by Steven Doyle
By now you have seen or heard about the price of limes which have risen from about $20 a case in the winter to just over $100. That is an amazing leap that has some margarita aficionados running scared. We spoke to FreshPoint’s president Lucian LaBarba, the major distributor for produce in our market, and he said that the prices have jumped due to climate changes. The limes we see in Texas are imported from Mexico, and the reason is a mixture of unseasonably cold weather, hurricane and storm systems and drought.
How this will affect the price and quality of margarita you will enjoy this weekend is yet to be seen. Brian McCullough, president of the local chapter of the United States Bartending Guild said that it would have little affect so fa in his bar, Standard Pour. McCullough said that he will be keeping prices at the same point. “That is just a part of doing right by the customer. Sometimes we increase on food items and prices of liquor, but for what we hope is a temporary increase in the price of limes is just a bullet that we will bit,” said McCullough.
With the high prices asked from Mexican farmers, the shortage has also seen ts fair share of crime with entire truckloads of limes being stolen and offered on the black market, which has further exacerbated the costs.
Limes that are normally priced at 4 or 5 for a dollar at local supermarket will soon be priced at a dollar a piece, or more. With Cinco de Mayo just around the corner, do not be surprised if your local watering hole holds back on limes for your Mexican beers and margaritas.
Can’t “like” this. The cost of my medication is going up! 😉
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