These Healthy NYC Cocktails Are Practically Good For You

Between the alcohol and various syrupy additions to the ingredients list, cocktails are one of the most calorific and unhealthy vices. But if you avoid tiki-style, sugar-laden concoctions and pick beverages mixed with veggie juice and antioxidant-rich spices happy hour becomes a little healthier.

Detox Retox at Catch

Restaurant, Coffee Shop, Japanese, American, Seafood

Ingredients: Viva XXXII Joven Tequila, matcha tea, fresh cucumber, mint, lime.

Good for you because: Matcha (finely ground, powdered green tea leaves) is packed with antioxidants. Studies show it can improve your mood and give you a sustained energy boost without the jitters of coffee.

Garden Variety Margarita at The Wayland

Bar, Cocktail Bar, Juice Bar, American, Pub Grub

Ingredients: Blanco tequila, ginger and kale juice, lime, agave nectar, smoked sea salt.

Good for you because: Kale is high in iron, vitamin K, and fatty acids which fight inflammation.

Ginger Rogers Sour at The Lucky Bee

Ingredients: Bourbon, fresh ginger juice, fresh lemon, lemongrass-infused honey.

Good for you because: Ginger is great for soothing the stomach and aiding digestion, which makes it an ideal complement for booze.

The Lucky Bee, 252 Broome Street, New York, NY, USA, 10002 +1 (917) 262 0329
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Casablanca at Slowly Shirley

Bar, Cocktail Bar, Pub Grub

Ingredients: Gin, rum, dates, turmeric, harissa, honey, lemon, Majon Dry Spanish Gin, Scarlet Ibis Trinidad Rum.

Good for you because: Antioxidant-rich turmeric fights inflammation, eases indigestion and can even boost your immunity.

Lowside Special at Fresh Kills

Bar, Cocktail Bar, Juice Bar, Pub Grub

Ingredients: Amaro Lucano, fresh juices of pineapple and lemon, house-made orgeat (sweet syrup made from almonds, sugar, and rose water), cracked pepper and soda water.

Good for you because: This cocktail is low on alcohol and contains hydrating fruit juices and soda water to help prevent hangovers.

Mace at Mace

Bar, Cocktail Bar, American

Ingredients: Aperol, aquavit, beet juice, orange acid, young Thai coconut cordial, mace mist

Good for you because: Besides being high in vitamin C and potassium, beets are also great for your liver, thanks to betaine, an amino acid that helps aid detoxification.

Bison at Night of Joy

Bar, Cocktail Bar, Pub Grub

Ingredients: Bison Grass Vodka, apple juice, goji berries

Good for you because: Goji berries are rich in antioxidants and contain the full spectrum of essential amino acids—eight in total. Crucially, they’ve also been shown to help stabilize blood sugar, which makes them a useful addition to any alcoholic beverage.
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About the author

Esme Benjamin

Wellness Editor

Born and raised in Bristol, England, Esme has been geeking out over syntax her entire life. She studied English Lit by the Brighton seaside before moving to London to pursue her writing career in 2009, going on to work for Grazia Daily, The Telegraph and SheerLuxe. In 2013 she swapped The Big Smoke for The Big Apple, where she trained as a yoga teacher and contributed to Refinery29, Self, Fitness Magazine and Greatist. When she's not glued to her laptop or iPhone you'll find her drinking Kale Margaritas at an East Village happy hour, planning her next adventure, or hand-standing (with more vigor than skill) at the yoga studio.