5 Easy Autumn Cocktail Recipes

Apple, blackberry, cinnamon, ginger and cranberry are perfect for autumn cocktails and are ideal when you want something that feels a little cosier and more seasonal than your usual G&T.
The problem is that many cocktail recipes use a lot of syrup, sugar, sweetened fruit juice or liqueurs, which instantly drives up the calorie count.

So, we’ve put together five low-calorie autumn cocktails that are deliciously guilt-free, while still giving you a drink you’ll actually look forward to making on a chilly evening.
What Are the Best Low-Calorie Cocktails for Autumn?

Ready to get mixing?

These low-sugar autumn cocktail recipes make the most of the flavours that come into their own at this time of year, from crisp apple and ripe blackberries to warming ginger and cinnamon.
We’ve kept each recipe easy enough to make at home, with no long shopping lists or specialist cocktail kit needed.

So, grab a glass, plenty of ice and your Clearer Twist mixer and let’s get started:

1. Apple & Cinnamon Gin Fizz

If there’s one flavour that belongs in a delicious autumn cocktail, it’s crisp apple. This one pairs it with gin, cinnamon and Clearer Twist Premium Tonic Water for a fresh, lightly spiced drink that still feels suitably cosy for colder evenings.

How to Make It

Step 1 – Fill a large glass generously with ice.

Step 2 – Pour in the gin, cloudy apple juice and fresh lemon juice.

Step 3 – Add a small pinch of ground cinnamon and stir everything together well.

Step 4 – Top with chilled low-sugar, high pH tonic water.

Step 5 – Finish with a thin slice of apple and a cinnamon stick.

Keep the calories down

Make sure you measure the apple juice instead of eyeballing it. At 50ml, you’ll still get plenty of crisp apple flavour without making the sugary fruit juice the bulk of the drink. Cinnamon adds seasonal warmth without needing to use a flavoured syrup, while the low-sugar tonic water keeps the drink light and refreshing.

2. Bubbly Blackberry & Pink Vodka

Blackberries are everywhere in early autumn, and luckily, their slightly tart flavour works brilliantly in low-calorie cocktails. This one muddles fresh berries with vodka and lime before adding a high-pH mixer, French Pink, for a fruity, fizzy finish with a smooth aftertaste.

How to Make It

Step 1 – Add four blackberries and the lime juice to your glass.

Step 2 – Gently muddle the blackberries until they release their juice. Avoid completely crushing them so they retain their colour and flavour.

Step 3 – Fill the glass with ice.

Step 4 – Pour in the vodka and stir well.

Step 5 – Top with chilled Clearer Twist French Pink.

Step 6 – Garnish with fresh blackberries and a wedge of lime.

Step 7 – Taste before adding anything sweet. Ripe blackberries provide natural sweetness, while the high pH mixer adds a pleasant flavour and vibrant colour.

Keep the calories down

Let the fresh blackberries provide the berry flavour instead of adding blackberry syrup or liqueur. Muddling the fruit releases its juice straight into the cocktail and the fresh lime balances the sweetness of the berries without adding sugar. Stick to the measured 25ml of vodka too, as a generous free pour adds those extra calories you want to avoid.

2. Cosy Orange Whisky & Ginger

As the evenings get colder, whisky and ginger is a hard combination to beat. Clearer Twist’s low-sugar Ginger Ale brings the bubbles and that familiar ginger warmth, while fresh orange and cinnamon give this version an extra autumnal kick.

How to Make It

Step 1 – Fill a short glass generously with ice.

Step 2 – Pour in the whisky and fresh orange juice.

Step 3 – Add two dashes of Angostura bitters.

Step 4 – Stir the ingredients together.

Step 5 – Top with chilled high pH ginger ale.

Step 6 – Cut a strip of peel from a fresh orange.

Step 7 – Gently twist the peel over the glass to release its citrus oils, then drop it into the drink.

Step 8 – Add a cinnamon stick and give everything one final stir.

Keep the calories down

You only need 10ml of fresh orange juice to bring citrus into this autumn cocktail. By twisting the orange peel over the finished drink, you release its fragrant oils too, giving you even more of the delectable orange aroma without another pour of juice. Clearer Twist’s Ginger Ale is low in sugar and calories, so it also works well when you want to keep the mixer lighter.

2. Apple & Spice Hot Toddy

A Hot Toddy was made for the colder evenings, but we’re taking this one firmly into autumn with cloudy apple, cinnamon, cloves and fresh orange. This low-calorie Hot Toddy keeps the whisky and honey measurements low, so you get a warming cocktail without accidentally turning a generous pour and several spoonfuls of honey into a calorific drink.

How to Make It

Step 1 – Add the whisky, apple juice, lemon juice and honey to a heatproof glass or mug.

Step 2 – Pour in the hot water.

Step 3 – Stir until the honey has completely dissolved.

Step 4 – Add the cinnamon stick and cloves.

Step 5 – Twist the orange peel over the drink to release its oils, then drop it into the glass.

Step 6 – Leave everything to infuse for a couple of minutes, allowing the flavours of the spices to develop.

Keep the calories down

A little apple juice goes a long way in a hot drink, so keep it to 25ml and use the cinnamon, cloves and orange peel to build the autumn flavour. One teaspoon of honey should give you enough sweetness, but taste it before deciding whether you need any more.

2. Perfectly Pear & Ginger Gin

Ripe pear and warming ginger make a lovely combination once the autumn months arrive. This low-calorie autumn cocktail uses fresh pear for sweetness, with low-sugar ginger ale bringing a fiery ginger kick and plenty of bubbles, creating a lighter drink without reaching for a diet mixer packed with artificial sweetness.

How to Make It

Step 1 – Add two slices of pear and the lemon juice to your glass.

Step 2 – Gently muddle the pear until it begins to release its juice.

Step 3 – Fill the glass with ice.

Step 4 – Pour in the gin.

Step 5 – Top with chilled ginger ale.

Step 6 – Stir well so the pear flavour runs through the drink.

Step 7 – Garnish with the remaining pear slice.

Step 8 – Finish with a light grating of nutmeg.

Keep the calories down

Use a soft, ripe pear and let the fruit provide the sweetness instead of adding pear syrup or liqueur. Clearer Twist Ginger Ale contains 28 calories per 100ml, so the measured 100ml serving keeps the mixer portion controlled too.

Make It a Cosy One

Autumn is the ultimate cosy season and offers some of the year’s best cocktail ingredients – so make the most of them!

But that doesn’t mean you have to ignore your health and fitness goals to enjoy a tasty, warming beverage.

You can cut a surprising number of calories just by paying attention to what goes into the glass alongside the alcohol. Measure fruit juice and honey, leave out unnecessary syrups and use a lower-sugar mixer such as Clearer Twist and you’ve got a healthier cocktail that’s just as delicious as any other.

And if you find a favourite among these five, keep the recipe handy because there are sure to be plenty of chilly evenings between now and winter to make another one.