Ingredients
- 1 oz Tequila
- 1 Dash(s) Tabasco sauce
Instructions
- Fill a shot glass with tequila.
- Drop a dash of Tabasco sauce into the shot glass and around the edge.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where it came from
The Prairie Fire is a 1980s American bar shot, born out of the spicy-shot trend that followed the rise of cinnamon liqueurs. Tequila, hot sauce, glass: the recipe is the entire concept, no decoration. The name is what it does on the way down.
It sits in a small family of hot-pepper shots: the Mexican Flag, the Tequila Slammer with hot sauce, and the Bloody Maria taken without tomato. All four lean on capsaicin to amplify the spirit and skip the sugar that softens most novelty shots.
Best ordered as one round, not a session. The Tabasco does the heavy lifting and a second pour piles on heat that the palate already cannot read.
What it tastes like
Hot sauce tang first, agave heat in the middle, a long warm finish. The Tabasco is vinegar-and-cayenne, so the second wave is salty-sour, not just hot.
Around 40 percent ABV in the glass since this is essentially a single shot of tequila. The dash of Tabasco does not move the strength but does change how the alcohol reads on the palate.
The technique
Pour one ounce of silver or gold tequila into a shot glass. Add a single dash of Tabasco hot sauce, either dropped in the centre or run around the inside rim of the glass. Drink in one.
Use silver tequila for a cleaner profile. Gold tequila adds a touch of caramel that softens the burn. Skip aged anejo: the wood notes fight the hot sauce.
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Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The tequila
- Use
- 100 percent agave silver tequila (Espolon, Olmeca Altos, Cazadores).
- Skip
- Gold mixto tequila or budget supermarket bottles. The shot exposes them.
- Why
- The shot is mostly tequila. A clean agave pour is the difference between a hot shot and a hot mistake.
The Tabasco
- Use
- Original red Tabasco. One dash.
- Skip
- Sriracha. Different vinegar, much sweeter.
- Why
- Tabasco is a clean cayenne-and-vinegar sauce. The vinegar bite is what gives the shot its second wave.
The glass
- Use
- A heavy 30 ml shot glass with straight sides.
- Skip
- A tapered shooter glass. The shape concentrates the Tabasco at the rim.
- Why
- A straight-sided shot glass keeps the Tabasco distributed across the pour. A tapered glass turns the first sip into pure hot sauce.
Three Variations
Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.
The standard build
- Prairie Fire, neat
- One ounce silver tequila plus one dash Tabasco. Drink in one.
The chaser build
- Prairie Fire with a beer back
- Same shot, served with a small glass of cold light beer to chase. The beer cuts the heat and the shot reads softer for the next round.
The Mexican Flag build
- Prairie Fire layered with green and white
- Layer green creme de menthe at the bottom, white sambuca in the middle, and the tequila plus Tabasco on top. Three colours, three layers, same Prairie Fire on the finish.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Cholula or Crystal hot sauce. Both are vinegar-and-cayenne and substitute cleanly. Skip Sriracha and chilli oil.
Gold tequila works. Skip aged anejo or reposado. The wood notes fight the heat.
A small rocks glass works. Adjust the pour to one and a half ounces if the rocks glass is much larger than a one-ounce shot.
Pour the Tabasco directly into the centre of the tequila instead of running it around the rim.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is in a Prairie Fire shot?
One ounce of tequila and one dash of Tabasco hot sauce in a shot glass. Two ingredients, no chaser, no garnish.
How strong is a Prairie Fire?
Around 40 percent ABV in the glass, since this is essentially a single shot of tequila. The Tabasco changes the read of the heat but not the proof.
What does a Prairie Fire taste like?
Hot sauce tang first, agave heat in the middle, a long warm finish. The vinegar in the Tabasco is what gives the shot its second wave.
Why is it called a Prairie Fire?
The name describes the burn down the chest after the shot. Bar humour from 1980s American novelty-drink culture.
Can I use a different hot sauce?
Cholula and Crystal both work. Both are vinegar-and-cayenne sauces. Skip Sriracha or chilli oil; they bring sugar or different oils that change the drink.
Should I use silver or gold tequila?
Silver for a cleaner cleaner profile. Gold tequila adds caramel that softens the burn slightly. Skip aged anejo: the wood notes fight the Tabasco.
Should I chase it?
Optional. A small glass of cold light beer cuts the heat. A glass of water also works. A salt rim on a follow-up shot is a separate convention.
Is the Prairie Fire dangerous?
It is a single shot of tequila with hot sauce. The heat is uncomfortable, not dangerous. People with stomach ulcers or chilli sensitivity should pass.
What glass should I serve it in?
A heavy 30 ml shot glass with straight sides. A tapered glass concentrates the Tabasco at the rim and overloads the first hit.
What other shots are similar?
A Mexican Flag for the layered version, a Bloody Maria taken neat for the tequila-and-tomato cousin, and a Tequila Slammer for the citrus-and-soda variant.
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