The Full History Of The Traditional Tequila Shot

If you are a person who drinks alcohol, you have most likely at some point in your life — likely when you turned 21, at a bachelor/bachelorette party, or to impress someone you had a crush on — taken a tequila shot. As a bartender in New York, I've both poured and enjoyed myriad tequila shots myself...and even had to take a break from tequila from approximately 2008 to 2018 because of overdoing it.

If you drink low-quality tequila, as many of us in our youth have done, the experience can be memorable in the wrong ways. However, there is a right way — and many incorrect ways — to properly enjoy and imbibe a shot of tequila. Start with a higher quality, lower sugar tequila, and then remember to lick, shoot, and suck, in that order. Take a lick of salt on your hand (or the rim of the glass), drink the shot, and take a quick suck of the citrus (usually lime or lemon) after.

So why do we collectively engage in this tequila shot ritual? You might be surprised to learn that shots have been around much longer than dirty dive bars. Read on for the full history of the traditional tequila shot!

These days, whether you're at a house party or a speakeasy bar, shot glasses are ubiquitous. However, modern shot glasses are a relatively new invention, coming to us post-Prohibition. Yet there is plenty of mythology around the term "shot" and "shot glass." One theory is that small doses of alcohol were originally used for medicinal purposes, thus you would take a "shot" of liquor, the way you would take a shot of medicine in the arm, to introduce it to the bloodstream quickly.

One story goes that in the late 1800s, a disgruntled patron used a gun to shoot a hole through a barrel of whiskey in Indiana, prompting thirsty customers to later ask for a "shot" of whiskey.

Another theory goes that small glasses were set out at dinner for any lead bullet shards still encased in the meat that was "shot" for dinner. And perhaps a more plausible history comes from the name of glass company Jenaer Glaswerk Schott & Genossen, replacing Schott with the more common "shot."

However, more importantly, the origins of the tequila shot started in a far more natural container: a hollowed-out bull's horn. Called a cuernito or caballito, early agave distillers in Mexico in the 17th century made use of what was available to them in the fields. If you want to replicate the experience these days, tequila producer Horitnos has created branded glasses to mimic the horn shape.

To understand why we enjoy tequila today, it's worth briefly digging into the history of where it comes from. It wasn't always known as a "party" spirit — in fact, it was revered.

Going as far back as 200 AD, the Aztecs utilized a ceremonial, fermented drink with a milky consistency from the sap of the agave plant called pulque. (This spirit was potentially consumed even earlier in 1000 BC by an older Mexican civilization.) It was used for religious celebrations and social gatherings, with the Aztecs honoring at least two gods related to alcohol. When the Spaniards invaded and opened a trade route in the 1500s between Mexico and Spain, the discovery of the fermented agave led to a search for a smoother (and more potent) drink. A distillery in Tequila, Jalisco, followed in the 1600s, followed by the Cuervo family commercially distilling in 1758 and then the Sauzas in 1873.

As tequila's reach spread, the Mexican government created the Tequila Regulatory Council and designated the term "tequila" as intellectual property in the 1970s. Tequila has since been defined as specifically coming from the blue agave plant, and as the years have gone on, higher quality tequila has increased the spirit's reputation, consumption, and use.

While tequila was usually sipped, many claim credit for starting the tradition of the tequila shot as an acceptable drinking tradition. It's notable that one method was brought to popularity in Tijuana in the 1930s, possibly via bartender Carlos (Danny) Herrera: three shots meant to be taken in a row, to represent the colors of the Mexican flag (green, white, and red). Herrera is frequently mentioned along with the original margarita creation, so while the origins of this "Bandera" multi-shot is murky, we know he was experimenting all over the place with tequila!

The green glass is lime juice, the "white" glass (in this case, clear) is pure blanco tequila, and the red glass is sangrita, which is made up of a mixture of fruit juices like tomato, orange, and lime, and a dash of hot sauce like Tabasco and/or Worcestershire. (Some recipes sweeten the mixture with pomegranate and/or grenadine.) You're meant to take a sip from each of the three glasses and let the mixture combine together in your mouth.

By creating a creative, fun way to take individual shots, Herrera (or an unnamed predecessor) made the tradition fun and shameless — especially for visiting tourists.

One thought about tequila's popularity starting to gain traction in the United States was tourism to Mexico in the 1950s, when travelers would taste the tequila shots abroad and talk about them back home. It was around this time the song "Tequila," popularized by the Champs in 1958, went to number one on the Billboard Chart, as well.

We know that in the 1970s and 80s in America, a new generation of drinkers emerged that wanted something more interesting than what was served in the martini glasses their parents drank. However, unfortunately, hard drugs were also becoming popular around this time, and liquor companies had to boost their own sales to keep up — tequila shots were likely pushed (along with other shots, as well) to lift sales.

As the 90s and 2000s came along, tequila and its cousin, mezcal, were beginning to be used more in craft cocktails, and now sales of the spirit have quadrupled since 2012. A survey of 3,000 Americans in 2023 from Fashion Nova revealed some interesting facts: 65% of respondents said tequila made them feel more comfortable in public, and 35% said they were more willing to dance. 41% would even rather have a lifetime supply of tequila than coffee.

So how did the additional "lick" of the salt and "suck" of the citrus components become added to the tequila shot? When ordered together with the tequila, this combination is referred to as "tequila cruda," and while popular, both components ultimately dull the taste of the tequila. Most industry professionals speculate they were developed as methods to mask a "bad" or underdeveloped spirit — it's why they can sometimes be referred to as "training wheels" on a tequila shot.

The salt reduces the traditional burn of a lower quality or non-agave tequila, effectively distracting your taste buds before the alcohol hits them. Then, following the spirit with lemon or lime is supposed to act as a chaser, with the acidity complementing or enhancing the quality of the tequila and potential citrus notes contained within. Bar experts agree that adding these elements began in the 1950s with the development and proliferation of shots, because the original tequilas being imported were so pungent. Ultimately, salt and fruit "hide the flavor" of the tequila you're drinking.

These days, adding in salt and citrus is as much about the tradition and the ceremony as it is about the taste. Most Mexicans and traditional tequila drinkers will tell you to leave the salt and the lemon or lime to the side to really savor the spirit — but more on that later.

This tradition is optional and isn't necessarily just for tequila shots, but it's worth mentioning, as you might see it when two or more drinkers take a round of shots together. After a more traditional cheers, where those enjoying the shot clink their glasses together, the bottom of the shot glass is tapped on the bar or table before the imbiber "shoots" the alcohol. But why?

There are a few different explanations for this odd tradition. One old story goes that it's a superstitious way of warding off evil spirits. Some say it's a replacement for the "pour one out" custom; honoring departed loved ones or anyone who's not able to be present. Another thought is that it's a sign of respect for your bartender or the establishment (and unseen workers supporting the bar). Think of it as an additional cheers to the bar itself for preparing your drink.

One additional story from a bartender in Milwaukee goes that in the old days of bars and dance halls, there would be sawdust on the floor and in the air. Tapping your drink on the bar was a way of getting those floating particles out of your drink.

Whatever you believe, it's an extra fun flourish to add to your shot-drinking tradition!

While the lemon or lime slice effectively serves as a "chaser," coming after the shot of tequila, some drinkers like to have an additional beverage immediately after consuming the alcohol to help cleanse the palate. This generally happens with lower quality tequila, but of course, up to personal preference.

A traditional, drinkable tequila chaser can be anything non-alcoholic from water to soda, or a juice like orange or apple (or if you're feeling really adventurous, pickle), although a more complex mixer such as sangrita, like in the Bandera shot, can also be consumed. There are other variations too, such as lemonade.

If you really want to double up on your alcohol consumption, some tequila drinkers enjoy a crisp beer or a hard cider immediately after doing a shot. A lager, especially a Mexican lager (Corona, Modelo, Pacifico, etc.) can complement a tequila well. In fact, you could combine the two and make a Lagerita. There are also cider margarita recipes, making a hard cider chaser a no-brainer because the fruity notes in the cider can help counteract a harsher tequila finish.

While the simple salt, tequila, and lime combination is the best-known tradition when taking the tequila shot, there are of course variations on all three if you want to mix up the routine.

One common substitution is cinnamon and an orange slice, swapping the sweet cinnamon for the savory salt. This example might be good for a holiday celebration, but it is also practical: the spice of the cinnamon can bring out some of those notes in tequila, particularly those aged in wooden barrels. Another swap for the salt could be Tajín, bringing in a more complex flavor that's sometimes paired with other tequila-based drinks like a spicy margarita.

Throughout this article, we've been talking about the traditional tequila shot, which is usually 1.5 ounces of straight liquor. However, if you wanted to literally mix it up, you could try doing a "shooter," which would be basically a small cocktail in a shot glass. There are myriad tequila-based shooters to try. Just a few examples are a canary margarita, which uses limoncello and lime juice; a tequila sunrise shot, with orange juice and grenadine; and a hot rod, which mixes lime juice and Tabasco sauce in with the tequila.

One final piece of advice that I'd be remiss not to offer when discussing tradition: perhaps try ordering a higher quality tequila and just sip and savor it, rather than shooting it back and destroying the taste with accouterments. This is the way tequila experts recommend it is meant to be enjoyed, and now that the technology of distilling has so vastly improved, there are many more excellent tequilas that are worth tasting and enjoying.

In fact, it's actually recommended that to truly enjoy tequila, you shouldn't use a shot glass at all – a brandy snifter or a flute is recommended to appreciate the complex aromas and flavors. Not only does stemware practically help open up the smell of the spirit, the look of the experience makes the drinker want to slow down and enjoy it the way they might a different luxury alcohol.

This method of enjoying the tequila is certainly used more in Mexico, where the agave alcohol was developed — so if anyone knows the proper way to drink tequila, it's the Mexicans. Tequila is also traditionally used in Mexican culture as an offering in Day of the Dead ceremonies, so there's more of a collective reverence for the craftsmanship of it.

However, if you're simply looking to liven up the evening, go for the tequila cruda. Live your best tequila life!