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Perhaps you recall your first shot of tequila, with its ubiquitous lick of salt and bite of lime wedge afterwards. If it was anything like ours, the tequila was most likely cheap and burned going down, and the salted lime was just a bit too sour to make the experience very enjoyable. These days, we drink higher-end tequila, usually an añejo (or if we’re feeling flush, an extra añejo, which we prefer to sip). But should you feel inclined to revisit the past like us (hopefully with better tequila this time, like a decent reposado), make sure to take your garnishes to the next level by replacing the aforementioned accouterments with a different kind of citrus and seasoning pairing: orange and cinnamon.
A cinnamon-dusted orange slice is definitely an upgrade from salt and lime, which we feel detracts from the blue agave spirit’s flavor. The combination of orange, cinnamon, and aged tequila works well for a very good reason. Both reposado and añejo tequila often pick up hints of warming spices and oak as they age in barrels, along with the spirit’s prevalence of citrus notes and an inherent sweetness. The sweet citrus flavor of the orange and the cinnamon’s woody spiciness complement the aged tequila nicely.
The best method for this tequila shot
You can find several variations of this shot online, but the most common type of tequila seems to be either a reposado or an añejo, though a few versions call for using blanco. Some people like to lick the cinnamon off the back of their hand, shoot the tequila, and then bite into the orange. Others like to dust the orange slice with a blend of sugar and cinnamon, or make a cinnamon sugar rim for their shot glass. After downing the shot, you’re meant to bite into the sugary orange slice.
After trying different versions to find our favorite result (the things we do for this job), we recommend going with a good reposado rather than a pricier añejo, since you’re still shooting it. And don’t skimp on the spice: Use Ceylon cinnamon, which is sometimes considered true cinnamon, rather than its cheaper relative, cassia. Ceylon cinnamon has a sweeter, more complex flavor with floral notes that play well with the flavors of an aged tequila. It’s fairly easy to find in grocery stores, but consider seeking out single-origin varieties like Burlap & Barrel’s Cinnamon Verum from Tanzania. Lastly, forgo the table sugar — the orange is sweet enough, and you don’t want the spirit’s flavors to be overwhelmed by its cloying sweetness. Instead, shoot the tequila and then bite into the cinnamon-dusted fruit slice. Once you coax out tequila’s sweeter side with this shot, you may never go back to the old standby of lime and salt.
