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All cocktails Mexican Firing Squad Special

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Mexican Firing Squad Special

Breakfast/brunch · Hall of Fame and must know/try · Long drinks and highballs

3.8 153 ratings

Ingredients

2 oz Reposado tequila
2/3 oz Lime juice
5/12 oz Grenadine syrup
2 dash Aromatic bitters

How to make

Serve in a highball (max 10oz/300ml) glass

Prepare

  1. 1 Select and pre-chill a HIGHBALL (MAX 10OZ/300ML) GLASS.
  2. 2 Prepare garnish of orange slice wheel, pineapple wedge and Luxardo Maraschino Cherry.

Method

  1. 3 SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
  2. 4 STRAIN into ice-filled glass.

Garnish

  1. 5 Garnish of orange slice, pineapple wedge and maraschino cherry.

Flavour profile

19.2% alc./vol. · 1.4 standard drinks · 171 calories

History

This lightly citrusy and fairly dry classic is dominated by tequila. Bitters play a key role in both balance and flavour. This is a sour served in a highball glass, not a highball, and should not be topped with soda. A highball glass should have a maximum capacity of 10oz / 296ml. Using such a glass filled with ice ensures this recipe fills to a good washline without need or room for a soda top.

Charles H. Baker's 1939 book, The Gentleman's Companion, features this drink. It is said to have originated in 1937 at LA CUCURACHA BAR in Mexico City. The author recounts being taken to a few places by two young Mexican gentlemen, where the drinks were served too warm and the mixers were often careless. The Mexican 'Firing Squad' Special is built around tequila, which is a distillation of the Maguey plant. For this drink, a tall collins glass is recommended. The recipe calls for 2 jiggers of tequila, specifying a good brand, the juice of 2 small limes, 1½ to 2 tsp of grenadine or gomme syrup, and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters. The glass should be chilled and packed with finely cracked ice before adding the mixture. It is garnished with a slice of orange, a slice of pineapple, and a red cherry.