TikTok Is Loving This Bartender's Low Calorie Cocktail Tip

Is a low-calorie cocktail an oxymoron, the way that cheerful pessimists and open secrets and definite maybes are? Not according to TikTok handle and self-described bartender since 2010 @michellebellexo who recently posted a hack that has the social media platform writing her gratitude letters. The bartender-TikTok sensation, who will also teach you how to make a PB&J shot should you so desire — or a (probably not low-calorie) apple pie moonshine cocktail — has the perfect solution for cocktail cravers who want to watch their calorie intake.

Take it from @michellebellexo's followers, who are exclaiming "genius," and "this is the most resourceful TikTok I have ever seen," and "no hangovers either baby and ur not dehyradted at all" — this is a tool you'll want arsenal. If you're laser-focused on cutting calories, maybe try @michellebellexo's hack and watch your proof. By that, we mean that 80 proof liquors contain fewer calories than 90 proof liquors contain fewer calories than 100 proof liquors (via LiveStrong). 

Read on: this is not one of those tricks that will make your bartender rue the day they let you through the door. On the contrary, says @michellebellexo, this trick makes bar employees lives' easier. 

Picture this. Next time you want a truly low-calorie cocktail experience, walk into a bar (like Uma Thurman in "Pulp Fiction" or like Scarlett Johanssen in "Lost in Translation" or like Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark") and order ... a vodka with water. No, seriously, that's all you need to order. For flavor, @michellebellexo suggests that "you just buy your favorite flavor addititve" and that after mixing some in yourself, "it won't take like alcohol and it adds no calories" (via TikTok).  

Clearly, vodka, water, and the flavor additive of your choice are probably not going to give you any spectacular fizz or flavor complexity. But, if you opt for a flavor enhancer with electrolytes you might be able to convince yourself that you're hydrating on your night out. Finally, if you prefer more elaborate cocktails, adding natural flavor enhancers like mint leaves, cucumbers, and even mineral salt might add a bit of depth to your cocktail's flavor without simultaneously upping its calorie count (via TJ's Taste).