A tequila slammer (known in Mexico as a ''muppet'' or ''mópet'') is a
cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, cocktails are either a combination of spirits, or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as tonic water, fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. Cocktails vary widely acr ...
served in a
rocks glass
The old fashioned glass, otherwise known as the rocks glass and lowball glass (or simply lowball), is a short tumbler used for serving spirits, such as whisky, neat or with ice cubes ("on the rocks"). It is also normally used to serve certain ...
. It is made with tequila and a highly-carbonated
lemon-lime
A lemon-lime soft drink or lemon-lime soda, also known colloquially as lemonade in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand and as cider in Japan and Korea, is a carbonated soft drink with lemon and lime flavoring. Popular brands include ...
flavored
soda or
ginger ale
Ginger ale is a carbonated soft drink flavoured with ginger. It is consumed on its own or used as a mixer, often with spirit-based drinks. There are two main types of ginger ale. The golden style is credited to the Irish doctor Thomas Joseph ...
.
Method
The drink gets its name from the way it is commonly consumed; the usual procedure is to leave about a fifth of the glass empty to allow the drink to fizz, then to hold one's hand over the top of the glass and then slam it onto a hard surface to mix it. The slamming action releases gas bubbles from the mixed drink causing it to foam vigorously. It will then quickly escape the glass if not imbibed immediately, the result (and intention) of which is swift intoxication.
It can also be served with equal parts tequila, white wine (or champagne), and lemonade, creating a more potent, flavorsome mix.
A Mexican variant known as the "tequila boom-boom" uses tequila, 7-Up (or Sprite), and
grenadine
Grenadine is a commonly used nonalcoholic bar syrup characterized by its deep red color. It is a popular cocktail ingredient renowned for its flavor as well as its ability to give a reddish or pink tint to mixed drinks. Grenadine is traditiona ...
syrup.
In Media
One of the first (or certainly most noteworthy) appearances of the tequila slammer is
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
demonstrating the technique in the 1963 film ''
Fun in Acapulco
''Fun in Acapulco'' is a 1963 American musical comedy film starring Elvis Presley and Ursula Andress.
The film featured the Top 10 ''Billboard'' hit "Bossa Nova Baby" and reached No. 1 on the national weekly box office charts a week after the ass ...
''.
The favorite drink of the protagonist – Inspector "Tequila" Yuen – in
John Woo
John Woo Yu-Sen SBS (; born September 22, 1946) is a Hong Kong filmmaker, known as a highly-influential figure in the action film genre. He was a pioneer of heroic bloodshed films (a crime action film genre involving Chinese triads) and the gun ...
's 1992 film ''
Hard Boiled'', played by
Chow Yun-fat
Chow Yun-fat (born 18 May 1955), previously known as Donald Chow, is a Hong Kong actor. He is perhaps best known for his collaborations with filmmaker John Woo in the five Hong Kong action heroic bloodshed films: '' A Better Tomorrow'', '' A ...
, is a tequila slammer.
Featured prominently in
Jean-Jacques Beineix
Jean-Jacques Beineix (; 8 October 1946 – 13 January 2022) was a French film director best known for the films ''Diva'' and '' Betty Blue''. His work is regarded as a prime example of the '' cinéma du look'' film movement in France.
Early lif ...
's 1986 film ''
Betty Blue
''Betty Blue'' (french: 37°2 le matin, lit=37.2°C in the morning) is a 1986 French erotic psychological drama film directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix, based on the 1985 novel ''37°2 le matin'' by Philippe Djian. The film stars Béatrice Dall ...
'', but referred to by its alternate name ''Tequila Rapido''.
See also
*
List of cocktails
A cocktail is a mixed drink typically made with a distilled liquor (such as arrack, brandy, cachaça, gin, rum, tequila, vodka, or whiskey) as its base ingredient that is then mixed with other ingredients or garnishments. Sweetened liqu ...
Notes
Cocktails with tequila
Shooters (drinks)
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