Ingredients
- 1 oz White Creme De Cacao
- 1 oz Almond Liqueur
- 1 oz Irish Cream
- 1 Splash(s) Grenadine Syrup
Instructions
Layer the ingredients:
- Start by pouring the white crème de cacao into a shot glass. Next, gently layer the almond liqueur on top, followed by the Irish cream, using the back of a spoon for clean layers.
Add the grenadine:
- Insert a toothpick into the bottom of the shot glass and drizzle a small amount of grenadine. It will float to the bottom and create a striking effect.
Serve immediately:
- Enjoy this bold, sweet, and creamy layered shot!
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where it came from
The Abortion is a layered novelty shot from American back-bar culture in the 1990s. The recipe is older than the name; layered cream-and-liqueur shots have been a staple since the 1970s. The provocative branding came later and is what carried the shot onto bachelor-party menus.
It sits in the novelty-shot family with the Brain Hemorrhage, the Bloody Brain and the Cocksucking Cowboy. All four lean on cream and a contrasting layer to create a visual the name jokes about. The Abortion adds the toothpick-and-grenadine drizzle as its theatrical signature.
Best ordered at a dive bar with a sense of humour; not a craft-cocktail menu and not a brunch order. The grenadine drop is the trick that makes the shot look like its name.
What it tastes like
Cocoa sweetness up front, almond marzipan in the middle, soft Bailey's on the finish with a small grenadine punch where the toothpick meets the bottom. Reads like a chocolate dessert with a fruit drop.
Around 18 percent ABV in the shot once equal parts of the three liqueurs are poured. One shot is one drink. The cream and the cocoa hide the alcohol, which is why the shot rewards pacing.
The technique
Pour an ounce of white creme de cacao into a shot glass. Hold a bar spoon flat against the inside of the glass just above the cocao layer and pour an ounce of almond liqueur slowly over the back of the spoon. Repeat with an ounce of Irish cream on top.
Insert a toothpick into the bottom of the shot glass. Drizzle a small amount of grenadine syrup down the toothpick. The grenadine is denser than the liqueurs and will sink to the bottom of the glass, creating the red visual at the base.
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Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The white creme de cacao
- Use
- Tempus Fugit, Marie Brizard, or DeKuyper White Creme de Cacao.
- Skip
- Dark creme de cacao. Different colour, similar flavour, breaks the layered visual.
- Why
- White creme de cacao gives the bottom of the shot a clear cocoa flavour without darkening the visual. The clear base is what lets the grenadine drop look like a separate element.
The almond liqueur
- Use
- Disaronno or Lazzaroni amaretto.
- Skip
- Hazelnut liqueur like Frangelico. Different flavour and different density.
- Why
- The amaretto is the middle layer. It carries the marzipan note that bridges the cocoa and the cream and gives the shot its three-flavour structure.
The grenadine drizzle
- Use
- Real grenadine made from pomegranate juice.
- Skip
- Maraschino syrup. Different sugar curve and different colour.
- Why
- Grenadine is what makes the shot look like its name. The high-density syrup sinks to the bottom of the glass, creating the red visual that the toothpick guides into place.
Three Variations
Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.
The standard layered build
- Abortion, layered with toothpick
- Equal pours of white creme de cacao, almond liqueur and Irish cream, with grenadine drizzled down a toothpick to the bottom of the glass.
The shaken build
- Abortion, shaken
- Skip the layering and the toothpick. Equal parts of the three liqueurs into a shaker with ice, shake hard, strain into a chilled shot glass. Tastes the same, no visual.
The brunch riff
- Abortion, on ice
- Same equal pours into a rocks glass over a single big ice cube. Adds a teaspoon of grenadine on top. Drinks slower than the shot.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Vanilla vodka with a teaspoon of cocoa syrup. Loses the chocolate weight; gains the vanilla note.
Hazelnut liqueur or Frangelico. Different flavour profile but in the same nut-liqueur family.
Coconut cream or any non-dairy cream liqueur like Bailey's Almande. The colour holds; the flavour shifts.
A small drop of red food colouring in simple syrup. Gives the visual without the pomegranate sweetness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is in an Abortion shot?
An ounce of white creme de cacao, an ounce of almond liqueur, an ounce of Irish cream, and a small drizzle of grenadine, layered in a shot glass with the grenadine guided down a toothpick to the bottom.
Why is it called an Abortion?
Provocative back-bar humour from the 1990s. The grenadine drop at the bottom of the cream-coloured shot is the visual the name describes. The recipe is older than the label.
Can I order this at a bar?
Most bars will pour it without comment, although some bartenders dislike the name and refuse the order. Some menus list it under alternative names like the Bloody Brain or the Sleeper.
How strong is an Abortion shot?
Around 18 percent ABV in the shot once equal parts of the three liqueurs are poured. One shot is one drink. The cream and the cocoa hide the alcohol read.
What does it taste like?
Cocoa sweetness up front, almond marzipan in the middle, soft Bailey's on the finish, with a small grenadine punch at the bottom of the glass when the toothpick is removed.
Do I need a toothpick?
Yes for the standard layered build. The toothpick guides the grenadine to the bottom of the glass without breaking the cream layer above. A bar spoon held vertical also works.
Can I make a non-alcoholic version?
Replace the three liqueurs with cocoa syrup, almond syrup and coconut cream in equal parts. Add the grenadine drop the same way. Same visual, none of the alcohol.
What glass should I serve it in?
A standard one-ounce or one-and-a-half-ounce shot glass with straight sides. Tapered glasses break the layer cleanly and disrupt the grenadine drop.
Can I batch it for a party?
Combine the three liqueurs in equal measure in a chilled bottle and refrigerate. Pour into shot glasses at service and add the grenadine drop just before serving.
What other shots are similar?
A Brain Hemorrhage, a Bloody Brain, a Buttery Nipple and a B-52. All four sit in the layered or novelty shot family, all four use cream as a load-bearing texture.
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