Make a Tequila Popper

Tequila poppers are alcoholic drinks that are generally made by pouring tequila and a carbonated lemon-lime soda into a shot glass. The reason they are called poppers is because you’re supposed to slam your shot glass down on a table before drinking it in a single shot, because the impact gets the soda fizzing and popping. There are a couple simple variations on the drink that change the flavor, but the basic recipe and method remain the same. There’s also a special way that the drink is served at resorts in Mexico, which is primarily designed to induce intoxication.

Ingredients

• 1/2 to 1 ounce (15 to 30 ml) tequila
• 1/2 to 1 ounce (15 to 30 ml) lemon-lime soda
• 1/2 to 1 ounce (15 to 30 ml) coffee liqueur (optional)
• Splash of grenadine (optional)

Steps

Making Tequila Poppers

1. Set up your shot glasses. Place the glasses on a bar or table, and measure the tequila into each glass. For a drink that isn’t as strong, only use a quarter or half ounce (7.5 or 15 ml) of tequila. For a stronger drink, use a full ounce (30 ml).
   • To make coffee tequila poppers, use a small serving glass instead of a shot glass. Add a few ice cubes before pouring in the tequila. Pour in equal parts coffee liqueur.
2. Add the soda. Use equal quantities of soda based on the amount of tequila you used. Feel free to add grenadine at this point if you aren’t making coffee tequila poppers. Popular lemon-lime sodas include Sprite, 7-Up, Sierra Mist, and Blue Sky.
   • To make a coffee tequila popper, fill the rest of the glass with lemon-lime soda.
3. Serve the drinks. You can either slam the drinks to make them fizzy before serving them, or you can serve them now and let the guests slam their own drinks. To make the tequila poppers and coffee tequila poppers fizz:
   • Cover the top of the glass with your hand, a coaster, or a napkin. Carefully slam the bottom of the glass down on the top of a table or the bar. The impact will activate the carbonation in the soda.
   • Serve and drink the tequila popper while it’s still fizzy and foaming.

Serving Mexican Tequila Poppers

1. Get your drinks. There are some resorts in Mexico that serve tequila poppers (sometimes called Tijuana poppers), which are different in that they are poured and served directly in the participant’s mouth, and they often use beer instead of soda.
   • For Mexican tequila poppers, you will need a bottle of tequila (preferably with a measuring spout on it), as well as a bottle of beer, such as Corona, that’s been opened.
   • In Mexico, the server will continually blow a whistle while serving this drink.
2. Put a towel around the drinker’s neck. This drink can get pretty messy, so it’s a good idea to take a few precautions. Have the participant tilt his or her head back, mouth open.
3. Pour in the tequila. To prevent excessive consumption, measure out either a quarter, half, or full ounce directly into the mouth of the participant. Tell the participant not to swallow.
4. Shake and pour the beer. To get the same fizzy effect as the lemon-lime soda, cover the top of the beer bottle with your thumb or finger and shake the beer. Carefully direct the opening of the bottle into the participant’s mouth and slightly move your thumb to the side to allow a spray of beer into the mouth.
   • Don’t spray in too much or the participant could choke, and don’t spray it directly down the throat.
   • Instead of pre-fizzing the beer, some resorts will pour the beer into the participant’s mouth, hold the mouth closed, and then shake the participant’s head to fizz up the beer.
5. Gently close the participant’s mouth. Cover it with the towel so the foam doesn’t get everywhere and tell the participant to swallow.

Warnings

• Be very careful when you are slamming a glass down on a hard surface, as the glass could break and cut your hand.
• Drink alcoholic beverages responsibly, and only if you are of legal age as per the laws in your country.

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• Mix a Tequila Stone Sour
• Make a Tequila Sunrise

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make a Shaker Cocktail
• Make a Tequila Sunrise
• Drink Tequila

What links here

• Drink a Tequila Shot