Ingredients
- .33 oz Grenadine Syrup
- .33 oz White Creme De Cacao
- .33 oz Blue Curacao Liqueur
Instructions
Pour Grenadine:
- Start by pouring 0.33 oz of grenadine syrup into a shot glass.
Layer Crème De Cacao:
- Slowly pour 0.33 oz of white crème de cacao over the back of a bar spoon to create a distinct white layer on top of the grenadine.
Layer Blue Curaçao:
- Finally, pour 0.33 oz of blue curaçao liqueur over the back of a bar spoon to create the blue layer on top.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where it came from
The American Flag Shot is a 1990s American novelty shot, part of the wave of patriotic-themed cocktails that lived on bar menus around the Fourth of July. The build is a three-colour layered shot: red grenadine at the base, white creme de cacao in the middle, blue curacao on top.
It sits in the layered-shot family with the B-52, the ABC Shot and the Pousse Cafe. All four lean on density-stacking technique and use a contrasting flavour for each layer. The American Flag picks grenadine, white creme de cacao and blue curacao for their density curve and their colour stack.
Best ordered around the Fourth of July, on Memorial Day, on Veterans Day, or at any patriotic-themed event. Not a year-round bar order; the cocktail is an occasion drink that gets re-pulled for the calendar moment.
What it tastes like
Sweet pomegranate from the grenadine on the first sip, soft cocoa from the creme de cacao through the middle, slight bitter-orange from the blue curacao on the finish. The three flavours layer the way the colours do; each one shows up in turn.
Around 14 percent ABV in the shot once the three pours land. The blue curacao is the highest-proof of the three at around 25 percent ABV; the others are softer. A shot drinks like one drink, no more.
The technique
Pour a third of an ounce of grenadine syrup into the bottom of a shot glass. Hold a bar spoon flat against the inside of the glass just above the grenadine. Slowly pour a third of an ounce of white creme de cacao over the back of the spoon so it floats.
Repeat the float technique with a third of an ounce of blue curacao on top of the creme de cacao. The three densities are: grenadine heaviest, creme de cacao middle, blue curacao lightest. Pour slow and steady; rushing breaks the layers.
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Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The grenadine
- Use
- Real grenadine made from pomegranate juice.
- Skip
- Maraschino syrup. Wrong colour and wrong density.
- Why
- Grenadine is the heaviest layer and the red colour. Real grenadine made from pomegranate juice has the right density to anchor the bottom of the stack and the right colour for the flag.
The white creme de cacao
- Use
- Tempus Fugit, Marie Brizard, or DeKuyper White Creme de Cacao.
- Skip
- Dark creme de cacao. Wrong colour.
- Why
- White creme de cacao gives the middle of the stack its white-stripe colour and the cocoa flavour. The dark version is the wrong colour for the flag and breaks the layered visual.
The blue curacao
- Use
- Bols Blue Curacao or Senior Curacao of Curacao.
- Skip
- Blue food colouring in vodka. Wrong density and wrong sugar curve.
- Why
- Blue curacao is the top stripe and the blue colour. The orange-flavoured liqueur tinted blue is what gives the cocktail its top layer; the lower density of the curacao is what makes the float work over the creme de cacao.
Three Variations
Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.
The standard build
- American Flag Shot, layered cold
- A third of an ounce each of grenadine, white creme de cacao and blue curacao, layered in a shot glass over the back of a bar spoon.
The fireworks build
- American Flag Shot, with a sparkler
- Same recipe with a small lit sparkler placed in the shot glass at service. Theatrical and only suited for outdoor settings or restaurants that allow open flame.
The shaken build
- American Flag Shot, shaken
- Skip the layering. Equal parts of the three liqueurs into a shaker with ice, shake hard, strain into a chilled shot glass. Loses the visual; the colour goes purple-grey.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
A small drop of red food colouring in simple syrup. Loses the pomegranate flavour but keeps the colour and the density.
Vanilla schnapps or any clear vanilla liqueur. The cocoa flavour is gone; the white middle stripe holds.
Triple sec dyed with blue food colouring. The orange flavour stays; the colour is the trick.
A regular teaspoon held at the same angle. The technique is the same; the gear does not have to be.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is in an American Flag Shot?
A third of an ounce of grenadine syrup, a third of an ounce of white creme de cacao, and a third of an ounce of blue curacao, layered in a shot glass with the grenadine at the bottom, the cacao in the middle, and the curacao on top.
How do I layer it?
Pour the grenadine in first. Hold a bar spoon flat against the inside of the glass just above the grenadine and slowly pour the white creme de cacao over the back of the spoon. Repeat with the blue curacao on top.
How strong is an American Flag Shot?
Around 14 percent ABV in the shot once the three pours land. The blue curacao is the highest-proof of the three at around 25 percent ABV; the others are softer.
What does it taste like?
Sweet pomegranate from the grenadine on the first sip, soft cocoa from the creme de cacao through the middle, slight bitter-orange from the blue curacao on the finish.
When should I serve it?
Patriotic occasions: the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, or any American-flag-themed event. Not a year-round bar order; the cocktail is an occasion drink.
What is the density order?
Grenadine is heaviest, creme de cacao is middle, blue curacao is lightest. Pour in that order: heaviest first, lightest last. Reversing the order breaks the layers.
Can I use vodka and food colouring instead?
It changes the cocktail. Real liqueurs have specific densities that allow the layering technique to work. Vodka with food colouring has the wrong density and the layers will not hold.
Why does the layering work?
Each liqueur has a different sugar concentration and a different alcohol content, which gives it a different density. Heavier (more sugar, less alcohol) sinks; lighter (less sugar, more alcohol) floats. The bar spoon technique slows the pour so the layer settles.
Can I make a non-alcoholic version?
Replace the creme de cacao with chocolate syrup and the blue curacao with blue Hawaiian Punch or a blue sports drink. Same colour stack, none of the alcohol. The layering still works because the densities still differ.
What other shots are similar?
A B-52, an ABC Shot, a Pousse Cafe, and a Brain Hemorrhage. All four sit in the layered-shot family and use density-stacking technique.
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