Margarita (low-calorie)
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 20.1% ABV ∙
The "skinny margarita" swaps sugar syrup for a sugar-free sweetener, shaken with tequila reposado, triple sec and fresh lime. Bright and tart with a crisp, clean finish, the salt rim adds a savory edge while the mouthfeel stays light and brisk, not syrupy.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Rim the glass with Salt
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Tequila reposado 40 mlTriple sec 15 mlLime juice 25 mlSugar-free sweetener syrup 10 mlSalt 1/2 pinch
- Strain into the ice-filled glass
- Garnish with a lime wedge
Tips
- Rim only half the glass with salt so drinkers can choose a salted or unsalted sip each time.
- Use fresh lime juice, not bottled — with less sweetener to compensate, tired lime flavor is more noticeable here.
- Shake hard and fully dissolve the sugar-free sweetener before straining, since it can taste grainy if under-mixed.
History
The low-calorie Margarita, popularly known as the "skinny margarita," traces to reality television personality Bethenny Frankel, who in the first season of The Real Housewives of New York City, aired in 2008, ordered a self-invented drink she called her "skinny girl's Margarita" made with tequila, fresh lime juice, and a small amount of triple sec in place of the sweeter mixers used in most bar versions. She built this into the Skinnygirl Margarita brand, a bottled low-calorie cocktail line launched in 2009, which cemented "skinny" as the term for a Margarita made with fresh juice and little or no added sugar in place of sour mix, triple sec, or agave sweeteners. Bartenders later noted that a similarly lean, fresh-juice Margarita had already existed for decades before Frankel's version, meaning her contribution was less a new drink than a popularized label for cutting sweeteners from the classic build.
The Margarita itself is generally traced to the Tijuana-area borderlands of Mexico in the late 1930s and 1940s, often linked to bartender Carlos "Danny" Herrera at Rancho La Gloria, though its exact creator and date are disputed among several rival claimants. The low-calorie version keeps the same tequila, lime, and orange-liqueur structure but reduces or swaps out the sugar-heavy elements to cut calories.
FAQ
What is the lowest calorie margarita?
A skinny margarita is generally the lowest-calorie version, since it swaps regular syrup for a sugar-free sweetener. This build comes in at about 148 calories per serving and is keto-friendly.
What's in a skinny margarita?
Tequila, triple sec, fresh lime juice, and a sugar-free sweetener syrup in place of regular sugar syrup, shaken with ice and served over ice with a salt rim and lime wedge. This version uses tequila reposado specifically, which gives it a slightly rounder, oak-tinged base than a blanco would.
How do you make a skinny margarita?
Rim a chilled glass with salt, then shake tequila, triple sec, fresh lime juice, and a sugar-free sweetener syrup hard with ice. Strain into the ice-filled glass and garnish with a lime wedge; the shake is what aerates and chills the drink properly since the sweetener doesn't add the body that sugar syrup would.
What is the 3:2:1 rule for margaritas?
The 3:2:1 rule is a classic Margarita ratio of three parts tequila, two parts orange liqueur, and one part lime juice. This build uses a different balance, leaning more on lime juice and adding a sugar-free sweetener to cut calories while keeping the drink from tasting too tart.
