Il Bel Lago – Creve Coeur, MO

A Margarita with Amaretto?

My wife had visited a fairly new restaurant in the St. Louis area called Il Bel Lago with a friend and wanted to bring me. As an Italian restaurant, I wasn’t necessarily expecting a good Margarita, but the place was classy and seemed like they had an excellent bar. On the menu was something called an Italian Margarita so I of course went ahead and ordered one.

The main difference between this “Italian” Margarita and a standard variety was the inclusion of Amaretto liqueur. Now personally I am a big fan of Amaretto and I make a nice Amaretto Sour with fresh lemon juice and a touch of agave nectar. But how would it work out in a Margarita? At first taste, the blend of fresh lime and citrus with amaretto was a little strange, but it quickly turned into a pleasant blend of sweet and tart flavors. The more I drank it, the more I liked it. Helping out the overall enjoyment of the drink was the fact that the bartender Angie came and talked to us and explained how she makes the drink and shared some of her tips and tricks. She definitely is a skilled bartender and offered a lot of knowledge on Margaritas and other cocktails. Now a Margarita made with amaretto liqueur may not be your thing, but I personally liked it and rated the Italian Margarita from Il Bel Lago an 8.