Modern Caveman Cocktails: Low Carb 'Paleo' Drink Recipes

Trying to narrow down my preferred blend for a low-carb, almost sugar-free Mai Tai. ("Almost" because I can't seem to give up on the real curacao. I know there are sugar-free syrups to approximate this but… y'know.)

Here are my current thoughts (if anyone is interested.) Basing it off Beachbum Berry's '44 Trader Vic recipe, I had been using both the Monin Sugar-Free Simple Syrup (which is great stuff for lo-carb folks) and their sugar-free Orgeat, but I have now switched to using the Torani Sugar-Free Orgeat. The Torani just seems to have a fuller flavor than the Monin which helps to fill up the hollowness that comes with sugar-free options and it also hlps mask that sucralose aftertaste. In that same train of thought I have also started cutting the fresh lime juice in half and making up the difference with Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Juice. Sacrlege I know, but it also seems to help fill in some of that "hollowness."

Now for the fun stuff. I had been using Meyers for the dark option but as my tastes matured a wee bit, I made the switch to Coruba. Strangely enough, I have recently started using Skipper's and I must confess that I am pleasantly surprised by how well it works. I had previously tried it in a non-sugar-free Mai Tai and didn't care for it that much, but it really seems to add something to the low-carb version.

So now my question. I have been using the Clement VSOP and was fairly happy with it, but lately I have been feeling that it adds too much of a medicine-y/antiseptic type flavor which gets really pronounced when you take away the sugar. So my question is, is this a flavor profile typical in all Martinique Rhums, or more specific to this particular one? Any recommendations before I blindly open my wallet?

Since we are bastardizing the hell out of it to get to the end result. I have been using the following.

1 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Sugar Free Syrup - I use DaVinci right now, Monin has a funky smell to it. Anybody got anything better bring it on.
2 Oz Rum - Any of your favorite Mai Tai Blends works. Trying to approximate TV her in ATL we use 1 - Myers 1 - Appleton Signature
1/4 tsp - Almond Extract
1/4 tsp - Orange Extract

Play with the extract ratios to get the taste you want.

After a good ketogenic January, I've been thinking more about low carb tiki drinks. In considering the the various brands of sugar substitutes and the option of making your own infused syrups and whatnot, I wonder about the role these ingredients play in each cocktail. I'm not a mixologist by any means, but it occurred to me that there are 3 factors:

• sweet taste
• texture
• volume (dilution, ratio, etc.)

Taste is going to just based on the particular artificial sweetener, and we're all going to have a personal preference there. But texture and volume matter too, which is why we can't just only add drops or packets to the recipe.
Texture is that "syrup" quality, probably most obvious with honey. The Torani sugar-free Orgeat has xanthan gum in it, which is a thickener ... so I'm wondering about making homemade sugar-free syrups, if you could do water + extract + artificial sweetener + xanthan gum? From what I've read about xanthan gum, a little bit goes a long way.
The volume seems easiest to replace with just water, and if the sweet and the texture are dialed in, the water should just go along for the ride.

Part of what has me thinking along these lines is that I've been using those Mio flavor drops in water ... seems whether it's soda or gatorade or kool aid or whatever, 99% of the beverage is just water anyway.
Might not be that weird to see a recipe for a low carb tiki cocktail call for "xx parts water"?

Let me know how that works. Always looking for ways to reduce the impacts of my drinking.

Has there been any discussion here of using Acacia Gum Syrup (aka "Gomme Syrup" or just "Gum Syrup") as a texturing and thickening agent?

I recently acquired about 10 ounces of the powder from online suppliers, and I'm going to make my first small batch of gum syrup soon. I wish I could say more, but alas, I haven't used it yet, thought I'd mention it.

Let us know how it works!!

Tiki Drifter, we've been experimenting along these lines.

Stevia drops in water has been working well as a sugar syrup and rock candy syrup substitute in Mai-Tais and a few other drinks.

Our orgeat does have sugar, but at least it's not high fructose corn syrup. And can't avoid the sugar in the alcohol itself.