Did Texans Add Salt & Lime To Their Tequila First? Why?

Having tequila with lime and salt is not really a Texas invention ... almost though. Do you know who did start it and why?

Ordering your tequila with lime and salt, usually referred to as "training wheels", in Mexico is probably the easiest way to out yourself as a tourist and/or rookie.

Forget "slammers" too. Banging tequila mixed with Sprite on the table before shooting it doesn't mean you're a tourist or a rookie. Around here, it usually means your group either just started college or finished boot camp.

Anyway, back to tequila - the lime and salt thing didn't start in Texas. However, Texas was once part of the country that did start it; Mexico. Tequila's origins go back to around 250 AD but the lime and salt thing didn't really kick in until the late 1800's.

As of 1836, we were no longer part of Mexico so, I guess we can't really claim to have been in on this from the start. Ironically, the country that invented tequila in the first place ... and the only place it can be legally made ... is now kind of "anti" when it comes to the custom they began.

Why Was Lime & Salt First Added To Tequila?

In the earliest days of its existence, "ta - kill -ya" might taste like it really could. Even though it's all natural, its earliest versions weren't very smooth and the lime and salt helped. Know why? Science ...

When you lick straight salt, it can distract your taste buds from the intensity of the alcohol that is soon to follow. Sucking on an acidic wedge of fresh lime immediately afterwards acts as a chaser, and can alleviate that bite while enhancing the pleasant citrus notes present in tequila. - yahoo

PS: True tequila lovers don't knock back shots, they sip them.

Tequila's more fun to drink than to write about so, I'm off to get some. If you'd rather keep reading about it, click here.