What does this ranking show?

This page ranks tequila cocktails by estimated sugar content. All 25 drinks come from the WhatDrink database and pass the same recipe quality filters used on individual cocktail pages.

What makes a tequila cocktail lower in sugar?

The main driver of sugar in a cocktail is the sweetener — simple syrup, liqueur, juice, or flavoured spirit. Swapping syrup for bitters, soda water, or dry vermouth eliminates most added sugar. The base spirit itself contributes negligible sugar.

Which tequila cocktail in this list has the least sugar?

Based on WhatDrink recipe data, Tequila Straight comes out lowest in estimated sugar in this ranking. Actual values depend on pour size, brand of mixer, and how the drink is prepared.

Does lower sugar always mean a healthier drink?

Not necessarily. Alcohol contributes roughly 7 kcal per gram. A drink with low sugar but high ABV can still be high in overall calories. Always check multiple metrics together rather than focusing on one alone.

How should I use this page to choose a drink?

The table lets you compare tequila cocktails side by side on sugar estimates. Click through to any individual cocktail page for the full ingredient list and nutrition breakdown. The "Top picks" panel highlights the best performers across multiple criteria.

How many tequila cocktails are on this page?

This ranking includes 25 tequila cocktails that pass WhatDrink's recipe quality and data completeness filters. The list updates as new recipes are added to the database.

Why focus on tequila specifically?

Tequila is the base spirit, which sets the alcohol foundation. The mixers and modifiers around it determine most of the sugar and calorie variation, making tequila cocktails a useful controlled comparison.

Data ranking

Lowest Sugar Tequila Cocktails, Ranked by Data

The lowest-sugar Tequila cocktails in this data are Tequila Straight (0.0g sugar), Mexicola (1.0g sugar), Montezuma (2.0g sugar).

Tequila is one of the more flexible spirits for lower-sugar mixing because it works well with soda water, lime juice, dry vermouth, and bitters — none of which add much sugar. The main source of sugar in tequila cocktails is not the spirit itself; it is the sweetener. We found 25 recipes with complete nutrition data. The median sugar across this set is 4.7g.

64Recipes reviewed

25Matching this guide

4.7gMedian sugar

188 kcalMedian calories

20.4%Median ABV

Ranked recipes

#	Drink	Why it ranks	Sugar	Nutrition	Alcohol	Best for
1	Tequila Straight	0.0g sugar	0.0g	136 kcal · 0.0g carbs	21.3% ABV · 1.42 std	Quick, easy serve
2	Mexicola	1.0g sugar	1.0g	151 kcal · 5.0g carbs	21.3% ABV · 1.42 std	Quick, easy serve
3	Montezuma	2.0g sugar	2.0g	276 kcal · 4.6g carbs	17.4% ABV · 1.74 std	Any occasion
4	110 in the shade	2.4g sugar	2.4g	305 kcal · 16.6g carbs	8.2% ABV · 2.33 std	Quick, easy serve
5	Long Island Iced Tea	0.1g sugar	0.1g	136 kcal · 0.1g carbs	42.5% ABV · 1.44 std	Any occasion
6	Paloma (Natural)	4.7g sugar	4.7g	159 kcal · 5.9g carbs	19.6% ABV · 1.42 std	Quick, easy serve
7	Long Island Tea	0.9g sugar	0.9g	142 kcal · 1.9g carbs	32.2% ABV · 1.44 std	Any occasion
8	Winter Paloma	6.2g sugar	6.2g	243 kcal · 10.1g carbs	20.4% ABV · 2.12 std	Any occasion
9	3-Mile Long Island Iced Tea	6.4g sugar	6.4g	197 kcal · 9.2g carbs	24.6% ABV · 1.67 std	Any occasion
10	Tequini Cocktail	2.4g sugar	2.4g	207 kcal · 3.6g carbs	29.6% ABV · 1.99 std	Quick, easy serve
11	Tequini	2.4g sugar	2.4g	209 kcal · 3.6g carbs	29.3% ABV · 1.97 std	Quick, easy serve
12	Tequila Matador	6.9g sugar	6.9g	182 kcal · 12.6g carbs	14.2% ABV · 1.42 std	Quick, easy serve
13	Tequila Manhattan	3.0g sugar	3.0g	186 kcal · 4.1g carbs	33.5% ABV · 1.69 std	Quick, easy serve
14	T.N.T. Cocktail No. 2	7.7g sugar	7.7g	99 kcal · 7.7g carbs	10.5% ABV · 0.71 std	Quick, easy serve
15	Gentle Ben	3.8g sugar	3.8g	221 kcal · 4.2g carbs	38.6% ABV · 2.15 std	Any occasion
16	Tequila Sour	4.1g sugar	4.1g	157 kcal · 5.8g carbs	26.7% ABV · 1.42 std	Any occasion
17	Vagabundo	8.1g sugar	8.1g	192 kcal · 14.4g carbs	10.2% ABV · 1.42 std	Any occasion
18	Margarita	4.2g sugar	4.2g	154 kcal · 6.9g carbs	25.8% ABV · 1.29 std	Any occasion
19	Blue Margarita	8.4g sugar	8.4g	240 kcal · 15.4g carbs	14.9% ABV · 1.75 std	Any occasion
20	Alamo Splash	10.0g sugar	10.0g	215 kcal · 13.7g carbs	14.2% ABV · 1.42 std	Any occasion
21	Hot Shot Margarita	10.1g sugar	10.1g	242 kcal · 16.4g carbs	21.0% ABV · 1.75 std	Quick, easy serve
22	Sunday Confession	10.4g sugar	10.4g	176 kcal · 15.9g carbs	17.5% ABV · 1.17 std	Any occasion
23	Vampiro	10.9g sugar	10.9g	188 kcal · 12.5g carbs	18.8% ABV · 1.44 std	Any occasion
24	Mexican Madras	11.7g sugar	11.7g	207 kcal · 20.4g carbs	9.1% ABV · 1.42 std	Any occasion
25	Viva Villa	11.9g sugar	11.9g	128 kcal · 15.8g carbs	7.3% ABV · 0.71 std	Any occasion

All nutrition values are estimates based on standard recipe quantities. — = data not available.

Best picks by use case

Lowest sugar

Tequila Straight

0.0g estimated sugar

~136 kcal · 0.0g sugar

Lowest calories

T.N.T. Cocktail No. 2

~99 kcal estimated

~99 kcal · 7.7g sugar

Watch-out ingredients for sugar

Fruit juice (especially pineapple, mango, and passion fruit) — can add 10–15g sugar per 60ml serve
Flavoured liqueurs — most contain 10–20g sugar per 30ml, even ones that do not taste obviously sweet
Cordials and sweetened syrups — often 20–30g sugar per 30ml
Grenadine — very high in sugar, used in small amounts but counts
Fruit purées — natural sugar but still contributes meaningfully

Methodology

Is this guide right for you?

Good fit if:

You want to compare estimated sugar across cocktail recipes
You want to see ABV and standard drinks alongside sugar numbers
You want a data-backed shortlist rather than a generic recipe list

Poor fit if:

You assume very low sugar means low alcohol — some dry cocktails are still high-ABV
You need medical or dietary advice
You need exact bar-specific values — these are recipe estimates

Frequently asked questions

What does this ranking show?: This page ranks tequila cocktails by estimated sugar content. All 25 drinks come from the WhatDrink database and pass the same recipe quality filters used on individual cocktail pages.
What makes a tequila cocktail lower in sugar?: The main driver of sugar in a cocktail is the sweetener — simple syrup, liqueur, juice, or flavoured spirit. Swapping syrup for bitters, soda water, or dry vermouth eliminates most added sugar. The base spirit itself contributes negligible sugar.
Which tequila cocktail in this list has the least sugar?: Based on WhatDrink recipe data, Tequila Straight comes out lowest in estimated sugar in this ranking. Actual values depend on pour size, brand of mixer, and how the drink is prepared.
Does lower sugar always mean a healthier drink?: Not necessarily. Alcohol contributes roughly 7 kcal per gram. A drink with low sugar but high ABV can still be high in overall calories. Always check multiple metrics together rather than focusing on one alone.
How should I use this page to choose a drink?: The table lets you compare tequila cocktails side by side on sugar estimates. Click through to any individual cocktail page for the full ingredient list and nutrition breakdown. The "Top picks" panel highlights the best performers across multiple criteria.
How many tequila cocktails are on this page?: This ranking includes 25 tequila cocktails that pass WhatDrink's recipe quality and data completeness filters. The list updates as new recipes are added to the database.
Why focus on tequila specifically?: Tequila is the base spirit, which sets the alcohol foundation. The mixers and modifiers around it determine most of the sugar and calorie variation, making tequila cocktails a useful controlled comparison.