Bartender of 20 years here, also English is my second language. The years I’ve bartended does not automatically accredit me a great bartender, but I’d like to think I’m decent… have done dive bars to chains to worlds top 50, owned my own bar, brand ambassador etc . I’ve bartender in English, spanish, and Portuguese speaking countries (originally I’m from Mexico ) Ok. With that out of the way … my rant. I understand when customers get it wrong but I expect a little more from seasoned bartender or industry peeps. Although I’m glad that people know the difference between Tequila Blanco, reposado and añejo(extra añejo, cristalino etc is all a gimmick ) … it’s drives me crazy that people put in the effort (specially English speakers ) to say it Spanish but always backwards … it’s two fucking words. It’s Tequila (then the age ie, tequila reposado ) not : Blanco Tequila , or Añejo tequila … it’s fucking dumb. It’s sounds stupid, flip it , that’s all, you’re already halfway there. (In Mexico we don’t freeze, or chill our tequilas either) Second, we don’t drink coronas with salt … it’s an American thing. Extra cold Corona’s with lime and salt is just to cover up its shitty flavor …we have our beer neat, unless of course we’re having a michelada , Clamato preparado, ojo rojo etc Now : this is controversial , so there’s is wiggle room with this … Micheladas. Michelada: lime and salt (that’s fucking it ) some know it as a “chelada” (nobody cares)

Cubana: it’s like and salta , with spices or what we like to call Petróleo or Veneno (a mixture is salsas, Maggie, Tabasco, soy, etc everyone has their own recipe ) i

Clamato preparado : all of the fucking over with Clamato (lime, salta, salsas and Clamato ) (like a bloody mart or Cesar , the garnish can me a bit flamboyant or just salt rim )

Ojo rojo : same a Clamato preparado but with tomato juice. Some people say it’s clamato, which makes no sense because one already exists.

Third, Mezcal. MEZCAL IS NOT SMOKEY TEQUILA. I’m sorry if all you get is shitty mezcal with the flavor profile , please don’t sell it like that. Two, being someone who lived a long time in Oaxaca(6 years ) and worked in palenques and hung out with locals all the time … we do not drink our mezcal with orange or citrus/fruit slices and “Sal de gusano” or tajin… get the fuck outta here. Unfortunate it’s become so common for foreigners to ask for it and even nationals , they do it now to cater to tourist … it’s not a tradition. Can you imagine having an amazing whiskey and throwing it in a Collins glass and pouring soda water on it … it’s the equivalent of that. What we do it , is cantina food … chapulines (grasshopper ) chicatanas (giant ants, when in season), etc and sometimes we can double down with a beer if it’s a house mezcal and nothing fancy.

Also in case you didn’t know … Haciendas is where they make tequila , Palenques are where they make mezcal , Tabernas are where they make raicilla.

Sorry if I sounded like a dick. Got it off my chest.

Salud compás y carnalas.