Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] If you're still shooting tequila with salt and lime, we need to talk. Because the idea that Mexicans drink it that way, that's actually a myth. And what's really interesting is that the salt and the lime combination may have started as a medical recommendation, not a drinking tradition. So let's break this down and get rid of this stuff. The salt and the lime ritual didn't begin as a party trick. It didn't start in college bars, and it wasn't an ancient Mexican custom passed down for generations. In the early 1900s, during the devastating influenza pandemic, often called the Spanish flu, parts of Mexico were hit hard. Medical knowledge was limited. Antibiotics didn't exist, and doctors would try anything they could to help. Some physicians recommended tequila with a salt and a lime as a home remedy. Why? At that time, alcohol was believed to disinfect and fight infection internally, Lime was associated with vitamin C and immune support, and salt helped with hydration and electrolyte balance. Now, did tequila cure the flu? No. But in the era, people believed it might help. And that combination, tequila, salt, and lime became associated with relief and recovery. That's very different from tradition. It wasn't about savory and tequila, and it wasn't about flavor. And it wasn't a cultural ritual. It was a medical belief during a health crisis. Fast forward. A few decades later, sitting at home during the COVID crisis. I drank a lot of tequila. I never got sick. Did tequila cur. No. But I also didn't use any salt and lime. All right, let's jump back a couple decades to the 1970s and 80s, when a lot of tequila was being exported to the United States. That wasn't exactly high quality. Many were mixed o's. Lower percentage of agave. Harsh, industrial, not really made for sipping salt. It dulls the bitterness. Lime shocks your palate. You put those together, and they mask a rough tequila. So what started as a medical recommendation evolved into a way to make harsh bits, bad tequila, easier to shoot. Then came Hollywood, spring break culture and party marketing. Suddenly, everybody's salt, lick, lime bite, slam ritual becomes how you drink tequila. Here's the truth. In Mexico, especially Jalisco, where tequila is made, tequilas traditionally sip neat in small little glasses.
[00:02:11] Hold a caballito.
[00:02:13] I probably said that wrong. Slowly, you taste the agave, the minerality, the cooked sweetness, the terroir, the craft. No lime, no salt. There also is a traditional pairing called a sangrita. Sangrita is a savory, spicy tomato and citrus beverage served on the side of tequila, not poured into it. Not used to mask it. You sip the tequila and you sip the sangrita. It enhances the flavors and compliments the agave. It doesn't cover it up. And that's the difference. When you add salt and lime to the tequila, you're changing the experience. You're shocking your taste buds. You're numbing the bitterness, the acidity before you even taste it. In the glass, tequila well made, properly cooked, properly fermented and distilled with care. It shouldn't need anything to hide it. No additives, no salt, no lime. And look, if you do it that way, I'm not here to judge you drink what you like. But let's not confuse a party ritual or a century old medical belief with an authentic tequila tradition. Because they're not the same thing. So here's my challenge to you. Next time you open a good bottle of tequila, preferably one made with 100% agave, traditionally produced, skip the salt, skip the lime. Pour it neat. Take a sip, let it sit on your palate. Taste it again. Taste the craft. Then decide. If you really want that lime. You might be surprised. Enjoy the real history behind tequila. Not the myths, not the marketing. Make sure you've subscribed and like, because there's a lot more tequila myths that we need to break. Drop in the comments. If you like your tequila with salt and lime in a shot, or if you drink it neat, salute and know what you're drinking.
