TIJUANA TAXi
The Tijuana Taxi: A Colorful Border Town Cocktail
The Tijuana Taxi emerged during the 1970s and 1980s when colorful, tropical-style cocktails gained popularity in American bars.
The drink was named after the border city of Tijuana, Mexico, evoking the city's reputation for vibrant nightlife and party culture, according to Difford's Guide. The cocktail typically combines tequila with blue curaçao, pineapple juice, and sometimes other tropical juices like orange juice or lemon-lime soda. The blue curaçao creates a distinctive bright blue color that made the drink visually striking for the disco era, as noted in Kindred Cocktails.
The Tijuana Taxi represents the late 20th-century trend of colorful, sweet cocktails designed for casual drinking and party atmospheres. The drink's bright appearance and tropical flavors made it popular in beach bars and casual Mexican restaurants.
The cocktail's popularity declined in the 1990s as craft cocktail culture emphasized more sophisticated drinks, but it occasionally appears on retro menus as a nostalgic throwback.
RECIPE:
1.5 oz tequila (blanco)
1/2 oz blue curaçao
2 oz pineapple juice
1 oz fresh lime juice or lemon-lime soda
Pineapple wedge for garnish
Method:
Add tequila, blue curaçao, pineapple juice, and lime juice to a shaker with ice.
Shake vigorously until well-chilled.
Strain into a highball glass filled with ice.
Garnish with pineapple wedge.