Ingredients
- .66 oz Irish Whiskey
- .33 oz Butterscotch Schnapps
- .33 cup Orange Juice
Instructions
- Fill a glass with 1/3 with Orange Juice
- Fill a shot glass with 2/3 oz of Irish Whiskey (Jameson) and 1/3 Butterscotch Schnapps
- Take the shot and follow with Orange Juice.
Video
Estimated Nutrition:
Where it came from
The Irish Breakfast Shot is a 2000s American back-bar trick named for the breakfast it tastes like. Irish whiskey for the toast, butterscotch schnapps for the buttered surface, orange juice as the chaser. The combination mimics the flavour of buttered toast with a side of orange juice, the standard American breakfast plate.
It sits in the food-mimicry shot family with the Apple Pie Shot, the Chocolate Cake Shot and the Pickleback. All four use a combination of liqueurs and a chaser to recreate a familiar food flavour. The Irish Breakfast Shot leans on the whiskey-and-butterscotch combination for the toast-and-butter signature.
Best ordered as a novelty pour at a sports bar or an Irish pub, not at a craft cocktail bar. The trick is the flavour mimicry; the experience is the surprise of pouring three liquids and getting buttered toast.
What it tastes like
Soft Irish whiskey up front, butterscotch sweetness through the middle, sharp orange citrus on the finish from the chaser. The combination is genuinely close to buttered toast with orange juice; the brain reads the flavour as breakfast, which is the trick of the shot.
Around 30 percent ABV in the shot glass once combined. Two thirds of an ounce of Irish whiskey at 40 percent ABV and a third ounce of butterscotch schnapps at 20 percent ABV gives a moderately strong shot; the orange juice chaser is non-alcoholic and softens the shot on the palate.
The technique
Combine two thirds of an ounce of Irish whiskey and a third ounce of butterscotch schnapps in a shot glass. Pour a third of a cup of cold orange juice into a separate small glass as the chaser. Drink the shot in one pull, then immediately drink the orange juice chaser. The combined flavour reads as buttered toast with orange juice.
The technique is in the timing. The shot must be drunk first, then the chaser immediately after; the brain combines the two flavours in the mouth to deliver the breakfast comparison. A delay between the two breaks the trick. Use a quality Irish whiskey like Jameson or Bushmills and a fresh-squeezed orange juice if possible.
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Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The Irish whiskey
- Use
- Jameson, Bushmills, or any 40 percent ABV blended Irish whiskey.
- Skip
- Scotch or bourbon. Different flavour profile, breaks the toast comparison.
- Why
- Irish whiskey is the load-bearing spirit. The smooth, lightly malted character is what mimics the toasted-bread flavour at the heart of the breakfast comparison; Scotch is too peaty and bourbon is too sweet for the shot to work.
The butterscotch schnapps
- Use
- DeKuyper Buttershots or Hiram Walker Butterscotch Schnapps.
- Skip
- Caramel liqueur. Different flavour profile, breaks the butter comparison.
- Why
- Butterscotch schnapps is the buttered-surface flavour. The caramel-and-butter sweetness mimics the buttered top of the toast; without it the shot is just whiskey with an orange chaser.
The orange juice chaser
- Use
- Fresh-squeezed orange juice or a quality 100 percent orange juice, cold.
- Skip
- Orange soda or orange-flavoured drink. Wrong sweetness curve.
- Why
- The orange juice is the chaser and the flavour completion. The sharp citrus snaps after the whiskey-and-butterscotch shot to deliver the buttered-toast-with-orange-juice combination; without it the shot is incomplete.
Three Variations
Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.
The standard build
- Irish Breakfast Shot, with chaser
- Two thirds of an ounce of Irish whiskey, a third ounce of butterscotch schnapps in a shot glass; a third cup of cold orange juice as a chaser. Drink the shot then the chaser back-to-back.
The poured build
- Irish Breakfast Shot, all-in-one
- Combine the whiskey, butterscotch schnapps and a quarter ounce of orange juice in a shaker with ice. Shake hard for five seconds. Strain into a chilled shot glass. Drinks in one pull; loses the chaser-trick technique.
The toast plate build
- Irish Breakfast Shot with toast
- Standard build, served with a small slice of buttered toast on the side. Drink the shot, then the chaser, then the toast for the literal breakfast experience.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
A light blended Scotch like Famous Grouse or Cutty Sark. Different flavour but holds the toasted-bread character.
Caramel liqueur cut with a teaspoon of butter syrup. Different sweetness curve but holds the buttered-surface comparison.
Pineapple juice as a last resort. Different chaser flavour, breaks the breakfast comparison; closer to a tropical-cocktail finish.
Drink the orange juice from the bottle or a regular drinking glass. The chaser-glass tradition is presentation, not flavour requirement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is in an Irish Breakfast shot?
Two thirds of an ounce of Irish whiskey, a third ounce of butterscotch schnapps, served as a shot, with a third cup of cold orange juice as a chaser.
Why does it taste like breakfast?
The whiskey mimics the toasted bread, the butterscotch schnapps mimics the buttered surface, the orange juice chaser mimics the orange juice on the breakfast plate. The brain combines the flavours in the mouth and reads them as buttered toast with orange juice.
How strong is an Irish Breakfast shot?
Around 30 percent ABV in the shot glass once combined. The orange juice chaser is non-alcoholic and softens the shot on the palate; the combined drink experience is moderately strong.
What does it taste like?
Soft Irish whiskey up front, butterscotch sweetness through the middle, sharp orange citrus on the finish. Reads as buttered toast with orange juice; the trick is in the flavour mimicry.
Should I take the chaser before or after the shot?
After. The shot first, then the chaser immediately afterwards; the brain combines the two flavours in the mouth to deliver the breakfast comparison. A reverse order or a long delay breaks the trick.
Can I use Scotch instead of Irish whiskey?
Not recommended. Scotch is too peaty and breaks the toasted-bread comparison. A light blended Scotch like Famous Grouse works as a last resort but the shot drinks better with a quality Irish whiskey like Jameson or Bushmills.
What is the best butterscotch schnapps?
DeKuyper Buttershots is the standard pour and the most widely available. Hiram Walker Butterscotch Schnapps is a slightly drier alternative; both work for the shot.
What other novelty shots are similar?
An Apple Pie Shot, a Chocolate Cake Shot, a Pickleback and a Snickerdoodle Shot. All four use liqueur combinations and chasers to mimic a familiar food flavour.
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