Bandera Shot

Lime, blanco tequila, and sangrita — the Bandera (flag) format, the traditional Mexican approach to tequila through contrast, not the lime-and-salt-shot ritual.

La Bandera — the flag — is the traditional and culturally authentic way that Mexicans drink quality tequila, built around a simple visual reference to the green, white, and red of the Mexican national flag that doubles as a perfect flavor-sequencing ritual. The three glasses correspond to three distinct flavors: green is fresh lime juice, crisp and acidic; white is blanco tequila, unaged and transparent, presenting the agave's raw flavor with nothing softened by barrel contact; and red is sangrita, the spiced tomato-citrus-chili chaser whose deep color and complexity bridge the lime's sourness and the tequila's herbal intensity. The contrast with the lime-salt-shot format that became internationally dominant among tourists highlights a fundamental cultural difference in how tequila is approached: the Bandera ritual is about appreciating the spirit's complexity through contrast and palate-cleansing alternation rather than consuming it quickly against seasoning designed to mask the flavor. Sangrita itself originated in Jalisco, most likely around Lake Chapala near Guadalajara, where early versions combined Seville orange juice, grenadine, and ground chili as a natural accompaniment to the region's agave spirits. The Mexican flag has flown in its current tricolor form since 1821, when independence from Spain was achieved, with green representing hope, white representing unity, and red representing the blood of heroes.