Red White and Blue Shooter
The sweet-spirited layers of curacao, vodka, grenadine, and peach schnapps in Red White and Blue Shooters are perfect for summer celebrations!
Raise your flags and give a patriotic cheer with an eye-catching Red White and Blue Shooter! Layer up these easy-to-make shots using only four ingredients- curacao, vodka, peach schnapps, and grenadine- and give everyone one more reason to celebrate!
Patriotic Party
Everyone loves a good patriotic celebration, and there’s no better drink for these occasions than a beautiful Red, White, and Blue Shooter! Each shot is fun to make and even more fun to share with all the adults at the party, along with all your favorite red, white, and blue BBQ and potluck dishes.
Create more patriotic treats for the party with crowd-pleasing Red, White, and Blue Frozen Berry Dessert, or Stars and Stripes Rice Krispies Treats!
Other Recipes to Serve with Red, White, and Blue Shooters
- A gorgeous 4th of July Charcuterie Board is perfect for providing various snack options at the party!
- Colorful and delicious appetizers like Watermelon Stars and Fruit Dip not only keep the crowd cool but are also so fun to eat!
Ingredients
Spirits: For the alcoholic portion of these shots, you will need peach schnapps, blue curacao, and vodka.
Mixers: To get the red layer, you’ll be using grenadine. It can be found near the grocery store’s mixers in the liquor department.
How to Make Red, White, and Blue Shots
STEP ONE: Pour 1/2 ounce of grenadine into the bottom of each shot glass and freeze for five minutes.
STEP TWO: Remove the shots from the freezer and slowly pour 1/2 ounce of peach schnapps over the back of a spoon (or use a syringe) so that it layers over the grenadine. Repeat with all of the shots.
STEP THREE: In a separate glass or measuring cup, combine the blue curacao and vodka. Then, slowly pour this mixture over the back of a spoon (or use a syringe) so that it floats on top of the peach schnapps layer. Repeat with the other shots and enjoy!
Tips for Success
- This drink does not contain ice or juice to dilute the curacao mix and peach schnapps, so its alcohol content is similar to that of a glass of strong wine.
- The 15mL to 20mL plastic medicine syringes found online make layering these shots really easy, especially if you use tall shot glasses with small openings. Inserting pour spouts on the bottles can make layering easier and help you control the flow.
- To help slow the flow of the liquor, you can also try sticking the tip of an upside-down spoon on the layer in the glass and then slowly pouring the liquor over the back of the spoon so that it lands slowly and gently on the layer.
- If you are using wider shot glasses then you may want to eyeball the layers instead of measuring them. Fill your glasses 1/3 full of each layer for the same visual effect.
How do you make layered drinks with alcohol?
Believe it or not, there is a science and a technique to making layered drinks! When it comes to the science, layering is all about density. The more sugar a liquid has, the heavier it is, so naturally, that is the drink that should be added first so that it sits at the bottom of the glass. In this recipe, peach schnapps are lighter than grenadine but heavier than blue curacao, so they need to be in the middle layer. Finally, to make curacao light enough to float on top, it must be mixed with vodka. This will increase the ABV and make it float.
The technique part of this really comes down to patience and practice. Whether you use a syringe, pour the spirits over the back of a spoon, or even tilt the glass to achieve the layers, it all has to be done slowly, and the more you do it, the easier it will get!
What kind of alcohol is in a red, white, and blue?
There are a variety of recipes for a red, white, and blue shot, but they all typically contain blue curacao, peach schnapps, and grenadine. The order is usually the same, with grenadine at the bottom and peach schnapps and curacao. Some recipes require high-end peach schnapps because they are heavier than blue curacao. Other similar shots, like the Patriotic shot, are made with grenadine and blue curacao and topped with vodka, so they are similar but slightly different in look and taste.
Everything’s Better When it’s Red, White, and Blue!
- Red White and Blue Cheesecake Poke Cake
- Berry Caprese
- Fourth of July Funfetti Cupcakes
- Fruit and Goat Cheese Bruschetta
- Blueberry Pie with Star-Spangled Crust
*This post originally posted on 08/29/2012.
Red White and Blue Shooter
Equipment
- Syringe or Spoon
Ingredients
- 2 ounces grenadine
- 2 ounces peach schnapps
- 1 ounce blue curaçao
- 1 ounce vodka
Instructions
- Pour 1/2 ounce of grenadine into the bottom of each shot glass.
- Place the shots in the freezer for 5 minutes.
- Use a clean syringe to pull in 1/2 ounce of peach schnapps. Then slowly squirt the peach schnapps over the grenadine so it floats. (see note) Repeat for each shot.
- In an extra shot glass, mix together the blue curaçao and vodka. (The vodka increases the ABV and helps this layer float.)
- Use a clean syringe to pull in 1/2 ounce of blue curaçao. Then slowly squirt the blue curaçao over the peach schnapps so it floats. Repeat for each shot.
- Keep chilled in the fridge until ready to serve, or serve immediately.
Notes
- If you don’t have a syringe, you can pour the layers over the back of a spoon. Place the tip of the spoon near the edge of the glass and then pour, moving the spoon up as the glass fills.
- If your syringe has metric measurements, you need 15mL to equal 1/2 ounce.
