As a blossoming wino, I’m always looking for ways to incorporate wine into a more familiar, sweeter package. 

The Texas Frozen Sangria Swirl — crafted at Cheddar’s restaurant out by the Coralville Costco — is just that kind of drink, combining the classic margarita with a healthy splash of sangria.

TASTE: The Sangria Swirl just looks tasty, with the red wine bleeding and swirling into the white Texas margarita the more you stir your straw. The flavor matches the appearance, although the generous bartenders at Cheddar’s ensure there is plenty of tequila to make you pucker. Sangria is a surprisingly good complement to a margarita, almost mimicking the flavor of a cherry limeade — though in a much more mature fashion.

ADVICE: If you aren’t a fan of strong drinks, you may want to ask your waiter if the bartender can go easy on the tequila; but if you want to really let loose, two Sangria Swirls will do the trick. And at just $4.29 a pop, this margarita drink — and many others on the Cheddar’s menu — are a bang for your buck.

— by Emma McClatchey