OFFICIAL REVIEW: Drink Skinny Margarita Mix

Thursday, May 19, 2011

I was at The Drinkery for a wine tasting last night and they got in this little gem that I had to try. Drink Skinny Margarita Mix is a low calorie margarita mix that promises a low-calorie, all natural margarita mix that tastes good. I had to take the plunge and try it.

 

For starters, don't expect to find this stuff at your local Market Basket. This is sold in select gourmet shops and health food stores, and at $9.95 a bottle, it's not the cheapest margarita mix you'll ever buy. Their claim to fame is the sweetener, derived from the stevia plant. It's sort of like splenda but more natural. Be warned about any sweetener like this though, too much of it at once and you will have a terrible evening in the closest bathroom. Gross, I know, but it had to be said to spare everyone'e insides.

 

For my test I decided on an "Everyman's tequila" as the alcohol part of this classic drink. I chose Sauza Tequila since it's affordable while still tasting good. I followed the directions on the label for a 6oz margarita, four ounces of Drink Skinny Margarita Mix and two ounces of Sauza tequila. I'm not a big frozen drink fan so I gave my blender the night off and decided on a classic margarita shaken over ice.

 

My first thoughts are on the appearance once mixed. It looks like a margarita, even though the color is slightly paler than any of the more traditional mixes. It does "froth" when shaken just like a regular mix. I decided to forego any salt or sugar rim so I could focus on the taste of the mix.

 

Now about the taste. It TASTES like a margarita, but there is that little aftertaste that is typical of any "artificial" sweetener. You can call stevia whatever you want, but it's still a plant extract, and as such someone had to extract it using artificial means. There is also the hint of the fruit juices that are used in the mix as well, but the stevia tends to linger longer on your tongue than the juice.

 

Of course the point of using natural products is to eat healthier, right? Well Drink Skinny has 6 grams of carbs and is 20 calories per serving. There's no fat or sodium which is awesome, because now you can feel less guilty about throwing some extra salt on the rim which this drink will need to cut the stevia aftertaste. A margarita mixed in accordance with the directions on the Drink Skinny label has 148 calories if mixed with an 80 proof tequila, about the same calories as a beer.

 

My overall rating would be a 4 out of 5 stars, if I were a professional reviewer. I'm not, but I'll still use it. This is a great way to have a nice end-of-the-day drink without feeling too guilty. Because of the stevia I wouldn't recommend this mix for a party setting where people may be indulging in multiple drinks, unless you bought lots of toilet paper and rented a couple porta-potties.