No-Dump ****tail Recipes

It seems quite a few of used to enjoy an occasional ****tail before undergoing weight loss surgery and now are searching for creative alternative recipes for ****tails that aren't so laden with sugar that they will quckly usher in an episode of dumping syndrome.  I have done a little bit of searching and found a few recipes to share with the rest of you. Before I share them with you though please understand that this is intended for those of you who understand the risks of drinking and how to do it responsibly - especially with the increased sensitivity to alchohol you now possess to go along with your new physiology. Just in case you didn't know, there have been numerous studies that show that those who have undergone gastric bypass surgery basically become intoxicated at a rate and intensity much higher then those who haven't. ONLY ONE DRINK may put you over the legal limit. So NEVER DRINK (even one drink) AND  DRIVE after gastric bypass. Many of us are also at a higher risk of what is known as "transfer addiction" - simply put, given that your former addiction to food has pretty much been cut off, you are now at risk for "transferring" that addiction to some other habit that fills the void left behind. DO NOT let that void be filled by a destructive new habit like alcoholism! That said, if you are one of those people who are reading this post and still feel some need to "flame" me for being an "enabler" or "irresponsible" so that you can somehow feel like a better person for it, then go ahead, I really don't care! I know that the overwhelming majority of the people who participate on OH see those kind of people for what they are, and frankly, I don't care about other's opinions that much anyway. We're all grown-ups and can make responsible decisions for ourselves. So without any further rambling from me, here are the recipes I found - all on a website hocking a book called Low-Carb ****tails http://www.lowcarb****tails.com :

Banana Bird 1 ounce bourbon 2 teaspoons banana sugar-free syrup 2 teaspoons triple sec (substitute orange sugar-free syrup) 1 ounce heavy cream Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a chilled ****tail glass. Nutritional Facts: Protein: 0 Carbohydrates: 0 Calories: 164

Beau’s Sister 1 1/2 ounces brandy 1 ounce crème de menthe (substitute Crème de Menthe sugar-free syrup) 1 ounce heavy cream 1 scoop crushed ice Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a chilled ****tail glass. Nutritional Facts: Protein: 0 Carbohydrates: 0 Calories: 206.5

Bronx ****tail 2 ounces gin 1/2 ounce orange juice (substitute Sugar-Free Tang® for orange juice) 1/2 ounce dry vermouth 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a chilled ****tail glass. Nutritional Facts: Protein: 0 Carbohydrates: 0 Calories: 150

Campfire Sally 1 1/2 ounces bourbon 1/2 ounce Rose’s lime juice 1/2 ounce triple sec (substitute orange sugar-free syrup) Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into an old-fashioned glass with ice. Nutritional Facts: Protein: 0 Carbohydrates: 2.8 grams Calories: 104

Cape Codder 2 ounces vodka Dash of Rose’s lime juice 2 ounces cranberry juice (Ocean Spray® Light Cranberry Juice ****tail) 1 teaspoon simple syrup (sugar-free) Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a chilled old-fashioned glass with ice. Nutritional Facts: Protein: 0 Carbohydrates: 5.6 grams Calories: 140

Gin and Tonic 2 ounces gin 5 ounces diet tonic water Lime wedge Shake both the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into an old-fashioned glass with ice. Garnish with the lime wedge. Nutritional Facts: Protein: 0 Carbohydrates: 0 Calories: 130

Gingersnap 3 ounces vodka 1 ounce gingerbread sugar-free syrup Club soda Mix the vodka and gingerbread sugar-free syrup in a shaker with ice and strain into an old-fashioned-glass with ice. Top off with the club soda. Nutritional Facts: Protein: 0 Carbohydrates: 0 Calories: 195

Cuba Libre 1 1/2 ounces light rum Diet cola 1/4 lime Mix the rum and diet cola in an old-fashioned glass with ice. Squeeze the lime on top and stir. Nutritional Facts: Protein: 0 Carbohydrates: 1.4 grams Calories: 97.5

Ice Pick 1 1/2 ounces vodka 6 ounces iced tea 1 teaspoon SPLENDA® sweetener Lemon wedge Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into an old-fashioned-glass with ice. Nutritional Facts: Protein: 0 Carbohydrates: 0 Calories: 97.5

Lemon Drop Martini 2 ounces lemon vodka 2 ounces sweet ‘n’ sour mix (sugar-free) 1 teaspoon SPLENDA® sweetener Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a chilled ****tail glass. Nutritional Facts: Protein: 0 Carbohydrates: 0 Calories: 130

Polynesian Pepper Pot 1 1/2 ounces vodka 3/4 ounce gold rum 2 ounces pineapple sugar-free syrup 1/2 ounce orgeat (almond sugar-free syrup) 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon heavy cream Several dashes of Tabasco 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper Curry powder Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into an old-fashioned glass with ice. Sprinkle the curry powder on top. Nutritional Facts: Protein: 0 Carbohydrates: 0 Calories: 212.5

Princeton ****tail 1 ounce gin 1 ounce dry vermouth 1 ounce Rose’s lime juice Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a chilled ****tail glass. Nutritional Facts: Protein: 0 Carbohydrates: 2.8 grams Calories: 93

Salty Dog 2 ounces vodka 5 ounces grapefruit juice (substitute Crystal Light® Ruby Red Grapefruit for grapefruit juice) 2 teaspoon salt Lime wedge Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a chilled ****tail glass. Nutritional Facts: Protein: 0 Carbohydrates: 0 Calories: 130

Salty Dog 2 ounces vodka 5 ounces grapefruit juice (substitute Crystal Light® Ruby Red Grapefruit for grapefruit juice) 2 teaspoon salt Lime wedge Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a chilled ****tail glass. Nutritional Facts: Protein: 0 Carbohydrates: 0 Calories: 130

Vodka Cooler 2 ounces vodka 4 ounces diet lemon-lime soda 1 lemon wedge Mix the vodka and diet lemon-lime soda in an old-fashioned glass with ice and stir. Garnish with the lemon wedge. Nutritional Facts: Protein: 0 Carbohydrates: 0 Calories: 130

I THINK THE SALTY DOG IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE!

There is a great lo-carb rita recipe on food.com! I make it all the time for parties and everybody loves it... its just fresh lemon and lime juice, water and splenda :-) and tequilia of course!!!

vodka cooler. yummm! thanks for all the recipes!

Thanks for the suggestions! Having just started the WLS journey, one potential problem I had was having the surgery my senior year of college and not being able to socially hang out with my friends who just drink all weekend long, you know you have those friends!! So thanks so much! This will help for that occassional drink! You're the best. Meg

Please tell me you aren't drinking at what, 4 months, out.  This is not a flame - this is me sincerely being curious and concerned - it seems like from your little avitar thingy that says your name and surgery date that you just had surgery in April of 2007.  Now your surgeon may well have different guidelines when it comes to alcohol and what not but I have NEVER heard of any surgeon allowing their patients to drink at 4 months out.  Are YOU actually drinking or are you just posting these recipes for our benefit? I enjoy a low-sugar mojito every now and again (starting when I got to be 13-14 months out) so I see no harm in an OCCASIONAL drink - I would just be concerned for someone not very far out hurting themselves with alcohol too soon. You sound like you know what you are doing - I am very impressed at your posts.  Just to add an extra FYI: Not only does alcohol make post-ops drunk faster on less alcohol, it also can cause a rapid rise in blood sugar followed by potentially dangerous crashes in your blood sugar levels (kind of like a diabetic sugar crash).  It also dehydrates and is acidic, so it is a huge culprit behind ulcers in NORMAL stomachs so with our pouches that are already ulcer prone we have to be extra careful and concious of how it feels going down.  This is all besides the fact that most alcoholic drinks high calorie beverages so they are a poor nutritional choice the same way a krispy kreme is a poor nutritional choice.  Unlike a donut however, because it is a liquid you will be physically able to put more of it in your pouch at a time (since it moves right through, unlike solid food) so it is really easy to get waay too many calories by drinking them.  In moderation if you have enough personal control and will power alcohol is no problem - but these things should be kept in mind. You might have already known all that, but if not, now you know and it is avaliable for anyone else who might not have been aware. 

my surgeon says I can drink at 3 months out! ? Not only that but he supplies us with lists of alcohol and the calorie content so that we will be aware of what is going into our bodies.

Amy, Thanks for the extra info about the effects of alchohol I had not heard about the blood sugar swings, although I can honestly say I didn't notice "feeling" that way when I drank. That said, I have only tried it once so far - at just passed 3 months out, one Miller Lite, and it was pretty much as advertised - quick intoxication, followed by quick sobering, and no the first carbonation to enter my pouch since the surgery did not irritate me or leave me gassy. I acknowledge that is not enough times to say for sure that alcohol has no negative effects on me and that it surely doesn't mean someone else would react the same way. The position of my surgeons at Duke University is that we can try drinking after we reach 3 months, with the caveats that we can become intoxicated faster, transfer addiction, foam may not sit well, and that we have to pay close attention to how it effects us because different people react differently. I drank about once a month, and to intoxication about every 4 to 6 months before surgery, and crave it even less so far.

1. I am from Wisconsin, so all that we do is eat cheese and drink when not working(PS Happy cows DO come from Wisconsin) 2. I had Vodka and Crystal lite Raspberry Ice last week. Only drank half and was pretty buzzed. Now I know what your thinking. 2 weeks post op. I didn't dump or anything. My Dr never advised me that I cannot drink. Maybe it vary's from Dr to Dr.

I dont dump.. being banded... But I do appreciate the list.. being they are low carb.. and carbs are evil to bandster. I do need to avoid carbonation.. it expands my pouch and hurts like hell! Thanks for the list. Amanda