Review of Panama Jack's cocktails: Margarita & Long Island Iced Tea

Happy Wine Wednesday!

Last week, Panama Jack’s released their newest wine-based cocktails: Margarita and Long Island Iced Tea. They’re available to taste right now at The Wine Shop in Ontario, but in the mean time, here’s a review of both products.

Panama Jack’s Margarita

Pretty much what you’d expect from a Margarita, but without the kick of tequila. The main flavours are lime and lemon, with a balance of tartness and sweetness. I’m not a huge fan of the taste of tequila, so I was okay with the fact that this sort of tasted like a lime-flavoured cooler.

Panama Jack’s Long Island Iced Tea 

This one tastes like tea, lemon, and cola, and is fairly sweet. Long Island Iced Teas usually consist of at least 4 types of alcohol, so the taste is hard to replicate. They're also much higher in alcohol content, making this cocktail a bit different than the original. That being said, it’s not bad…as long as you’re not a die-hard Long Island Iced Tea fan. 

A quick comparison shop for pre-mixed cocktails at the LCBO indicates that the new PJ cocktails are pretty much on par with the competition in terms of cost vs. alcohol content. Both the Margarita and the Long Island Iced Tea contain 12% alcohol and cost $15.95. 

They’re both decent as far as pre-mixed cocktails go, and would probably taste better over ice and with some citrus slices. I preferred the Long Island Iced Tea slightly to the Margarita, mostly because of the sourness of the Margarita. I wouldn’t go out of my way to purchase wine-based cocktails over the classic liquor and mix, but I understand the appeal of convenience: not only the fact that it's ready to drink, but also the fact that it's available at The Wine Shop inside many grocery stores across Ontario.

Have you tried the new Panama Jack's cocktails yet? What did you think?