If you’ve ever searched for sugar free liquor, zero sugar spirits, or lower sugar alcohol, you’re probably trying to solve a bigger problem:

how do you enjoy a great cocktail without all the sugar that often comes with it?

Here’s what many people don’t realize.

The base spirit isn’t always the problem.

Vodka, tequila, whiskey, and other traditional distilled spirits may contain little to no sugar on their own. A significant amount of the sugar in cocktails can come from everything added afterward, especially liqueurs, syrups, sweetened mixers, and juices.

And that’s exactly why we created Above Board.

What About Sugar Free Liqueurs?

Most people probably aren’t typing “sugar free liqueur” into Google.

They’re searching for things like:

Is there sugar free liquor?

What alcohol has the least sugar?

How do I make a low sugar cocktail?

Can I make a sugar free Espresso Martini?

But if you love Margaritas, Espresso Martinis, Cosmos, Old Fashioneds, or other classic cocktails, the ingredient worth paying attention to is often the liqueur.

Traditional liqueurs are designed to add flavor and sweetness, which means they can also add a surprising amount of sugar to a cocktail.

Above Board was created to change that.

We make premium liqueurs crafted without sugar, giving bartenders and cocktail lovers the flavor and function of a traditional liqueur without the traditional sugar load.

And coffee cocktails are one of the best examples.

Why Coffee Cocktails Are Everywhere

The Espresso Martini has gone from a retro favorite to one of the most recognizable cocktails on menus today.

It works after dinner. It works at brunch. It works for happy hour. And it gives you that perfect combination of coffee, cocktail, and a little indulgence.

But a traditional Espresso Martini can also contain sugar from several different places, including coffee liqueur, simple syrup, flavored syrups, and other sweeteners.

So we asked a pretty simple question:

Why should an Espresso Martini need all that sugar to taste great?

It doesn’t.

Meet the Zero Sugar Coffee Liqueur

Above Board Coffee Liqueur is made with dark roast espresso from San Diego based Dropkick Coffee and sweetened with monk fruit and allulose instead of sugar.

The result is a zero sugar coffee liqueur with zero glycemic load, made on a gluten free neutral grain spirit base.

But removing the sugar was only half the assignment.

It still had to taste exceptional.

Above Board Coffee Liqueur went on to earn Double Gold in blind taste testing against traditional full sugar competitors.

Because making something better for you only matters if you still want to drink it.

How to Make a Zero Sugar Espresso Martini

We like to think of this as the Espresso Smartini, all the richness and ritual of an Espresso Martini without loading the cocktail with sugar.

Above Board Espresso Smartini

1 shot fresh espresso

1.5 oz Above Board Coffee Liqueur

1.5 oz vodka

Ice

Add everything to a shaker filled with ice.

Shake hard until cold and frothy, then strain into a coupe or martini glass.

That’s it.

No simple syrup needed.

Is an Espresso Martini Sugar Free?

It depends entirely on what goes into it.

Vodka itself may contribute little or no sugar, but traditional coffee liqueurs and simple syrups can quickly change the equation.

Using a zero sugar coffee liqueur like Above Board and skipping traditional simple syrup makes it possible to dramatically reduce the sugar in the cocktail without giving up the coffee flavor, body, or experience people expect from an Espresso Martini.

That distinction matters.

When people search for sugar free liquor or sugar free spirits for cocktails, they’re often looking in the right direction but asking the wrong question.

The better question may be:

What ingredients are adding sugar to my cocktail?

A Smarter Cocktail Menu Opportunity

That question matters for bars and restaurants, too.

More guests are paying attention to sugar, carbs, and what is actually going into their drinks. Yet the default better for you cocktail option is still often a vodka soda.

It doesn’t have to be.

Above Board gives beverage programs another option. Guests can enjoy the classic cocktails they already love, or discover something new, with dramatically less sugar.

A zero sugar Espresso Martini is an easy place to start.

The ingredients are familiar. The cocktail is already in demand. And the bar can offer something genuinely different without disrupting the rest of its beverage program.

Looking for Sugar Free Liquor for Cocktails? Start With What You’re Mixing Into It.

If you’re trying to drink less sugar, you don’t have to give up cocktails.

Look beyond the base spirit and pay attention to the ingredients traditionally used to build flavor and sweetness.

That’s where Above Board comes in.

Our mission is simple: create the premium liqueurs cocktails need, crafted without sugar, so people have more choices than giving up their favorite drink or ordering another vodka soda.

Starting with coffee.

Ready to Make Your Espresso Martini Smarter?

Explore Above Board Coffee Liqueur and make your own zero sugar Espresso Smartini at home, or ask for Above Board at your favorite bar or restaurant.

Because cutting the sugar shouldn’t mean cutting the cocktail.