It’s officially spring now and you know what that means – Bikini Season is coming! A couple months ago we did a video about some alternative sweeteners like honey, maple syrup and agave nectar. But today we’re going to talk about an even more unusual way to sweeten your drinks – and maybe help get you ready for that summer bikini!

Today we’re talking about no-calorie sweeteners to see if they really are a viable option for cocktails.

Grab your Sunscreen, we’re getting ready for the Beach!

Alternative SweetenersTaste Test:

I the following examples, we created simple syrup using the ratios suggested on the sweetener’s packets.

1. Regular Simple Syrup

Tastes fine and balanced. This is our “control” cocktail.

2. “Equal” Simple Syrup

Didn’t quite get the edge off the alcohol. It plainly tastes like vodka and lemon juice. It’s really tart and definitely has the artificial sweetener after-taste.

3. “Sweet ‘n Low” Simple Syrup

Did the best job out of all the 3. Definitely balanced out the lemon juice and sweetened the cocktail considerably. It has a bit of that “Diet Soda” after-taste after a few seconds.

4. “Splenda” Simple Syrup

Somewhere in between the others – it did take some of the edge off, but not enough to really balance the drink. One thing different with this is that it doesn’t have as much of an after-taste as the other did.

What’s the Verdict?

I was surprised to find that the “Sweet ‘n Low” was definitely the best candidate of the three. Of course, this was in the context of a simple Lemon Drop cocktail, and other cocktails may work better with different sweeteners, so it’s definitely worth some experimentation. It’s also important to note that none of the “low calorie” sweeteners gave the cocktail the weight on the palate that we’re used to experiencing with simple syrup, so the cocktails all seemed a little more “watery” than the control.

Have you tried artificial sweeteners in your drinks? Let us know how it went in the comments!

Artificial Sweeteners in Cocktails – Getting Ready for Bikini Season! is a post from: A Bar Above Mixology