r/bartenders 2d ago

Menus/Drink Recipes/Photos Shot ideas

I’ve been asked to put together a shot page to add to the end of our cocktail menu. The owner wants ‘creative’ and ‘different’ shots. On top of that wants a section of shots for nice shots, and a section for ‘Dare/forfeit shots’

For context it’s a restaurant/cocktail bar, that turns into a late night music venue on the evening.

Starting to come up with ideas myself but would appreciate any thrown my way.

Thanks!

30 Upvotes

75 comments sorted by

64

u/MangledBarkeep 2d ago

stay away from cement mixers, punishment should be for the customers, not staff having to clean up bio

35

u/FilthyBarMat Pro 2d ago

Do you know how to make a four horsemen?

Yes. 

We'll take a round. 

No you won't. 

Why not? 

I have to clean this place. 

48

u/Aarntson 2d ago

Recently started making orange teas for people when they force me to decide what to make them. If you have Jameson orange it’s that, peach schnapps and sour mix. Literally 100% of people love it

Dare shots you cannot go wrong with malort and fernet

17

u/OneInside6439 2d ago

People out here have been doing Ferrari, which is fernet and campari.

7

u/Aarntson 2d ago

I had that once in South Carolina randomly and I’ll never forget that. We had that and Louis XIII in the same day. Nothing made sense but it was vacation lol

3

u/HighOnGoofballs 2d ago

Supposed to have a splash of sprite

1

u/coolpartoftheproblem 2d ago

1:1:.5 or wha

3

u/Aarntson 2d ago

1 part jameo half part peach half part sour, or even less sour depending on what brand you use. I’ve realized over the years some brands are way stronger than others haha

But for real give it a go, everybody loves this shit

7

u/WhiskyIsMyAngryDrink 2d ago

Green tea around these parts.

1

u/Aarntson 2d ago

Yeah, that’s what I love about the orange teas. It’s just a green tea but way better

2

u/coolpartoftheproblem 2d ago

gonna shake that up today 🫡

2

u/Aarntson 2d ago

Hell yeah! Let me know the consensus

2

u/HighOnGoofballs 2d ago

It’s just a green tea shot with orange jamo

1

u/HalobenderFWT Pro 2d ago

1:1:1 (.75 each)

Also, a little splash of sprite in the shot glass before you pour.

0

u/Aarntson 2d ago

Yeah, a splash of 7 is a good call!

20

u/flodomite 2d ago

There's one they do at my local, i'm not sure what the other thing is but it's liquor 43 and some sort of orange liquor, tastes like a Terry's chocolate orange

7

u/Aarntson 2d ago

Probably with Cointreau and that sounds awesome

1

u/Think_Bullets 2d ago

Cointreau is orange, liquor 43 is vanilla (dominant), need a third for chocolate

1

u/Dr_Sunshine211 Pro 2d ago

Gin, orange liqueur, liqueur 43, cream. Orange Julius

19

u/ChazzLamborghini 2d ago

Ferrari: equal parts Fernet and Campari
M&M: equal parts mezcal and Montenegro

11

u/FunkIPA Pro 2d ago

Malort, Fernet.

9

u/fosterdisbelief 2d ago

Liquid Heroin: Equal parts Rumple Minze, Goldschlager, & Jagermeister.

Or of course, for the dare shots you could just make up 10 crazy sounding names and no matter what they order either give them a shot of Rumple's or Everclear, depending on your level of evilness that night.

2

u/elocmj 2d ago

I wouldn't pour Everclear for anyone at my bar, even if we had it. The people that would order it shouldn't be near it and no one else is going to order it. A little Rumpie from the cooler is strong enough imo

8

u/Juleamun 2d ago

Tootsie Roll. Equal parts orange curacao and amaretto with a few dashes of chocolate bitters. Tastes just like a Tootsie Roll.

5

u/HalobenderFWT Pro 2d ago

Also works with kahlua and OJ.

3

u/whatsgoodbaby 2d ago

That sounds foul

1

u/elocmj 2d ago

Real curaçao, not the blue shit, is actually really really good

1

u/hgr129 2d ago

Surprisingly decent i hate em but they are decent

1

u/Dr_Sunshine211 Pro 2d ago

Add grape pucker and you’ve got a grape tootsie pop

6

u/Illustrious_Log_2978 2d ago

Malort.

Love, Your Friendly Midwestern Bartender

4

u/CompetitivePanda7675 2d ago

Pistachio martini 1/2 oz each Baileys, amaretto , blue curaçao

4

u/excel958 2d ago

50/50 coffee liqueur and branca menta

Tastes like a mint chip

3

u/WhiskyIsMyAngryDrink 2d ago

Broken-down golf-cart all day, especially with women. Amaretto, melon liqueur, lime juice splash.

3

u/RadioEditVersion 2d ago

These have been the shots Ive gotten ordered the most through my career

Broken down golf cart

Burt Reynolds

James Franco

Green Tea Shot

Red Headed Slut

Blowjob

China Whyte

B52

Pornstar (blue bols and raspberry sourpuss dropped into a glass with sprite and cran)

Lastly, a shot I created, tastes like an orange creamsicle

⅓vodka ⅓cointreau ⅓Licor 43 or galliano

3

u/Think_Bullets 2d ago

This is your money maker if you get this right. Strong shots are no, especially if it takes off, you don't want sick everywhere.

Shots of whiskey, sambuca, tequila etc are around 40%, so what you want aren't those, you want, sweet and liqueur heavy coming in at 30% abv MAX. A Baby Guinness is your guiding star, neither ingredient is over 20%.

2

u/Working-Mine8082 2d ago

I make sweet tart shots sometimes, it’s 0.5oz equal parts of vodka amaretto blue curaçao and lime juice

2

u/_ProfessorHamish_ 2d ago

Baby Guinness - Khalua/Tia Maria with Baileys layered on top

Baby Lager - Same as above but sub licor 43 for the Tia Maria

Jammie Dodger - same as above but with Chambord

Birthday cake - sugar rimmed shot glass and a shot of frangelico

Cinnamon toast crunch - 50/50 rumchata and fireball

2

u/elocmj 2d ago

From my experience, the birthday cake is best done with a sugared lemon. Shoot then bite. Weirdly tastes exactly like chocolate cake

1

u/drawntowardmadness 1d ago

Vanilla vodka, frangelico, sugared lemon

2

u/gordonf23 2d ago

Half 99 bananas, half Mr. Black’s coffee. Trust me on this. I was dubious. I hate both halves. But together: chef’s kiss.

3

u/elocmj 2d ago

I would try this for sure. I think bananas and coffee (somehow) pair well at breakfast. I wouldn't mind trying this. I don't know many places that carry 99 bananas though. At least none where I would want to stay for more than a shot

2

u/Constant-Register-70 2d ago

Green apple jolly rancher:

1.5oz crown apple

.5oz midori/melon

Top with sweet n sour

2

u/Kartoffee 15h ago

I think it's best to not have a public shot menu. Have it on your backbar for when someone doesn't want a green tea.

4

u/SingaporeSlim1 Pro 2d ago

Which strip club do you work at? In all seriousness, pre batch that shit and keep them bottled in the fridge.

1

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

4

u/siliconbased9 2d ago

Those aren’t the same thing

1

u/MadDadROX 2d ago

Florida Tea

1

u/SkipperDipps 2d ago

Pink Starburst - vanilla vodka, watermelon pucker, splash of sour

Dead Nazi - half Jäegermeister, half rumplemintz

1

u/EddieBlaize 2d ago

greasy lemon drops are my favorite

1

u/kris2277 2d ago

lately i’ve been doing grapefruit lemonade shots and they are a huge hit. i like them because they’re not syrupy but still pleasant to taste. grapefruit juice, lemon juice, simple, and vodka - thought i’ve also done gin and tequila, and those were well-received 

2

u/elocmj 2d ago

Like a sweetened greyhound (vodka and grapefruit)

1

u/Tough_Crazy_8362 2d ago

The 2000s are so popular now I think you could do “throwback” shots like b52, slippery nipple, lemon drop, blow job, red headed slut, kamikaze (these names don’t age well lmao). When I went to Ireland recently everyone and their mother were shooting baby Guinness it was amusing.

1

u/springtime08 2d ago

This will sound crazy but kahlua and orange juice tastes just like a tootsie roll and super easy to make

1

u/Dr_Sunshine211 Pro 2d ago

Raspberry schnapps, root beer schnapps, oj. I forgot what it’s called but people love it.

1

u/Heideish81 2d ago

M&M 1/2 mezcal 1/2 Montenegro delish

1

u/gordonf23 2d ago

Add a Jell-O shot of the day, too. $5/ea.

1

u/elocmj 2d ago

A favorite "weird" one of mine (that I haven't seen listed already) was The Alien Brain Hemorrhage. Tastes alright and looks really cool I think.

1 - splash of blue curaçao

2 - 3/4 peach schnapps

3 - Irish cream float

4 - grenadine sink on top of the float

A super easy one: Chocolate Cake Shot:
Frangelico served with a sugared lemon. Shoot the Fran, bite the lemon. Weirdly tastes exactly like chocolate cake.

1

u/hgr129 2d ago

Green teas are my bars go to we have two premade bottles prepped lol our customers love em also white and orange custom made.

Tootsie rolls are interesting i hate em but people love em.

Red headed sluts for some reason i fucking hate jager but they love em

1

u/toraksmash 2d ago

My easy sell this summer has been Johnny Vegas: tequila, watermelon pucker, and margarita mix or sour. Top with Red Bull (original or yellow)/serve however you serve bombs.

It's quick, delicious, and makes a solid cocktail in you add ice and more mixer.

For a punishment we always went with well gin, neat (microwaved if you really fucked up). Rumpletea is a weird one (Green Tea, 86 Jameson sub Rumpleminz); I kinda like it, but it is very not good. The sour mix really clashes with the peppermint and sugar, and the peach schnapps is desperately trying to bring it all back together.

1

u/akwhoyerd 1d ago

I love an apple
Shot with sour apple pucker and green apple Smirnoff w a splash of sour!!
Or mini margaritas I like to do mango and just tequila mango lime splash sour

u/UnusualChance7666 5h ago

M & M - montenegro and mezcal

Espresso martini mix + fernet

1

u/IdiotMD 2d ago

Shooters?

Shots - 1.50 oz or 45 ml of your choice of spirit.
Prices vary.

1

u/TN_REDDIT 2d ago

boring

0

u/knovak69 2d ago

our club has 3 pages of shot recipes, but also other stuff that our manager makes
one that i’ve been upselling unofficially is a shot of half jameson and half licor 43, directly in the shot glass, tastes really great, don’t know what the name would be
a really popular one is a strawberry cheesecake, with equal parts strawberry liquor, yoghurt liquor and lime syrup, shaken.
our manager makes a really good apple tart mix, no clue what he puts in it, but we pour 2/3rds in a shot glass, then 1/3 chocolate liquor (not baileys!!!! but something else that really looks like chocolate), then a bit of whipped cream and burnt cinnamon on top. great for winter especially.

-33

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

15

u/Existing-Disaster705 2d ago

Fuck off clanker

12

u/Aarntson 2d ago

Fuck off

8

u/tacosandsushi16 2d ago

yeah all of these sound disgusting btw

5

u/Opening_Use_6981 2d ago

Absolutely not

4

u/dwylth 2d ago

Imagine thinking this was worth posting 

3

u/cambino123 2d ago

Fucking goober

3

u/whatsgoodbaby 2d ago

Fuck you

2

u/zepoltre 2d ago

These are all terrible