Shots are one of the most attractive ways to serve alcohol at lively parties. They are perfect for dance parties, weddings, all-night outdoor gatherings on summer nights, or success celebration parties! Who invented shots? Which one comes from Poland? What to drink them from and how? What are the rules for preparing them and the recipes for the best ones? How to set a B52 on fire and does a Mad Dog always have to be red?
Cowboy legends
The history of shots begins... in the Wild West. American towns in the western part of the United States sprang up like mushrooms after rain, and the gold rush was accompanied by the intensive development of railway lines. Wherever precious metals were found or work was offered in the construction of tracks and stations, migrants appeared.
After a hard day in the hot sun, the inhabitants of the Wild West sought a moment of respite with a glass of stronger alcohol. There were few beautiful "saloons" known from cinema then, which with such design would be a sensation today in New York, Berlin, or Warsaw. The place for such a establishment was usually a tent with a board laid on barrels or other stands as a counter and with makeshift benches. It usually served only whiskey, popularized by the British even before the Civil War. Many people were engaged in its production, and the import of beer, wine, and other spirits - due to the still developing potential of railway travel - was usually impossible.
A tired cowboy, adventurer, or builder would order a small glass of whiskey - often one after another. How did it become a shot? Two legends present different versions. The first one says that less wealthy people paid for them with cartridges: one glass was one "shot." The second one states that after tilting the glass, the "shooter" would hit the thick bottom of the glass hard against the wooden counter, and the resulting sound resembled a gunshot from a revolver.
A must-have glass
The ideal shot glasses are those from which you can "shoot a pipe," meaning drink the entire drink at once. They can have different shapes - rounded, angular, flaring, and narrowing. They should not have a stem. Roly-Poly type vessels are an interesting option here - layered shots can become even more visually effective!
The most important feature that a glass should have – a shot is usually very colorful or multi-colored – is impeccably clean and transparent glass from which it is made. Crystalline material, offered by KROSNO, will be ideal - it will allow you to enjoy not only the taste but also the unusual appearance of each shot.
Solo or one after another?
In some bars, you can find sets of shots on the menu, which are drunk one after another. This is quite an attractive way to serve them! However, for colorful shots not to harm when consumed in this way, it is worth calculating the ingredients for the number of glasses and mixing them so that they contain no more than 50 ml of strong alcohol in total.
Some of them, such as Kamikaze, are excellent for drinking one after another. Others, like B52, are better enjoyed, taking a moment to feel the taste of all layers in your mouth. How to make shots and what is the secret of their multi-layered nature?
Multi-layering
To make a red, green, or blue shot – that is, a single-color, yet impressive-looking cocktail – you will need a shaker or... a large jar with a lid. It will allow for thorough mixing of ingredients and avoid separation. Often, however, multi-color is a desired effect. How to achieve it?
The secret to multi-layered shots is the correct order of pouring liquids into the glass, preferably slowly and over the convex side of a spoon. The densest, i.e., heaviest, liquid should be at the very bottom, followed by lighter and thinner ones. If it is difficult to judge the weight "by eye," the contents of a full glass with each of the individual ingredients can be weighed. Syrups are usually the heaviest, and creams and foams are the thinnest.
If a heavy liquid is poured onto a lighter one, an ideal layer will not be obtained, but the ingredients will begin to intermingle as the top one slowly falls to the bottom. In this way, a very interesting effect is created, e.g., in an ombre style. By mastering the recipes for the three most popular shots and remembering these simple rules, it is worth trying to create something of your own!
Recipes for the best shots
Vodka shots – and not only – are very simple to prepare, and will certainly be a great attraction at any lively party! Before guests reach for the first glass, it's worth treating them to a short anecdote about each cocktail!
This information will surely surprise everyone gathered: Mad Dog – a shot with a bittersweet and spicy taste and a beautiful, red color – was invented in Poland! This white, or rather colorless-red, drink comes from Świnoujście, and its author is Darek Ryżczak. Inspired by Quentin Tarantino's film – the 90s hit entitled: "Reservoir Dogs" - he named his throat-scratching mini-cocktail, which can be found in every bar today! The shot should be drunk at once, so that the ingredients mix in the mouth immediately. An interesting variation on the Mad Dog is its Ghost, which is the colorless version of the cocktail.
Mad Dog Shot - recipe
To prepare a Mad Dog, you will need:
- 25 ml cold vodka;
- 15 ml cold currant or raspberry juice;
- 3 drops of tabasco;
- Cherry tomato for decoration.
Pour vodka into the glass, then slowly, using the convex side of a spoon, add the juice, and finally the tabasco. Wait a moment for the heavy ingredients to settle at the bottom. The glass can be decorated with a cherry tomato placed on the rim. You can also create a spectacular and mouth-tingling crust – simply dip the glass in lime juice beforehand, and then in pepper!
Ghost of a Mad Dog Shot - recipe
To prepare a Ghost of a Mad Dog, you will need:
- 25 ml clear and cold orange-flavored vodka;
- 25 ml clear and cold bartender's coconut syrup;
- 3 drops of tabasco.
Pour coconut syrup into the glass. Then slowly, using the convex side of a spoon, add the vodka. Pour a few drops of tabasco on top. Wait for it to settle, stopping between the two layers.
Kamikaze Shot - recipe
The popular Kamikaze – a blue shot was created in the mid-1940s in Tokyo. The name was given in honor of Japanese war heroes – kamikaze – who sacrificed their lives in battles with American soldiers in the Pacific Ocean.
The proportions from the given recipe are suitable for preparing 4 shots for one guest in a shaker.
To prepare Kamikaze, you will need:
- 50 ml chilled vodka;
- 50 ml Blue Curaçao bar syrup;
- 50 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice;
- 5 ice cubes;
- Juice from half a lime;
- A teaspoon of citric acid.
Dip each of the four glasses in lime juice and citric acid, creating a spectacular crust. Place ice cubes in a shaker and pour in vodka, syrup, and lemon juice. Mix all ingredients very thoroughly. Strain the blue liquid into the glasses. Drink one shot after another.
B52 Shot - recipe
B52 is the name of American bombers that were used by US forces during the Vietnam War. However, the name of this spectacular shot does not come directly from them, but from another "The B-52's" - the cocktail creator's favorite rock band. The musicians, in turn, were inspired not only by planes but also by the slang meaning of "B-52": fashionable 1950s "bouffant" hairstyles worn by "ideal" American housewives.
To make it even more interesting, this enigmatic semantics has nothing to do with the aromatic ingredients used by the cocktail's creator. However, it must be admitted that a flaming B52 shot very much resembles the engines of the aforementioned bomber!
To prepare a B52 (flaming and not), you will need:
- 15 ml coffee liqueur;
- 15 ml Triple Sec liqueur;
- 15 ml Baileys Irish Cream liqueur.
The B52 shot is distinguished by its unique layers. Coffee liqueur should be at the very bottom of the glass. Then slowly, using the inverted side of a spoon, pour Baileys liqueur, and finally Triple Sec.
To ignite the drink, add a little plum brandy or rum on top, then light it. Quickly insert a long straw into the liquid - being careful not to burn yourself and that the straw does not catch fire - and then drink the whole thing at once. Sprinkling cinnamon into the flame is a special bartending trick that creates spectacular sparks. All these actions must be performed with due caution and, above all, before consuming the first shot!
See the best shot glasses