Ingredients
- 1 oz Licor 43
- Cream
Instructions
Pour Licor 43:
- Pour 1 oz of Licor 43 into a shot glass.
Layer the Cream:
- Slowly layer cream on top of the Licor 43 by pouring it over the back of a spoon. This will create a creamy "head" that makes the shot look like a miniature beer.
Serve:
- Serve immediately and enjoy this delightful and visually appealing shot.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where it came from
The Little Beer is a 1990s Spanish back-bar shot that crossed onto American menus in the 2000s. Licor 43 (a Spanish vanilla-citrus liqueur) in the bottom of a tall shot glass with a layer of fresh cream floated on top. The visual mimics a small beer with a foam head; the flavour is a vanilla-and-cream dessert in liquid form.
It sits in the dessert-shot family with the Buttery Nipple, the Slippery Nipple and the B-52. All four use a flavoured liqueur and a cream component for the sweet finish. The Little Beer separates itself with the visual mimicry: the layered Licor 43 and cream looks like a tiny beer with a thick head of foam.
Best ordered as a digestif at a Spanish tapas bar or a dessert nightcap, not at a craft cocktail bar. The novelty visual is the marketing; the vanilla-and-cream flavour is the substance.
What it tastes like
Sweet vanilla-and-citrus from the Licor 43 up front, soft cream-and-dairy through the middle, faint lemon-and-orange peel on the finish. Reads like a vanilla-and-cream dessert in liquid form, with the cream layer adding richness to the citrus liqueur base.
Around 16 percent ABV in the glass once layered. One ounce of Licor 43 at 31 percent ABV plus the cream layer means the shot drinks like a small dessert pour, not a hard spirit shot. The cream softens the alcohol on the palate.
The technique
Pour one ounce of Licor 43 into a tall straight-sided shot glass. Hold a bar spoon flat against the inside of the glass, just above the liqueur. Slowly pour fresh cream over the back of the spoon so it floats as a clean white layer. The result looks like a tiny beer with a foam head.
The pour technique is the entire trick. The cream must be cold and fresh; older cream pours too quickly and breaks the float. The shot glass must be straight-sided for the float to look like a foam head; a tapered glass distorts the visual. Pour slowly and steadily.
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Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The Licor 43
- Use
- Licor 43 (Cuarenta y Tres) at 31 percent ABV, the original Spanish vanilla-citrus liqueur.
- Skip
- Galliano or other Italian vanilla liqueurs. Wrong colour and wrong flavour.
- Why
- Licor 43 is the load-bearing spirit and the visual signature. The yellow-gold colour mimics the beer body; the vanilla-and-citrus flavour delivers the dessert character. No other liqueur replicates the colour-and-flavour combination needed for the Little Beer visual.
The cream
- Use
- Fresh cold pouring cream or thickened cream.
- Skip
- Whipped cream, half-and-half, or non-dairy alternatives. Wrong texture.
- Why
- The cream is the foam head and the texture finish. Fresh cold pouring cream floats cleanly on top of the Licor 43 to mimic a beer foam; older cream or whipped cream pours wrong and breaks the visual. The cream layer also softens the alcohol on the palate.
The shot glass
- Use
- A tall straight-sided shot glass, ideally a shooter glass.
- Skip
- A tapered shot glass or a wide rocks glass. Distorts the visual.
- Why
- The shot glass shape is half the visual. A straight-sided glass mimics a small beer mug; the cream-foam float on top completes the illusion. A tapered or wide glass breaks the beer-like visual that gives the shot its name.
Three Variations
Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.
The standard build
- Little Beer, layered
- One ounce of Licor 43 in a tall straight-sided shot glass with a float of fresh cream on top. Drinks in one pull.
The Spanish coffee build
- Little Beer with coffee
- Add a quarter ounce of cold espresso to the Licor 43 before the cream float. Pulls the cocktail toward a vanilla-coffee shot; closer to a Carajillo.
The chocolate build
- Little Beer with chocolate
- Drizzle a thin line of chocolate syrup down the side of the glass before the Licor 43 pour. Pulls the cocktail toward a vanilla-chocolate dessert; sweeter and more decadent.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Tuaca (Italian vanilla liqueur) plus a teaspoon of orange juice. Different colour, holds the vanilla-citrus character.
Half-and-half as a last resort. Different texture, the float still works.
Pour the cream over the back of a regular tablespoon. Slower pour but the float still works.
Any straight-sided glass that holds two ounces. The visual is best in a beer-mug-shaped shot glass.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is in a Little Beer shot?
One ounce of Licor 43 in a tall straight-sided shot glass with a float of fresh cream on top. Two ingredients, one shot, one float.
Why is it called a Little Beer?
The visual: the yellow-gold Licor 43 looks like a beer body, and the floated cream layer on top looks like a foam head. The shot mimics the appearance of a tiny beer; the name describes the visual, not the flavour.
How strong is a Little Beer shot?
Around 16 percent ABV in the glass once layered. The shot drinks like a small dessert pour, not a hard spirit shot; the cream softens the alcohol on the palate.
What does it taste like?
Sweet vanilla-and-citrus from the Licor 43 up front, soft cream-and-dairy through the middle, faint lemon-and-orange peel on the finish. Reads like a vanilla-and-cream dessert in liquid form.
What is Licor 43?
Licor 43 (Cuarenta y Tres) is a Spanish vanilla-citrus liqueur, 31 percent ABV, made from a blend of 43 herbs, fruits and spices. The yellow-gold colour and the vanilla-citrus flavour are unique to the brand; no other liqueur replicates the combination.
Why fresh cream and not whipped?
Fresh cold pouring cream floats cleanly to mimic a beer foam; whipped cream is too thick and breaks the visual. The float technique relies on the cream having the right pourable consistency.
Can I shake the shot?
No. Shaking blends the cream into the Licor 43 and breaks the visual. The shot is a layered build by design; the float is the entire point.
What other shots are similar?
A Buttery Nipple, a Slippery Nipple, a Spanish Coffee Shot and a B-52. All four use a flavoured liqueur and a cream or cream-liqueur component for the layered visual and the dessert flavour.
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