Tequila Slammer

How to make:

POUR tequila into glass and then carefully LAYER with champagne. The drinker should hold and cover the top of the glass with the palm of their hand so as to grip it firmly and seal the contents inside. Then they should briskly pick the glass up and slam it down (obviously not so hard as to break the glass), then gulp the drink down in one while it is still fizzing.

Garnish:

None

Comment:

To quote Victor Bergeron (Trader Vic), "You know, this rigmarole with a pinch of salt and lemon juice and tequila - in whatever order - was originally for a purpose: It's hot in Mexico. People dehydrate themselves. And they need more salt. Here, it's not so hot, and we don't need salt in the same way. So you can drink tequila straight right out of the bottle, if you want to."

Variant:

With cream soda or ginger ale.

About:

Originally topped with ginger ale and not champagne, this infamous libation is thought to have started out as a Hell's Angel drink - it needs no ice and can be carried in a bike bag.

The simplest slammer is a lick of salt, a shot of tequila and then a bite of lemon (or lime).

A Bermuda Slammer involves straight tequila, salt, a slice of lemon and a partner: one has to lick the salt off the other one's neck and bite the lemon (held between their partner's teeth) before downing a shot of tequila.