I Tried Applebee’s New Poolio with Don Julio Cocktails—And One Margarita Was an Instant Favorite
In case you missed it, social media has been in an absolute frenzy this month following the release of Applebee’s new Poolio with Don Julio margaritas. Fans are especially eager to get their hands on the pool-shaped, collectible cup the Poolio with Don Julio margs come in.
Announced last week, the two new drinks include the Sunny Sipper Margarita and the Belly Floppin’ Melon Margarita.
Here’s a brief description of each:
Sunny Sipper Margarita – Plunge into the blue abyss of Don Julio Reposado Tequila, Malibu Coconut Rum, blue curacao, pineapple juice and lime.
Belly Floppin’ Melon Margarita – Dive into this Watermelon Rita made with Don Julio Reposado, Smirnoff Vodka, triple sec, and lime.
Last week, I had the chance to sample each one—here’s how they stacked up.
Poolio Cup
Since it’s so popular, I figured it’s only right to give the collectible cup a review of its own. First off, it’s huge. Given that it’s huge, don’t expect your cup to be filled to the top with margarita. I’d say each drink was about 2/3 full and that was with an ample amount of ice. It’s absolutely a fun addition to the menu though. It’s the kind of drink that’ll definitely draw glances from the table next to you.
Sunny Sipper Margarita
Once I saw Don Julio and Malibu, I knew this was going to be a favorite. And it absolutely was. The Sunny Sipper Margarita is very much vacation in a glass. The coconut rum immediately transports you beachside while the blue curacao brings major poolside energy with each sip. And the pineapple juice and lime provide just the right amount of citrus to make the drink pop.
Also, it was sweet and boozy enough that it didn’t even taste watered down once all that ice started to melt. But to be honest, I didn’t really give the ice that much time to melt given how I was chugging this one down. It was that good.
I saw a group of girls on Instagram ordering a Vibe Drop (a shooter with your choice of liquor) with one of their Poolio with Don Julio margs, but I honestly don’t think it’s even needed.
Belly Floppin’ Melon Margarita
I’m not gonna lie to ya, I didn’t love the Belly Floppin’ Melon Margarita. The watermelon didn’t give fruity and refreshing, it was more of a super sweet flavor. I also think I would have preferred all Don Julio, and no Smirnoff. The drink did become a little more tolerable once the ice melted and it became less sweet. Despite my feelings on the Belly Floppin’ Melon Margarita, our bartender did reveal that it’s the most popular of the two.
I can’t recall the exact price, but I believe both the Sunny SIpper Margarita and Belly Floppin’ Melon Margarita were between $14 and $15 each at our local Applebee’s. Also, if you really want to get your hands on the Poolio Cup, I’d suggest calling your Applebee’s ahead of time to make sure they have cups available.