Healthy Cocktails

Beer bellies are not only for men any more. Continue to drink beer and high calorie cocktails and girls you become victim of the beer gut for girls. But your happy hour doesn't have to destroy your diet or your figure. 1 gram of alcohol can have 7 calories, 1.5 ounces of standard 80-proof alcohol has 96 calories alone. 

"It's the mixers, syrups, and sodas that really get people into calorie trouble, because most drinks start with 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits that only have around 96 calories, but mixologists can easily turn that into a drink with hundreds of calories," says Carolyn O'Neil, MS, RD, co-author of The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous.

According to WebMD, a single glass of wine can contain 125-150 calories. MD offers these five tips for cutting back on the calories in your cocktails: 

1. Alternate alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks to save calories. The savvy dieter finishes one cocktail, glass of wine or beer, then has a "mocktail" -- a nonalcoholic, preferably zero-calorie beverage (like sparkling water with a lime) that looks like the real thing. This strategy not only reduces the risk of over-consuming calories and alcohol, but it also helps you stay hydrated so your head will thank you in the morning!

"It is a good idea to start the evening with a tall glass of water or sparkling water to satisfy your thirst so you won't use the alcoholic beverage to do it for you," adds Gerbstadt.

2. Choose wine, light beer, or simple cocktails made with low-calorie mixers. Just as you might order your salad with dressing on the side, don't be shy about asking for your cocktail your way.

"You can save 100 calories if you have a diet soda as your mixer," says Dawn Blatner-Jackson, MS, RD, author of The Flexitarian Diet. 

Mix cocktails with water, club soda, low calorie juices, artificial sweeteners or sugar-free syrups for easy calorie savings. Fruit and vegetable juices can be good choices because they are lower in calories than some other mixers and also contain disease-preventing antioxidants. Still, "be careful of fruit juices because even though they are more nutritious, the calories can add up quickly," says Blatner-Jackson.

Some mixers that won't pack on the pounds include:

• Diet soda or diet tonic: 0 calories
• Orange juice (6 oz): 84 calories
• Cranberry juice cocktail (8 oz): 136 calories
• Light orange juice (8 oz): 50 calories
• Light cranberry juice (8 oz): 40 calories
• Light lemonade (8 oz): 5 calories
• Coffee, tea: 0 calories
• Baja Bob's sugar-free margarita or sweet 'n' sour mix: 0 calories
• Lemon or lime juice (1/2 oz): 10 calories
• DaVinci or Torani's sugar-free syrups: 0

3. Skip the mixer altogether. Try ordering your favorite spirit or one of the new flavored liquors on the rocks. "Infused vodkas are very popular because they are not sweetened but infused with flavors, from jalapeno to peach, without adding any extra calories," says O'Neil.

4. Dilute your drink. Another option is diluting your drink with club soda or sparkling water. Wine spritzers are a low-calorie standby. And if you usually drink vodka and cranberry, for example, try it with club soda, just a splash of cranberry juice, and a squeeze of lime. Garnish with a wedge of citrus or pineapple to add flavor and few calories.

5. Have a game plan. Before heading out to the cocktail party or happy hour, make sure you have a game plan. Decide in advance the number of cocktails you are going to drink and cut back on calories during the day in anticipation. But eat a light snack before you go so you won't get tipsy with the first drink and it will be less tempted to dive into the food. Always be aware of your own personal limits. Don't drink too much, and, of course, don't drink and drive.

Find out how many calories are in your favorite cocktails at webmd.com.

How to Pour the Perfect Beer

1-800-Bartend

Becoming a bartender has many rewards. History has shown that even if the economy worsens, bar sales increase. Money is automatic, you can make any where from $50 to $1,000. When I was a bartender in Cleveland, cocktail waitresses sometimes went home with the maximum amount. Learning how to bartend does not mean you must take classes, but 1-800-Bartend offers instruction on becoming a bartender including learning how to memorize drinks, stay social with your guests and still maintain control. Since 1994 1-800-Bartend has graduated thousands of some of the nations best bartenders.
Though it is not necessary to have a license or certification to bartend, you may have to take an alcohol awareness test before bartending. The demand for bartenders is high right now because of the economy and even if you have difficulty finding one, 1-800-Bartend has a placement program that will assist you in finding one.

Table Taps

Imagine a trip to the bar filled with virtually no-wait service. Table taps give you just that.

A recent addition to Cleveland's Barley House, table taps allow guests to pour their own beer right from their table. But don't get too excited, there is a limit to the amount you may consume. A small LED screen allows your server to swipe a card which allots 24 ounces per guest. After each guest is given 24 ounces the system automatically shuts off by may be restarted if the server feels it is safe for you to consume more.

Tipping

In the United States it is customary to tip service employees. This, however, does not always ring true in other countries. Depending on how you were raised is typically how and when you might decide to tip. Growing up, my parents typically tipped servers 20 percent. Some feel that 10 percent is standard, 15 percent is good service, and 20 percent is excellent. Being a customer service industry employee, I am here to tell you this is false. What most people don't know is servers and bartenders alike do not make the state minimum wage. Currently the servers and bartenders at most Northeast Ohio bars is $3.70. If a server, on average, has five tables a night, and each only tips 10 or 15 percent, they may only walk away with $20 in one night. Imagine going to your office job and your boss telling you that your salary is then going to be based on a three dollar per hour wage. It is not simple for the single mom, college student, newly wed to make rent or house payments each month on that kind of money. If you are at the bar and do not start a tab, the standard tip is one dollar for every drink. If, however, you feel the bartender is worthy, feel free to tip more, I always welcome the added cash flow.

May I see your ID?

One of my favorite things to see at the bar is an underage person trying to use a fake ID.
Recently, a group of wrestlers from a local high school came into the bar and, while wearing their letterman's jackets, one ordered a beer and handed me an ID of a 23 year-old, bearded and what appeared to be older brother or cousin. My advice on this, just don't do it.

Under Ohio law, serving alcohol to a minor is a first-degree misdemeanor, the maximum penalty is six months in prison and/or $1,000 fine. Possession or display of a fake ID is also a first-degree misdemeanor and may result in a maximum fine of $1,000 and/or six months in prison with a minimum fine of $250.
At The Ohio State University a student may be suspended if caught for underage consumption.

Guns In Bars

There is a new law in Ohio that says people are allowed to carry guns into bars, restaurants, clubs and any other place that sells alcohol. However, the law also says the gun carrier should not drink alcohol.
Senate Bill 17 passed earlier this year and allows gun owners with a carriers license to take their guns into not only alcohol establishments but shopping malls and sports stadiums. While there are 42 states that allow carriers to take their guns into restaurants, only Tennessee and Arizona have similar laws as Ohio. Some say it's a bad idea, others argue that there are already guns in bars, only in the hands of criminals and this would give the "law-abiding citizens" the chance to shoot back.

Try not to drink too much if carrying; this new law says a carrier must not consume alcohol.