December 2011/Prepared Foods-- The holidays can be a time for indulging and, in some cases, overindulging. Alcoholic beverages, alone, can have as many as 600 calories per serving; one recent launch in the segment is a calorie-conscious, yet quite adult, beverage.
skinny cocktails
Ivana B Skinny cocktails

Ivana B Skinny cocktails, from Importer International Spirits LLC, are wine-based and therefore promise a sweeter taste with fewer calories, the company notes. The three initial flavors are Appletini,

Cosmopolitan and Margarita (more are promised to be on the way) and feature 10% alcohol content and less than 100 calories per 5oz serving.

As Tony Elward, CEO and co-owner of International Spirits LLC, notes, "We did a lot of experimenting with alcohol-based vs. wine-based drinks and found that wine makes the drinks sweeter, more flavorful and keeps the calories lower."

The products have been launched in 16 states (Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Tennessee) plus the District of Columbia, with distribution to most states expected by mid-2012.