Data ranking

Low Sugar Brandy Cocktails — Ranked by Data

The lowest-sugar Brandy cocktails in this data are Brandy and Soda (0.0g sugar), Brandy Cobbler (0.0g sugar), Hennessy Martini (1.5g sugar).

Brandy 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 brandy 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 1.5g.

130Recipes reviewed

25Matching this guide

1.5gMedian sugar

160 kcalMedian calories

25.4%Median ABV

Ranked recipes

#	Drink	Why it ranks	Sugar	Nutrition	Alcohol	Best for
1	Brandy and Soda	0.0g sugar	0.0g	143 kcal · 0.0g carbs	19.9% ABV · 1.33 std	Quick, easy serve
2	Brandy Cobbler	0.0g sugar	0.0g	144 kcal · 0.0g carbs	16.0% ABV · 1.33 std	Any occasion
3	Hennessy Martini	1.5g sugar	1.5g	155 kcal · 4.1g carbs	20.0% ABV · 1.33 std	Quick, easy serve
4	A. J.	2.1g sugar	2.1g	118 kcal · 2.7g carbs	24.0% ABV · 1.00 std	Quick, easy serve
5	English Highball	2.2g sugar	2.2g	140 kcal · 3.1g carbs	17.6% ABV · 1.25 std	Any occasion
6	Bull's Eye	2.4g sugar	2.4g	101 kcal · 3.6g carbs	17.0% ABV · 0.85 std	Quick, easy serve
7	Jack-in-the-Box Cocktail	3.0g sugar	3.0g	87 kcal · 3.8g carbs	20.4% ABV · 0.69 std	Quick, easy serve
8	Jack-In-The-Box	3.0g sugar	3.0g	89 kcal · 3.8g carbs	19.7% ABV · 0.67 std	Quick, easy serve
9	Brandy Sour	0.0g sugar	0.0g	142 kcal · 0.0g carbs	40.0% ABV · 1.33 std	Any occasion
10	Mississippi Planters Punch	0.0g sugar	0.0g	142 kcal · 0.0g carbs	42.2% ABV · 1.41 std	Any occasion
11	Thunderclap Cocktail	0.0g sugar	0.0g	160 kcal · 0.0g carbs	42.9% ABV · 1.61 std	Quick, easy serve
12	Barton Special	0.0g sugar	0.0g	248 kcal · 0.0g carbs	41.9% ABV · 2.44 std	Quick, easy serve
13	Gotham	0.0g sugar	0.0g	323 kcal · 0.0g carbs	43.9% ABV · 2.99 std	Any occasion
14	Apple Rum Rickey	0.4g sugar	0.4g	111 kcal · 2.3g carbs	27.9% ABV · 1.05 std	Quick, easy serve
15	Bermuda Highball	0.9g sugar	0.9g	131 kcal · 1.3g carbs	33.4% ABV · 1.25 std	Any occasion
16	Scotch Cobbler	0.9g sugar	0.9g	168 kcal · 1.3g carbs	43.9% ABV · 1.65 std	Any occasion
17	Brantini	1.2g sugar	1.2g	245 kcal · 1.8g carbs	35.1% ABV · 2.34 std	Quick, easy serve
18	Brunswick Street Cocktail	1.3g sugar	1.3g	277 kcal · 5.4g carbs	25.4% ABV · 1.95 std	Quick, easy serve
19	Victor	1.5g sugar	1.5g	161 kcal · 2.1g carbs	37.6% ABV · 1.56 std	Quick, easy serve
20	Bolero Cocktail	2.2g sugar	2.2g	225 kcal · 3.1g carbs	37.1% ABV · 2.16 std	Quick, easy serve
21	Bentley	2.4g sugar	2.4g	183 kcal · 3.6g carbs	31.6% ABV · 1.58 std	Quick, easy serve
22	Jersey Lightning Cocktail	6.4g sugar	6.4g	244 kcal · 10.8g carbs	22.6% ABV · 1.88 std	Quick, easy serve
23	Boston Side Car	6.6g sugar	6.6g	186 kcal · 11.6g carbs	19.6% ABV · 1.05 std	Any occasion
24	Boston Sidecar Cocktail	6.6g sugar	6.6g	186 kcal · 11.6g carbs	19.6% ABV · 1.39 std	Any occasion
25	Porto flip	6.8g sugar	6.8g	210 kcal · 10.0g carbs	21.8% ABV · 1.29 std	Quick, easy serve

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

Best picks by use case

Lowest sugar

Gotham

0.0g estimated sugar

~323 kcal · 0.0g sugar

Lowest calories

Jack-in-the-Box Cocktail

~87 kcal estimated

~87 kcal · 3.0g sugar

Simplest recipe

Bentley

2 ingredients

~183 kcal · 2.4g 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 brandy 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 brandy 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 brandy cocktail in this list has the least sugar?: Based on WhatDrink recipe data, Brandy and Soda 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 brandy 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 brandy cocktails are on this page?: This ranking includes 25 brandy 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 brandy specifically?: Brandy is the base spirit, which sets the alcohol foundation. The mixers and modifiers around it determine most of the sugar and calorie variation, making brandy cocktails a useful controlled comparison.