People know Arnold Schwarzenegger as the seven-time Mr. Olympia, the T-800 from Terminator, as former Governor of California, and more. However, few know one of Arnold’s favorite ways to relax is to smoke cigars. If fact, the former Mr. Olympia has smoked cigars for decades and has probably smoked every type of cigar.

Because of Arnold’s love for the hobby, he has featured in the Cigar Aficionado magazine many times. During a 2021 interview, Arnie narrated how he learned a secret recipe from a man in 1989. A technique he still uses to impress guests.

Arnold Schwarzenegger mixed tequila with what?

Arnold told Cigar Aficionado he met a man while filming Total Recall in Mexico. Arnie visited a five-star restaurant one day and ordered a cigar. However, when Arnold took the cigar from the humidor, the man snatched it away. “Let me do it a little bit of spicing it up,” the man told Arnold. However, Arnold wanted to see what would happen.

The man tore off a piece of cedar from the humidor and kept it aside. He took a glass, a bottle of tequila, and poured some of it into the glass. Arnold said the man took the piece of cedar, dipped it in the tequila, and began brushing the alcohol on the cigar. “Going all the way down and making it nice and moist,” said Arnie.

“Hmm, that’s a good idea,” Arnold thought as the man lit the cigar. However, after Arnie had a few puffs, the man snatched the cigar away again. “I said, ‘Is this guy an idiot? What is the matter with him?'” the bodybuilding icon told Cigar Aficionado. The man dunked the unlit end of the cigar into the tequila before handing it to Arnold.

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“Oh, my god! This cigar!” said Arnold because it tasted incredible to him. When Arnold enquired about the brand, the man said it didn’t matter. “It makes no difference where it made… Now it’s a tequila cigar,” said the man. Arnold has been using the secret recipe since then.

Schwarzenegger inspired Carl Weathers to take up the hobby

A few years before learning the recipe in Mexico, the Hollywood action icon starred in Predator (1986). When Arnold met co-star Car Weather on the set of Predator, the latter wasn’t pleased with Arnie’s smoking habit. Carl would constantly cough if he caught a whiff of cigar smoke. “Get away with your stinking stuff. I can’t breathe.” Weathers told Arnie.

However, Arnold explained to Carl cigars had a soothing effect. So Carl reluctantly tried one. A day later, he asked for one more. By the time they had shot half of the movie, Weathers had smoked multiple boxes of cigars.

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What do you make of Arnold’s secret recipe?