The 4th of July is the apex for summer parties here in the States. Barbecues, beergaritas, fireworks; and of course, the red, white and blue. Since tomorrow is Independence Day, and we’ve been doing so well with layered shots recently, we felt it was a good time to break out the Red White and Blue Shot. This pousse-cafe style shooter is the most common red, white, and blue drink that I know of, so let’s go over how to make it.
Red, White and Blue Shot
- 1 part grenadine
- 1 part peach schnapps
- 1 part blue curacao
- Blackberry, strawberry (optional garnish)
In a shot glass, fill the bottom third with grenadine. Next, pour peach schnapps over the back of a bar spoon to build the second layer. Layer the blue curacao in the same fashion to complete your Red White and Blue Shooter. Serve with a strawberry and blackberry as garnish if you want to get really fancy.
This layered shot works by the relative density of the alcohols, as compared to each other. Generally, the more sugar in the alcohol, the heavier it will be. Each alcohol has a specific gravity, and by using various liquors in the right order, you can make all sorts of layered drinks.
This layered shot takes about to prep and less than to build. Also known as the American Flag shot, the Red White and Blue Shooter is popular during the 4th of July, Memorial Day, and other patriotic type holidays in the US. Since red, white, and blue are colors used in many other flags around the world, I would imagine this drink is probably known by other names in other countries.
Some Interesting American Flag Facts
Although today’s flag has 13 stripes, symbolizing the bloodshed of the Revolutionary War, from 1795 until 1818, there were 15 stripes.
Robert Heft designed the current 50 star flag in 1958, while he was still in high school. He received a B minus for his project, although his teacher said he could raise his grade if Congress adopted his design, which they did. Heft, now deceased, had copyrights on flags from 51 stars up to 60 stars, in case new States were ever proposed.
Although many people think that The Star Spangled Banner was our National Anthem from the start, it was actually written by Francis Scott Key in 1814, and was inspired after he witnessed the attack on Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. The United States Navy started using this song in 1889, but the Star Spangled Banner didn’t become our official anthem until 1931.
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Tags: blue curacao, creme de cacao, grenadine, history, holiday drinks, patriotic drinks, peach schnapps, shooters, shots, summer
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