Why You Should Skip Out On Dollar Cocktails

In a classic case of "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," it turns out that dollar cocktails are not great quality. Who would have guessed? However, it's not just quality you're sacrificing by paying $1 for a margarita, it's also the amount of alcohol you're getting per drink.

According to a video posted by @bitchywaiter on Instagram, those dollar margaritas (or Dollaritas) at Applebee's are actually made of: one gallon of margarita mix concentrate, one gallon of "bottom shelf tequila," (the brand in the video is Azteca), and three gallons of tap water, all mixed together in a big plastic bucket on the floor (via Instagram). Mixing in large buckets and diluting with plenty of tap water seems to be a standard practice for many of the chain's dollar drinks, including the dollar long island iced tea, which @bitchywaiter revealed in a much older post includes four bottles of pre-made L.I.T mix that "smells like rubbing alcohol mixed with playdough," some sweet and sour mix, and three whole gallons of tap water.

So, even for a dollar, you're getting a much more diluted drink than you probably realized when ordering one of these cheap cocktails. Naturally, Instagram users had plenty to say about these revelations, both positive and negative.

If seeing how the sauce gets made is turning you off of dollar drinks, you're definitely not alone. Instagram users were quick to comment on the Dollarita recipe, some with sharp critiques for Applebee's.

One user wrote: "So I guess I'm never going there," and another: "Welcome to the waterita selling near you." However, others were more offended at the people taking offense, with one writing: "I don't know why anybody expected anything different." Another commenter wrote, "Alcohol to mixer ratio is usually 3 to 1. They did 4 to 1. A weaker drink for only $1. You get what you pay for."

However, despite the contentious opinions on the discounted drinks, the anonymous employee who submitted the Dollarita video to @bitchywaiter claims their location goes through 12 gallons of the stuff a day! (via Instagram). That's a lot of Dollaritas. 

So, clearly quantity beats out quality sometimes. After all, you can technically get drunk off the stuff...eventually. But it will take about 5 $1 L.I.T's, according to Vice, and you'll have to put up with the "stein made for babies" and a far-from-enticing pale brown liquid. Or, you can spend up on one of the chain's more expensive $5 cocktails. The choice is yours.