Certain people come into your life for only a transitory time but leave you with etched, lasting lessons, some profoundly meaningful and others barely more than trivial. Call this one somewhere in between.

In my early tenure working at Madison Square Garden I crossed-over briefly with a guy named Rene, a slightly eccentric but constantly cool gent sporting a partial mullet who, among other technical functions for the building, was responsible for programming the world-famous 7th Avenue marquee (I can’t be sure that the statute of limitations has run out, so I won’t mention whether we ever conspired to flash an illicit message on one of the world’s most iconic digital spaces).

One night out nearing the end of an office dinner, Rene unilaterally determined that all present should close with a shot, and proceeded to order a round for the table. His serving of choice: a Prairie Fire. For those unfamiliar – which I’d guess would be just about everybody; he might have just made it up on the spot – the burning-just-right feeling appropriate to the name Prairie Fire arrives from but two ingredients, Tequila and Tabasco. Simple enough, but the proper blend is critical: a half-decent tequila, but nothing fancy is needed, and somewhere between 2 and 10 dashes of Tabasco will do (I’d strongly recommend the higher end of the range).

I was an instant convert. And soon thereafter, following Rene’s MSG departure, I assumed it as my own signature shot amongst eras of Garden staffers to come. I know my friend Boris remembers it fondly. And Jamie, now a team executive and responsible mother of three, still leaves me an occasional sloppy message when her game celebrations include the concoction I clued her into a decade or two ago.

Now, though there is no actual connection to the Prairie Fire origin story, whenever I hear the tune ‘Come Unto Me’ by my favorite Tex-Mex titans, The Mavericks, it seems like the most perfectly-paired accompaniment to Rene’s brilliant creation. A little harsh, jarring, maybe even a bit dangerous, yet thoroughly stimulating and, ultimately, oh so tasty. Piquant – that’s the word I’d use, for both the shot and the song.

So go on, next time you’re looking to spice up a random happening with some adventurous compadres, try out this recipe: cue up ‘Come Unto Me,’ mix up a biting batch of Prairie Fires, crank up your speakers, and don’t skimp on the Tabasco. Just tell ‘em a marquee guy named Rene sent ya.