When you break it down, making a homemade margarita is pretty easy. But if we’re feeling lazy, the last thing we want to do is bust out the cocktail shaker, let alone slice and squeeze a bunch of limes. Luckily, there’s a new ready-to-drink margarita on the block that takes care of the work for us. Meet sipMARGS, a line of better-for-you canned cocktails that are made with quality tequila, yet clock in at only 130 calories a pop.
sipMARGS Are *The* Canned Cocktail for Lazy Margarita Lovers
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Published Aug 31, 2021
sipMARGS
- Value: 17/20
- Functionality: 20/20
- Quality: 17/20
- Aesthetics: 20/20
- Taste: 18/20
TOTAL: 92/100
Launched in May 2021, sipMARGS puts a refreshing spin on ready-to-drink, low-calorie libations. They possess both the flavor of authentic tequila and the convenience of canned cocktails. Instead of leaning on malt liquor or wine for alcohol (like some other hard seltzers and bevs out there), sipMARGS uses top-quality tequila. Despite using real liquor, the margaritas are still low in calories, sugar and carbs. Each drink also boasts a 5 percent ABV, which is high enough to loosen you up but low enough that the bevs don’t taste like straight booze.
Each margarita contains only 120 to 130 calories, on par with a “skinny” marg that you may have ordered in the past, and 8 grams of carbs. They’re also carbonated, so the drinks’ citrusy notes shine even brighter in every sip with the help of effervescent bubbles. The ingredients are pretty standard and minimal: All the margaritas contain tequila, triple sec and sparkling water, while other ingredients like natural lime flavor and fruit juice vary from flavor to flavor.
sipMARGS is available in select stores in New Jersey, New York and Florida, but you can also order them online and save yourself a shopping trip. (sipMARGS ship to most U.S. states, except for Alabama, Arkansas, Illinoise, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Vermont.) If you buy a single-flavor four-pack, the cost comes out to $3 a cocktail, a third or quarter of what you’d pay for a margarita (which is likely loaded with sugar, BTW) at a bar or restaurant. If you spring for the variety pack, each drink is 50 cents more, but you’ll get to try all four flavors in one shot.
That’s all before shipping though: There’s a $15 flat-rate shipping cost plus taxes and a $5 carrier fee, meaning a $12 pack of margs actually comes out to $34, or $8.50 a drink. Shipping is reduced to $10 if you order more than $40 worth of product, so it may be worth it to you to stock up.
Not sure which to buy first? Read on for our reviews of each flavor (or just play it safe and spring for the variety pack—you know you want to).
1. Classic Sparkling Margarita
The first thing we noticed about the O.G. was its delightfully lime-y scent. It smells and tastes like a real margarita, but the sparkling water makes it a lighter, more refreshing sipper than a drink that’s mostly juice (or worse, syrupy store-bought sour mix). Its flavor is bright, citrusy and equal parts tart and sweet.
Taste: 17/20
sipMARGS
2. Sparkling Coconut Margarita
Here’s that tropical vacation you ordered. sipMARGS’ coconut variety is light, refreshing and mildly sweet like the Classic. Our only complaint? We wish the coconut flavor came through a bit stronger; it’s definitely lime-forward at the front, and the coconut is more like the main aftertaste. We could see adding a splash of coconut-flavored seltzer, coconut water or coconut milk (or screw it, piña colada mix) to drive the flavor home.
Taste: 16/20
sipMARGS
3. Sparkling Mango Margarita
Mango margaritas can be sickeningly saccharine, since mangos are sweet by nature and often turned into a thick puree that can’t be watered down easily. But this one is a lot more palatable and easier to drink, thanks to bubbly sparkling water in the mix. Buckle up for juicy, fruity mango flavor with just the right amount of sweetness. Colored naturally with fruit and vegetable juice, we’d say this flavor is the best of the bunch.
Taste: 19/20
sipMARGS
4. Sparkling Mezcal Margarita
Contrary to popular belief, mezcal and tequila are different. Unlike tequila—which must be made in the Jalisco state of Mexico from exclusively blue agave—mezcal can be made from more than 30 different types of agave. The spirit’s signature smokiness and herbaceous notes are bold and impossible to ignore in this sweet-and-sour bev (which also contains tequila, BTW). If you like jalapeño margaritas, you’ll love the fruity, vegetal profile of this drink, even without the spice.
Taste: 18/20
