I’ve never really been a “shots” person, and tend to shy away from drinking anything that comes in a shot glass just as a general rule. However, a few weeks ago I was traveling in Mexico and discovered one shot-based tequila drink that I was actually pretty excited about drinking: the Bandera.
I got my Bandera during a tour of Altos; however, you can order them all over the country.
Bandera in spanish means “flag” and the idea behind this drink is to drink shots that sort of look like the Mexican flag. More a cocktail than a shot, the drink is served in three different shot glasses, one with blanco tequila, one with fresh lime juice, and another with a spicy tomato juice called sangrita.
When you drink it, you take a sip of the tequila and then a sip of the lime juice, and then follow it all up with a sip of the tomato juice. The whole thing goes together quite well and was something that I found myself wanting to order more than once.
The key here is sipping (not shooting) the tequila and taking small sips.
The tequila and lime parts are pretty self-explanatory. For the sangrita you want to mix together 3/4 cup of OJ, 3/4 cup of spicy tomato juice, and 1/4 cup of lime juice (this will make enough for you and some pals).
Cinco de Mayo is long gone, sure, but you’re still drinking tequila, right? Give this “shot” a try the next time you break out a bottle of tequila. I promise you, it’s worth it.