Ingredients
- .33 oz Absinthe Herbal Liqueur
- .33 oz White Rum
- .5 oz Yellow Chartreuse
Instructions
Prepare the Shot Glass:
- Add 0.33 oz of absinthe herbal liqueur to a shot glass. Absinthe provides a strong, herbal flavor that forms the base of the shot.
Add White Rum:
- Pour 0.33 oz of white rum into the shot glass. The rum adds a smooth and potent element to the drink.
Add Yellow Chartreuse:
- Top with 0.5 oz of yellow Chartreuse. This liqueur adds a complex mix of flavors and a bit of sweetness to balance the intensity.
Serve and Enjoy:
- Serve immediately and enjoy your ABC Shot. Be prepared for a strong kick and a memorable burn that lingers.
Video
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where it came from
The ABC Shot is a 1990s back-bar mnemonic shot: three liqueurs that share a flavour family and three letters that double as a memory aid for the bartender. Absinthe at the base, Bacardi-style white rum in the middle, yellow Chartreuse on top.
It sits in the herbal-shot family with the Sambuca shot, the Jagerbomb, and the Liquid Cocaine. All four lean on a herbal liqueur as the headline flavour and use a contrasting spirit for the warmth. The ABC Shot picks Chartreuse as the herbal weight, which is what gives the shot its complex finish.
Best ordered late, after dinner, when a strong digestif is wanted in a quick format. Not a brunch order and not a dessert shot. The herbal weight makes this a finishing-pour shot rather than an opening one.
What it tastes like
Bitter anise from the absinthe up front, neutral rum warmth in the middle, complex herbal sweetness from the yellow Chartreuse on the finish. The Chartreuse carries the most flavour; the absinthe carries the front of palate; the rum stitches them together.
Around 35 percent ABV in the shot once the three pours land. A small one-and-a-quarter ounce shot, but it drinks closer to a one-and-a-half standard drink because all three ingredients are spirit-strength. Pace yourself.
The technique
Pour a third of an ounce of absinthe into a one-and-a-quarter-ounce shot glass. Add a third of an ounce of white rum. Float half an ounce of yellow Chartreuse on top.
The pour order matters because the densities are close and the shot can be served as a layered visual. Start with the absinthe at the bottom, the rum next, the Chartreuse on top. A bar spoon held just above the previous layer slows the pour and helps the layers separate.
Drink Buddy Exclusive
Tell us what's in your cabinet.
Our Cocktail Builder takes whatever bottles you've got and hands you every drink you can actually make tonight.
Open the Builder →Get the Drink Buddy newsletter
One drink, one tip, one Tuesday a month.
Plus the recipes we drop before they hit the site. Zero spam.
Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The yellow Chartreuse
- Use
- Yellow Chartreuse, the lower-proof of the two.
- Skip
- Green Chartreuse. The flavour is similar but the proof is higher and the colour breaks the layered visual.
- Why
- Yellow Chartreuse is sweeter and softer than green, which is what makes it the right top layer for this shot. The 130 herbs and roots give the shot its complex finish.
The absinthe
- Use
- Pernod, Lucid, or any modern absinthe at 60 to 75 percent ABV.
- Skip
- Sambuca. Wrong herb, different flavour.
- Why
- The absinthe is the front of palate. The anise and the wormwood notes carry the bitter herbal start that the Chartreuse builds on. Without absinthe the shot is just rum and Chartreuse, which is a different drink.
The white rum
- Use
- Bacardi Superior, Cruzan Light, or any clean white rum.
- Skip
- Spiced rum. The cinnamon and clove fight the anise and the Chartreuse herbs.
- Why
- The white rum is the middle and the bridge. It needs to disappear into the layers and let the absinthe and the Chartreuse carry the shot. A clean unaged rum does this best.
Three Variations
Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.
The standard build
- ABC Shot, layered
- Equal one-third pours of absinthe and white rum, with half an ounce of yellow Chartreuse on top, served in a small shot glass.
The shaken build
- ABC Shot, shaken
- Same ratios, shaken hard with ice and strained into a chilled shot glass. Adds dilution and softens the herbal edge.
The over-proof build
- ABC Shot, with green Chartreuse
- Replace the yellow Chartreuse with green Chartreuse for a higher-proof version. Loses the layered colour, gains the herbal intensity.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Pernod or Pastis. Both work; both keep the anise note. Sambuca pulls the shot toward a coffee-and-licorice profile.
Strega or Galliano. Strega is the closest match; Galliano is sweeter and more vanilla-forward.
Vodka or silver tequila. Vodka is the cleanest substitute; tequila adds an agave note.
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 ABC Shot?
A third of an ounce of absinthe, a third of an ounce of white rum, and half an ounce of yellow Chartreuse, layered in a small shot glass. Three letters, three ingredients, one strong shot.
How do you remember the ABC Shot?
The mnemonic is the name. A is for absinthe at the base, B is for Bacardi-style white rum in the middle, C is for Chartreuse on top. Bartenders use the alphabet as a memory aid.
How strong is an ABC Shot?
Around 35 percent ABV in the shot once the three pours land. All three ingredients are spirit-strength, which is what makes the shot a finishing pour rather than an opening drink.
What does it taste like?
Bitter anise from the absinthe up front, neutral rum warmth in the middle, complex herbal sweetness from the yellow Chartreuse on the finish. Strong, herbal, and not for the casual drinker.
Should I layer or shake it?
Layered is traditional and the visual is part of the appeal. Shaken with ice softens the herbal edge and adds dilution. Both work; the layered version is the original.
Can I use green Chartreuse?
It changes the shot. Green Chartreuse is higher-proof and more intensely herbal; the yellow is sweeter and softer. The original ABC uses yellow because the colour and the lighter touch suit the layered build.
Why white rum and not dark rum?
White rum is neutral and lets the absinthe and the Chartreuse carry the flavour. Dark rum adds caramel and spice notes that fight the herbal layers above and below.
Is the absinthe legal?
Yes in most countries. Real absinthe was banned in some places in the early twentieth century but has been re-legalised in the US, the UK, Australia and most of Europe since the 1990s and 2000s.
What glass should I serve it in?
A small one-ounce or one-and-a-quarter-ounce shot glass. The shot fills the glass close to the rim, which is the right pour for one drinker.
What other shots are similar?
A Liquid Cocaine, a Jagerbomb, a Sambuca shot, and a B-52. All four sit in the herbal-shot family or the layered-shot family and use a strong herbal liqueur as a load-bearing ingredient.
More Like This
More drinks in the same family when the night calls for them.
