose distilled spirits (unflavored): Vodka, gin, rum, bourbon, scotch (unflavored) have no carbs. They temporarily disrupt ketosis but don’t add to your carb count.
- Watch out for mixers: Tonic water, sweet and sour mix, and bloody mary mix are heavy with sugar and carbs. Opt for your favorite spirit with some club soda and a few squeezes of lime for the best low carb drink.
- Dry wine in moderation: Dry wine is not too bad, but it does have carbs, so take it easy on the amount.
Ingredients for Slow Carb Blackberry Mojito
- Mint: Essential for any mojito. Use fresh.
- Blackberries: Fresh or frozen both work. Frozen berries are fine for muddling.
- Lime: Another essential. Fresh is best. Bottled works in a pinch. Lemon doesn’t substitute well.
- Stevia: Optional, for extra sweetness without carbs.
- White rum: Any white rum works.
- Sparkling water: To top it off. No calories, no carbs.
Blackberry mint shrub syrup can add a complex flavor without heavy sugar. Learn how to make your own with this post on How to make shrub syrup
Tip: looking for more skinny, low carb cocktails? Be sure to check out more Farm to Jar recipes, like my skinny moscow mule and refreshing white tea cocktail.
How to Make a Slow-Carb Blackberry Mojito
The full instructions are in the recipe card below. In short:
- In a highball glass, muddle together mint leaves, blackberries, lime quarters, and blackberry mint shrub syrup. Add stevia if using.
- Fill the glass with ice. Pour in white rum. Top with sparkling water. Garnish with lime wedges and fresh blackberries.
No shrub syrup? Use two teaspoons simple syrup or cane sugar and add extra blackberries. The flavor will be less complex but still delicious.
FAQ
Technically yes, but dark rum may overpower the mint and lime. White rum is traditional for mojitos.
A drinking vinegar made by macerating fruit with sugar and vinegar. It adds sweet-tart complexity to cocktails. How to make shrub syrup
Very few. The rum has no carbs, the shrub syrup has minimal sugar, and the berries contribute only a few grams. Total is well under 5g net carbs.
Yes. Raspberries or a mixed berry blend work well. Adjust the syrup amount based on berry sweetness
How-To Video on Making a Low Carb Blackberry Mojito & Skinny Margarita
Interested in the Slow Carb Diet? Check out this comprehensive E-Guide on Fat Loss through a Slow Carb Diet.
Low Carb Blackberry Mojito
Equipment
- 1 cocktail muddler
- 1 Highball cocktail glass
Ingredients
- 8 leaves mint
- 5 blackberries
- ¼ inch lime slice cut into quarters
- ½ oz Blackberry Mint Shrub Syrup
- ½ tsp stevia optional
- 1 oz white rum
- 5 oz water sparkling or fizzy water
Instructions
- In a glass muddle together the mint, the berries, the limes and the Blackberry Mint Shrub Syrup, plus stevia if you're using it8 leaves mint, 5 blackberries, 1/4 inch lime slice, 1/2 oz Blackberry Mint Shrub Syrup, 1/2 tsp stevia
- Add ice to the glass and pour in 1 to 2 oz rum. Top off with sparkling water1 oz white rum, 5 oz water
- Garnish with lime wedges and/or fresh blackberries1/4 inch lime slice, 5 blackberries
Blackberry Mint Shrub Syrup… Do you have a recipe?
Freidia, here is a recipe for making shrub syrups, either by the hot shrub method or the cold shrub method. It’s for blueberry shrub syrup, but the blackberry would be made in the same way. Here is the link: https://farmtojar.com/blueberry-shrub-syrup/
OMG thank you so much for this! Being home, working remotely and helping the kids work remotely has me wanting a drinky drink so bad, but I’ve been making such great progress with my fat loss goals, I didn’t want to risk it. I’ve had 1 drink since the summer. Ok maybe 2. But either way not alot LOL.. this is so great and helpful and I can do it and not feel super guilty stunting progress. thank you!!!!
You bet Teri. Congrats on you fat loss progress! That’s impressive to pull off in 2020!