Instructions
Mix Ingredients:
- In a cocktail shaker, combine 2 oz whiskey, 1 oz root beer, and 1 oz lemonade.
Shake:
- Shake the mixture for 5 seconds to blend the flavors and create a slight fizz.
Serve Over Ice:
- Strain the mixture into a cocktail glass filled with ice.
Serve Immediately:
- Serve the Filthy Bitch cocktail right away, enjoying it while the bubbles are still fizzing.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where the name came from
Filthy Bitch is part of the same dirty-named shot wave as Cocksucking Cowboy, Wet Pussy, and Buttery Nipple. Late 1990s through 2000s, UK and Australian pub bars, named for shock value to make customers laugh on order.
There’s no documented inventor. Three liqueurs at 10ml each is too obvious a recipe to claim. Multiple bars likely landed on it independently in the late 90s when sambuca, Tia Maria, and peach schnapps all sat on the same back bar.
What it tastes like
Sweet up front from the peach schnapps, then the Tia Maria adds the coffee-cocoa middle, then the sambuca lifts the whole thing with anise. The aniseed is the surprise — most drinkers don’t expect it from a sweet shot.
Layered properly the sambuca floats on top (lowest density), peach schnapps sits in the middle, Tia Maria on the bottom. Drunk in one (the right way) you get all of it at once.
The technique
Pour Tia Maria first. Then float the peach schnapps over the back of a bar spoon. Then float the sambuca on top the same way. Drink fast — the layers don’t last more than a minute or two.
Cold ingredients layer cleaner. All three bottles in the freezer for 15 minutes before serving fixes most layering problems before they start.
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Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The sambuca
- Use
- Sambuca Romana, Molinari, or any clear Italian sambuca
- Try
- Black sambuca for a darker visual layer
- Why
- Standard clear sambuca is the default. Black sambuca makes it look more dramatic.
The Tia Maria
- Use
- Tia Maria coffee liqueur
- Try
- Kahlua works but is sweeter and less complex
- Why
- Tia Maria is rum-based and has more depth. Kahlua is the substitute, not the original.
The peach schnapps
- Use
- Archers, DeKuyper Peachtree, or any standard peach schnapps
- Skip
- Peach liqueur (different sweetness profile)
- Why
- Peach schnapps is the standard. The fruit-sweet middle is the bridge between the sambuca and Tia Maria.
Variations
Other dirty-named layered shots in the same family.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Ouzo, anisette, or any clear anise-flavoured liqueur. The aniseed is the signature.
Kahlua is the closest substitute. The drink will be slightly sweeter and less rum-forward.
Apricot brandy works but the flavour is more stone-fruit than juicy peach. Peach liqueur is fine but watch the sweetness.
Pour each layer slowly over the back of a regular teaspoon. Same physics, same result.
Shake all three with ice and strain into a chilled shot glass. Same flavour, no layers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is in a Filthy Bitch shot?
Three ingredients in equal parts: sambuca, Tia Maria, and peach schnapps. Layered into a 30ml/1oz shot glass with Tia Maria on the bottom, peach schnapps in the middle, sambuca on top.
How do you layer a Filthy Bitch?
Pour 10ml Tia Maria into a shot glass. Float 10ml peach schnapps over the back of a bar spoon. Float 10ml sambuca on top the same way. Tia Maria is heaviest (sits bottom), sambuca is lightest (sits top).
Why is it called a Filthy Bitch?
Late-90s UK and Australian pub-bar humour. Part of the same wave that gave us the Cocksucking Cowboy and the Wet Pussy Shot. The name is shock value, the drink is just three sweet liqueurs.
Does the Filthy Bitch taste like liquorice?
Yes — the sambuca top layer brings clear aniseed flavour. If you don’t like liquorice, ouzo and sambuca are both off the table for you. Try a Buttery Nipple or Cocksucking Cowboy instead.
How strong is a Filthy Bitch?
Around 28-32% ABV — sambuca is 38%, Tia Maria is 20%, peach schnapps is 18%. It’s a stronger shot than the cream-based ones but lighter than straight tequila or vodka shots.
Can I make a Filthy Bitch with cream?
If you add Baileys instead of one of the three you’d have a different drink. Some bars do a Filthy Cream variation: Tia Maria, peach schnapps, Baileys (no sambuca). Less anise, more dessert.
What does a Filthy Bitch taste like?
Sweet peach up front, coffee-rum middle, anise on the finish. Three flavours that have no business working together but somehow do. Drinks like dessert if dessert hit you with a sambuca slap.
What glass should I use?
A standard 30ml/1oz shot glass. A taller, narrower shooter glass shows the three layers better.
Should I chill the ingredients first?
Yes. Cold ingredients layer cleaner. 15 minutes in the freezer before serving fixes most layering problems before they start.
Where can I order a Filthy Bitch?
Most UK and Australian pubs and dive bars. Less common in the US — you may need to spell out the recipe to the bartender.
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