In late September, Applebee’s Bar & Grill announced that it would serve $1 margaritas — known as “Dollaritas” — for customer appreciation month during October.
My husband and I decided to give the restaurant a chance. But the Dollaritas were, in our opinion, unpalatable. (You can read the full review here.)
The @Applebees dollarita is bottom shelf tequila w/ tap water. Don’t blame us millennials for y’all going out of business. Y’all just suck.
— Alejandra (@alelacolochita) October 8, 2017
When the chain restaurant announced a “sequel to the Dollarita,” a Long Island Iced Tea known as “Dollar L.I.T.,” we decided to give Applebee’s a second chance.
Why not? We like living dangerously. And the early Twitter reviews on December 1 seemed promising.
Very sweet, good flavor, clear in color with a hint of that club coke soda we all know and love. Premade mix in a cold beverage dispenser. On an empty stomach so the hopes are high. #Applebees #DollarLIT
— Matt Bentz (@ogol_mattyice) December 1, 2017
We each went with a dollar in our pocket. But we ended up spending way more.
The Dollar L.I.T. was better than we anticipated. Personally, I don’t drink Long Island Iced Teas, but this one had a distinct soda taste, and it had a solid amber color. It was a little watered down, but I’d argue that it was still more than worth the $1 we paid.
With other beverage options at the bar, we didn’t bother to drink a second one, but we stayed at the restaurant and had a follow-up beer. Then, unexpectedly, we ordered dinner.
It turns out we weren’t the only ones who came for the $1 drinks and ended up staying for the food, something we hadn’t considered trying during the first visit.
Just ordered a chicken sandwich for $11.50 with some loaded fries at a side upgrade of $1.50. On my fourth ($4) Long Island now and things are becoming hazy. Applebee’s ended up getting the better of my wallet today. I suppose this was their plan all along. #Applebees #DollarLIT
— Matt Bentz (@ogol_mattyice) December 1, 2017
Essentially, the marketing trap got the best of us. But we didn’t mind the random, cheap date night.
Since it was a Friday night, the bar area was packed, and bartenders were busy slinging both glass and plastic cups of Dollar L.I.T.
A spokesperson for Applebee’s told BuzzFeed Food that Long Island Ice Tea is one of the restaurant’s “top five bestselling cocktails.” The dollar beverage includes “1.5 ounces of spirit … in each drink.”
During the Dollarita month, a bartender revealed that the margarita was essentially water and cheap margarita mix.
On Twitter, a person asked if an Applebee’s bartender was brave enough to reveal the secret behind the Dollar L.I.T.
Okay #Applebees employees, who is brave enough to disclose what’s REALLY in the $1 Long Island? #dollarlit
— ethaη (@tweethan25) December 1, 2017
Surprisingly, someone responded…
A premixed bottle of Long Island, sour mix, and Pepsi. We make them in batches. So we don’t have to make 500 separate ones a day.
— Natalie Chatman (@__n3stle) December 4, 2017
In a press release, the company wrote that the recipe for the Dollar L.I.T. was pretty straightforward:
It’s made with a combination of five spirits: rum, vodka, gin, tequila and triple sec. We pour the spirits over ice, add sweet and sour mix, and top it off with a splash of cola for a delicious cocktail. Exact spirit brands may vary, but they are all prepared with the same amount of 75-proof alcohol.
Even though the Dollar L.I.T. is allegedly made in batches using a similar process as the Dollarita, most people didn’t seem to mind:
@Applebees
I seriously love you guys for this#DollarLIT #LIT
This is best holiday deal I’ve ever seen please make this annual pic.twitter.com/QgYRsegWRm— It’Z Ya Boy Bug-Z (@itzyaboyBugZ) December 2, 2017
So uh… @Applebees I kinda love you right now… these Long Island Teas are on the strong side… #applebees #dollarlit #godhatesdetroit #DetroitLions #drinklocal #SundayFunday pic.twitter.com/EyH0SsjRgY
— William Hall III (@bjhall03) December 3, 2017
Regardless, had I only came here to drink long islands, I could estimate a total of 7 getting me to a happy medium. With a major headache to follow, I can certify Applebee’s has done its due diligence. #Applebees #DollarLIT
— Matt Bentz (@ogol_mattyice) December 1, 2017
Raise your hand if you got drunk off of one Long Island iced tea at Applebee’s ??????
— Jenny J (@Jenny_Johnstone) September 19, 2017
Those $1 Long Island Ice Teas @ #Applebees !! #DollarLIT @Applebees pic.twitter.com/Lcg3p61zRW
— Big Mack (@radiobigmack) December 3, 2017
The Dollar L.I.T. will be available during the month of December at participating locations. But if you’re planning on going for $1 drinks, be sure to set a budget before you go.
This is just our experience with the Dollar L.I.T. What did you think? Let us know in the comments below.
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