Houlihan’s Fresh Agave Margarita – Fairview Heights, IL

Margaritas should normally not be orange

On a Sunday out shopping with my family, we decided to stop for lunch at one of our favorite places, Houlihan’s. The last time I was here I had a Margarita, but it wasn’t all that great. But this time, they had a new menu with a section of “Signature Margaritas”. One of those was called the “Fresh Agave Margarita,” which listed organic agave nectar, Sauza Hornitos Plata Tequila, fresh orange and lime juice as ingredients. This certainly sounded like the makings for a great Margarita so of course I ordered one.

The first thing I noticed was that the color of the drink was very orange. That is not normal for a Margarita. The drink itself was very well made and had good flavor. The balance overall was good except for the fact that the orange juice flavor overpowered the lime flavor. Unfortunately, while the drink itself was good, the lack of lime flavor makes it hard for me to call it a good true Margarita. So I would give the drink a decent score overall, but as a Margarita, I would only give it a 6.

It is possible that the bartender that day simply used too much orange juice. If that was the case, I hold out high hopes that the Fresh Agave Margarita at Houlihan’s is normally better than the one I had that day. The next chance I get to go to Houlihan’s I will definitely give it another try.