The Tequila Slammer Vs The Lick-Sip-Suck

OK.... So here's the thing. I thought it was about time i clarified to many people out there the difference between tequila slammers and lick-sip-sucks, because some people clearly don't know the difference.

It seems to happen time and time again, customers walk up to the bar and order tequila slammers not really knowing what they are. Now 10 times out of 10 i know exactly what they want, they want tequila shots with the lemon/lime and salt (a.k.a A lick-sip-suck).  So i thought it was about time i explained to people about the actual definition of a tequila slammer. The tequila slammer became popular in the mid 1980s in bars throughout Acapulco, Mexico. At the time it was the new craze in consuming shots.  It consists of a short glass with a shot of tequila and a generous dash of lemonade or ginger ale. Place your hand on top of the glass and slam the glass (trying not to break the glass of coarse) into the bar. This will cause the drink to fizz up. The aim is to now drink the mixture before it fizz's up and over flows. The tequila slammer has some cool variations too. One of my personal favourites is the "slammer royale", which is replacing the lemonade with champagne.  Get creative with your 'slammers'. It doesn't matter what you mix the tequila with, it just has to be a carbonated mixture.

Now, the lick-sip-suck is pretty self explanatory. I know there are going to be some readers out there who have done hundreds of these in their time, so this will be nothing new, but for the tequila amateurs out there, I'll explain it anyway. Believe it or not, the lick-sip-suck was not created in Mexico as many people think. When Mexico began exporting tequila to the rest of the world, the lick-sip-suck was a way for the rest of the world to shot tequila. We start by, licking some salt off the back of your hand, taking the shot, then sucking on a slice of lemon or lime. The idea being that the salt cleanses the palette at the start, you take the shot of tequila and then sucking on the lemon gets rid of the awful taste for those people who can't handle tequila.  I can always tell the true tequila lovers out there, they always do the shot straight up, no salt, no lemon or lime.

Both of these shots are great social drinks. I've mentioned before in my post on the margarita, no matter whether you like tequila or not, people still continue to order (or get peer pressured into ordering) this Mexican spirit and proceed to either slam or lick and sip and suck. It seems no night is complete with out a shot of tequila.   Have Fun !!!!!

"The Tequila Slammer"

Lick the Salt... Take the Shot... Suck the Lime/ Lemon