Tequila/Mezcal... Lime or Lemon?

  • Thread starter Der Alta
  • 29 comments
  • 40,709 views

Do you take a Lime or a Lemon?

  • Lemon

    Votes: 4 14.3%
  • Lime

    Votes: 17 60.7%
  • Nothing... One too many bad memories

    Votes: 7 25.0%

  • Total voters
    28
  • Poll closed .

Der Alta

Official GTP Bouncer
Staff Emeritus
9,209
DerAlta
This is a question for those of you old enough to drink, or stupid enough to drink underage.

An often debated argument in the bars and pubs of the area.

When drinking straight Tequila, are you supposed to use a Lime or a Lemon?

For ages, I used a Lemon. in Bars, I've had it served both ways. Recently, I was instructed to use a Lime, as it is the proper way. I, of course, asked what his back-up was to "the proper way". We were both stuck for a reason why it it was one or the other.

Within the Vast resources of GTP, I figure someone might have some insight, and in that process, I figured I'd ask the preferred method.

If you've no clue what I'm asking, please feel free to do some detective work on your own.
 
I've only ever used lime. I suppose lemon would be okay, but I think lime is better because it is a little softer, and gives the drink a better flavor.
 
I never drink it any more (after a bad incident at a party once), but I imagine the "proper" way to drink it is neat. I don't picture many of the first drinkers of Tequila cutting up limes and lemons somehow (though I could be wrong). It's similar to the number of people who order a good whisky on the rocks or with soda water. Bit of a waste.
 
I said lemon, as thats normally what I pick up from the store since thats whats always given to me in the bars here in Ontario. Of course, after a couple I normally start taking them straight anyways, which leads to the worst hangovers in the morning, followed by me emptying my stomach till the yellow paste ends my toilet hug. :lol:
 
Mexican alcohol's citrus = lime.

German wheat beer's citrus = lemon.
 
It seems that all Canadians here are nuts!

Nobody around these parts would ever dare serve you a lemon with your Tequila. Limes all the way around.

Limes are a particularly popular citrus in the central and south american regions, even though most variatals of limes are indegenous to the Southwest Indies.
However, limes grow particularly well in the hot humid climate of the central/southern americas.
Conversely, lemons do not grow well at all in these climates. It only makes sense that Tequilas would be served with limes, as lemons were not readily available to them.

And if anyone can tell me why limes don't have seeds,(at least your typical green Persian Lime) I'd love to get an answer for that one as I can't seem to locate one.
 
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! Wholly cow, man, it's been a while! Good to see you!

Here in the Philly area, and midwest in the St. Louis area, it's limes all the way. Wow, tequila, I haven't had Cuervo shots in some time. I can drink that stuff like water... for a while.
 
I tried a sip of some 200 year old tequila the last time I was in cozumel. Tasted sweaty. Yum. I don't like lemon with tequila/margaritas, though. Something about it just seems off...especially when compared to lime.
 
boombexus
And if anyone can tell me why limes don't have seeds,(at least your typical green Persian Lime) I'd love to get an answer for that one as I can't seem to locate one.

Well because the lime tree flowers, I don't think it needs to have seeds in the fruit or something along those lines.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lime_(fruit)

Edit:wait, every flowering plant creates fruit.

I guess the seeds might be so tiny that you don't notice them. That or they have been genetically engineered to not have them.
 
MdnIte
Bah. Tequila on it's own is the way to go.
👍

That's how I used to drink it back in high-school.

I say the proper way is with Lime, for reasons already outlined here (location etc.)

I think Limes are more expensive than Lemons, so if you're getting a Lemon it might be because the bar is too tight to spring for Lime's or they're too hard to get... :indiff:

*EDIT* - Damn, I was tricked by the stupid poll... :dunce:
 
I have always been told, (and have tried where possible) to drink it with lime.



amp88
I never drink it any more (after a bad incident at a party once),

I find it quite funny when people say stuff like this, "i don't drink cider, i had a bad experience with it".

You didn't have a bad incident because of the drink. You had a bad incident because of the AMOUNT of the offending liquid that you drank!
 
Hmmm.. Never even thought of using anything but Lemon.. Might give Lime a shot next time Tequila is served..
 
There is no "traditional" fruit to use with Tequila. Using fruit is referred to as the "Hollywood Style". Traditionally, Mexican tequila drinkers drink it straight or in cocktails, without any fruit "soothers".

So to answer your question in technicality, it's neither. To answer it generally, it's both. You can have whatever fruit you like. In fact, I believe some European countries even use oranges and cinnamon, which is odd. But, traditionally, fruit is not used.

On a personal level, I've never tried it with Lime. Sounds a lot better than Lemon, as personally I don't like Lemon full stop. Though straight Tequila isn't too bad (burns like hell for a while, though).
 
Magic069
Isn't this a Mexican liquor? They worship Lime's. Therefore, it should be a Lime.

Corona, Mexican Beer, Lime.
Brilliant avatar there Magic.... he's on GTP!!! :cool: :lol:

I only ever drink Tequila with a slice of lemon and a crash helmet...:ill:

Tequila is just one of those drinks, like Southern Comfort, that leaves a permanent scar on the psyche... even the smell of it is enough to trigger a flashback to a night you'd sooner forget... I can still just about face it, though...
 
I've never had tequila without having a little salt and a squirt of lime. No lemons, yet.

It's the most work you can legally do to enjoy an alcholic beverage, except for having a Flaming Sambuca. Too much work, so by the time the 5-6th one has entered...[collaspes on a couch]
 
This is so weird. I've never seen anyone use a slice of lime after a shot of tequila, only a lemon. But as I think about it, it would make sense to use lime, since it goes with the whole Mexican image thing (think Corona beer with a slice of lime).

Either one is fine, but I think the lemon would be better at stopping the gag reflex from the tequila...
 
Touring Mars
Tequila is just one of those drinks, like Southern Comfort, that leaves a permanent scar on the psyche... even the smell of it is enough to trigger a flashback to a night you'd sooner forget... I can still just about face it, though...

Don't get me started on Southern Comfort stories! - i don't think i've drunk it since i was legally old enough to - bad, bad memories.

As for lemon or lime: with tequila it has to be lime. With mezcal it has to be worm :sly:
 
Touring Mars
Brilliant avatar there Magic.... he's on GTP!!! :cool: :lol:

Off topic, but its nice to see someone noticed. I'm happy. I was holing out until I found something along those lines. Took awhile and some modfication of course, but I got what I was after. 👍
 
TheCracker
With mezcal it has to be worm :sly:


They have it at my local. With the worm!!!

They advise you don't buy it though. I'm not even sure if it's for sale or for show!
 
DQuaN
They have it at my local. With the worm!!!

They advise you don't buy it though. I'm not even sure if it's for sale or for show!

I thought it always came with the worm? - they say its supposed to be hallucinogenic, but i would have thought that spending all that time in alcohol would make the worm pretty much an empty vessel with no hallucinogenic qualities at all.
 
'

'round here its usually served w/ salt & lemon slices.

but i rebel & demand tequila on tonic on the rocks w/ lime if u have it!

ed; is'nt there a difference between mescal & pulque, the latter using the hallucinogenic parte of an agave?
 
DQuaN
They have it at my local. With the worm!!!

They advise you don't buy it though. I'm not even sure if it's for sale or for show!

You should look at a Chinese liquor that has a lizard inside. And I'm not talking a little one either... this one looks like a baby iguana!

Anyway, to clear the issue. You're supposed to use lime, since it's more sour. The issue comes in the name of the fruit. What is known as the lemon in the States and most other places is yellow and quite large and sweeter than a lime... or less sour.

The lime itself is green, but it called "Limón" in Spanish-speaking countries. Although in Spain both are called Limón, but we get very little of the green ones.

Although there are Limes in Spanish-speaking countries, it usually refers to a much smaller version of the Limón.
 
Back