We all know that skinny margaritas are a little healthier than the OG. But is everything we know a lie?
In a viral TikTok that has garnered 224,200 views, bartender Ben Belcher (@benbelcherr) has offered an honest PSA about skinny margaritas.
Sitting in his car, the video contained on-screen text that said, “PSA from an honest bartender.”
“As someone who’s lost over a hundred pounds and loved to drink as well…” he began, calmly.
Belcher then started yelling, “There is no such thing as a skinny margarita, you dumb white b—-.”
Before he could finish his sentence, the video cut.
BroBible reached out to Belcher via TikTok comment.
@benbelcherr Still sugar in lime juice 😭
♬ original sound – アジアンマッサージ リラクゼーション ヴィラ 千歳店 – ガラスコーティング 洗車用品 カーフィルム コンパウンド
What Did Commenters Say?
Commenters had strong opinions.
“A skinny margarita is: tequila, lime juice and a splash of ORANGE JUICE. No other way,” one wrote.
“It’s just lime juice, triple and tequila,” a second added.
While a third said, “Wrong. A skinny marg is tequila agave and lime juice. A regular margarita has tequila, triple sec, lime juice margarita mix and a splash of orange juice. Way more sugar and calories BYE.”
And a fourth remarked, “Ugh yes there is !!! As a bartender literally the tiniest splash triple sec and half of the amount of agave and lime. Making it that way does take out some of the calories so therefore it is skinny. Technically ur right it’s not a traditional margarita anymore but a different variation.”
What’s The Difference Between Standard And Skinny Margaritas?
According to Heathline, margaritas range from 248 to 300 calories, while skinny (or low-calorie) margaritas are around 174.
The site also reports that, depending on how they are made, margaritas can be rather heavy in terms of sugar. For instance, there tends to be more sugar content in premade or restaurant/bar margaritas.
Typically, a margarita is made of one ounce of orange liqueur. Then, you add in 2 ounces of tequila (sometimes ”top shelf”), and an ounce of lime juice. For a more healthy version, Healthline recommends swapping the orange liqueur for an ounce of orange juice. You could also add a teaspoon of light agave nectar.
An article on Greatist also argues that people popularized skinny margaritas as a response to more sugary/sweetened versions of margaritas.
“The dirty truth is a skinny margarita bears a tremendous amount of resemblance to a properly made, classic margarita, with maybe just a lighter hand with the triple sec and sweetener,” the article reads.
“But what the skinny margarita is responding to is the moment (in actuality, a few decades) where the margarita strayed from its sophisticated pedigree and became synonymous with slushy machines, syrupy sweet and sour mix, and happy hours that resulted in not-so-happy mornings after. Those libations delivered a wallop of calories, hence the need for a skinnier version.”
Still, despite its issues, at least you aren’t like this TikToker’s husband. A bartender charged him $280 for a margarita. So, it looks like margaritas will either hurt your health or your wallet.