You’ve been drinking tequila… all wrong! Etiquette expert William Hanson reveals that the ‘noble drink’ is not given the respect it deserves (and that’s probably the fault of Americans)
‘The best way to enjoy tequila is by sipping it. If you drink it, it won’t get the respect it deserves.”
This is what etiquette expert William Hanson says in a viral TikTok video with over a million views, explains that doing shots of tequila is wrong.
In the video, filmed in a Mexican restaurant Cavita in Wigmore Street, London, Mr Hanson says: ‘We don’t shoot it back in the form of a shot. Instead, in Mexico, proper etiquette is sipping tequila. And if necessary, you can use lime or orange and salt in between, which you suck to clean the palette.’
MailOnline Travel asked Mr Hanson if withdrawals are ever acceptable.
He said: ‘Tradition in Mexico suggests that tequila is a noble spirit that is best tasted and drunk. If you shoot it down, it will become somewhat smaller and you won’t get the respect it deserves.
‘The best way to enjoy tequila is by sipping it. If you drink it, it doesn’t get the respect it deserves,” says etiquette expert William Hanson. In a viral TikTok video with more than a million views, Mr. Hanson explains that doing shots of tequila is wrong
“Needless to say, it is widely believed that it was the Americans who cultivated the ‘shoot it’ culture.”
So, should someone refuse taking shots if offered?
Mr Hanson said: ‘For some, a night out isn’t complete without a shot of tequila. Bless them. If you’re not that type, don’t feel like you have to make shots to fit in. Be yourself. Decide politely and drink what you want properly. Also, never pressure anyone to make a shot.”
The etiquette expert revealed that the right glassware for tequila is a flute glass – ‘because it enhances the aromas and directs them to the nose’.
Mr Hanson said: ‘For some, a night out isn’t complete without a shot of tequila. Bless them. If you’re not a shot type, don’t feel like you have to make shots to fit in’
In the video, Mr. Hanson takes a sip of tequila and reveals that this is the first time he has ever tried it.
And the verdict?
He said: ‘It was very strong and I’m so grateful that I didn’t have to shoot it back – wrongly – otherwise I would have been on the ground.
“I could understand why many like it, but it won’t be in my drinks repertoire.”
Mr Hanson revealed his favorite festive drink is a gin and tonic – “a big glass of regular dry gin from London, none of these new flavored gins” – or a gin and Dubonnet “if I’m feeling really wild”.
For more from William, visit his TikTok here and Instagram here. He can be found on Twitter twitter.com/williamhanson.