Rick James would declare: “It’s a celebration, bitches.” I say that because today’s my birthday; Rick was well known for saying that every day of his life, but then again, everyday is somebody’s birthday.

This one is a quick one, but it’s been insanely popular for many years, and it’s tons of fun at parties. Especially parties where you don’t have a lot of booze around. I’m going to flip the script for a second, and post the recipe first, before the explanation.

Tequila Popper - Recipe:

• 1 oz tequila
• balance Sprite (not quite to top)

Pour the tequila, then the soda, into a rocks glass. When served, the drinker must place his hand over the top of the glass, pick up, then slam the glass down on the bar, and down the shot ASAP as it foams up.

The reason why this drink is so popular is simple: when you slam that glass back down onto the bar, not only do the two ingredients mix, but the excitement of the soda causes the drink to fizz up. When you drink this shooter as the bubbles are popping, some of this drink is being taken in as a gas, rather than a liquid. This means that your body is absorbing the alcohol quicker, which means you’ll get tipsy a bit faster than normal. This is one loophole around the rule which states that alcohol is always absorbed into the bloodstream at the same rate, no matter how fast you drink, because that rule applies only to drinking liquids, and what you’re drinking is now part gas.

I’d have a few of these to celebrate my birthday, but I spent a bunch of time making skittles-infused vodka yesterday, so I’m going to reap the rewards of that process tonight. But do feel free to have a tequila popper in my honor for my birthday tonight; just don’t drive home afterwards.