Red Lobster Dew Garita Copycat Recipe

This copycat Red Lobster Dew Garita is a frozen citrus margarita spiked with Mountain Dew, and it tastes exactly like the real thing from the restaurant bar menu. It takes about 5 minutes to make and needs no special equipment beyond a blender.

If you have ever ordered one of these at Red Lobster and thought “I could make this at home,” you absolutely can. The balance of tart lime, sweet Dew, and tequila is straightforward once you know the ratios.

Why I Love This Recipe

The lime juice keeps it bright and a little tart, so it never tips into cough-syrup sweet the way some frozen margaritas do.

It blends up thick and slushy, and because the Mountain Dew replaces most of the sweet mixer, you do not need a sugary margarita mix. One blender, five minutes, done.

This is the version I keep coming back to when I want a restaurant-style frozen drink without the restaurant prices.

Recipe Ingredients

• 2 oz tequila blanco – A clean silver tequila works best here; save the aged stuff for sipping
• 1 oz triple sec – Cointreau or any orange liqueur adds the citrus depth
• 1 oz fresh lime juice – Fresh squeezed, not bottled; it makes a real difference in brightness
• 4 oz Mountain Dew – The original formula, not diet; diet goes bitter when blended cold
• 1 cup ice – Crushed ice blends smoother than cubes, but cubes work fine
• Lime wedge and coarse salt or sugar – For the rim, optional but worth it

Variations / Substitutions

• Tequila swap – Use mezcal instead for a smoky, slightly earthy version that works surprisingly well with the citrus.
• Non-alcoholic – Skip the tequila and triple sec, add an extra 2 oz Mountain Dew and a splash of orange juice; it is still a good slushy drink.
• Citrus swap – Replace the 1 oz lime juice with lemon juice if limes are expensive or out of season; the drink gets a little softer but still works.
• Heat – Rim the glass with a mix of coarse salt and a pinch of cayenne for a subtle kick against the sweetness.
• Sweetness level – If you prefer it less sweet, cut the Mountain Dew to 3 oz and add 1 oz of plain sparkling water.
• Dairy-free – This recipe is already dairy-free.

If you enjoy frozen citrus drinks, you might also like a Copycat Applebee’s Perfect Margarita Recipe.

How To Make Dew Garita

Step 1: Rim the Glass

Run a lime wedge around the edge of a rocks glass or a wide margarita glass, then press the rim into a shallow plate of coarse salt or sugar. Give the glass a quarter turn to get an even coat.

This step is quick, but do it before you blend so the rim has a moment to set while you pull the drink together.

Step 2: Blend the Drink

Add the 1 cup ice to a blender first, then pour in the 2 oz tequila blanco, 1 oz triple sec, 1 oz fresh lime juice, and 4 oz Mountain Dew. Blend on high for about 20 to 25 seconds, until the mixture is uniformly slushy with no large ice chunks rattling around.

If it looks too chunky after 20 seconds, blend for another 5 seconds. If it looks too thin and watery, you can add a small handful of ice and pulse twice.

Step 3: Pour and Garnish

Pour the frozen drink into your rimmed glass and set a fresh lime wedge on the rim. The drink will be pale chartreuse green, slushy, and thick enough to hold the garnish without it sinking.

Serve right away, because it starts to separate and thin out after about 5 minutes on the counter.

Recipe Tips

• Use cold Mountain Dew straight from the fridge. Warm soda makes the blend frothy and airy rather than thick and slushy.
• Do not over-blend. Twenty-five seconds on high is usually the sweet spot. More than 30 seconds and the ice melts too much, leaving you with a watery drink instead of a proper frozen texture.
• Taste before you pour. Dip a spoon in before it goes into the glass. If it needs more lime, add a quick squeeze and pulse once to mix.
• Scaling up for a crowd. Double or triple the recipe and blend in batches. Do not try to fit more than 2 servings in a standard blender at once or the texture suffers.

Scale it to your batch size:

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this ahead of time?

Not really. The ice starts to melt and the carbonation dies within a few minutes, so this one is best blended and served immediately.

What kind of tequila does Red Lobster use?

Red Lobster has not published the exact brand, but a standard tequila blanco in the well or mid-shelf range (like Espolòn or Olmeca) is a close match and what this recipe is built around.

Can I use a flavored Mountain Dew?

Yes, though it changes the drink noticeably. Mountain Dew Baja Blast gives it a blue-green color and a slightly tropical twist, while Code Red makes it berry-forward rather than citrusy.

My blender leaves big ice chunks. What should I do?

Let the ice sit at room temperature for 2 minutes before blending to take the edge off, then blend on the highest setting your blender has. Standard ice cubes are harder to blitz than crushed ice.

Dew Garita Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Servings: 1 servings

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 oz tequila blanco
• 1 oz triple sec
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 4 oz Mountain Dew
• 1 cup ice
• Lime wedge and coarse salt or sugar, for the rim

Method

 

1. Run a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass and press it into coarse salt or sugar to coat.
2. Add the 1 cup ice, 2 oz tequila blanco, 1 oz triple sec, 1 oz fresh lime juice, and 4 oz Mountain Dew to a blender and blend on high for 20 to 25 seconds until smooth and slushy.
3. Pour into the rimmed glass, add a fresh lime wedge to the rim, and serve immediately.

Notes

Cold soda straight from the fridge gives you the best slushy texture; room-temperature Mountain Dew tends to make the blend foamy. If you are making this for a group, blend in separate single or double batches rather than one large batch. This drink does not hold, so blend it right before you plan to drink it.