Drinks

Kitty Highball

August 10, 2019 by Jennifer

Low ABV (alcohol by volume) cocktails are all the rage right now. According to several sources including Liquor.com and Punch magazine, more and more bars are including these types of drinks on their menus, because more and more people want to have a cocktail that doesn’t wipe them out after they finish it.

If you’re wondering what type of cocktail constitutes a low ABV cocktail, it’s a spritz or a champagne cocktail. While it’s true that the main ingredient in both these drinks is a liquor, that liquor has at most 15 or 20 percent alcohol. Usually made up of something like wine or champagne or a liqueur with great flavor, the cocktail won’t put you under the table with just one glass. As an added bonus, these drinks also won’t add to your waistline. Yes, low alcohol content usually means low in calories, which we all know is so important during these warm summer months when we’re all doing everything we can to keep our swimsuit bods in tip top shape.

While Low ABV drinks have had an uptick in popularity recently, it doesn’t mean they’re new. They’ve actually been around for quite some time. Today’s drink dates back to the 30’s, and appears in W.C. Whitfield’s Mixed Drinks and Cocktails, a classic that ranks right up there with Savoy and The Bar-Tender’s Guide. Full of classics you know and love, Whitfield also has some drinks you may not know. Cocktails like this Kitty Highball.

Although a lot of the drinks in these tomes are potent tipples worthy of a sip or two, there are a few that qualify as low ABV as I mentioned earlier. The Kitty Highball is one, a Shandy is another. So, for these last few weeks of summer, maybe forgo the mojito or G&T. (I know, did you ever think you’d hear me say that?) This weekend give this Kitty Highball a try. Or if you’re not a big red wine fan, try a champagne cocktail or a spritz. They’re all refreshing and you’ll still be able to enjoy happy hour.