Ingredients
- .5 oz Raspberry Liqueur
- .5 oz Root Beer Schnapps
- 1.5 oz Lemonade
- .5 oz Margarita Mix
Instructions
- Prepare the Shot:
- Pour 0.5 oz of raspberry liqueur and 0.5 oz of root beer schnapps into a shot glass.
Mix the Lemonade and Margarita Mix:
- In a highball glass, mix 1.5 oz of lemonade and 0.5 oz of margarita mix together.
Combine and Serve:
- Drop the shot glass into the highball glass.
- Serve immediately and enjoy your nostalgic Bottle Cap Shot.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where it came from
The Bottle Cap is a 2000s American back-bar shot named for the candy of the same name (small flat round candies that look like bottle caps). Raspberry liqueur, root beer schnapps, lemonade and margarita mix in a chilled tall shot glass. The flavour mimics a Bottle Cap candy: sweet, slightly tart, soda-like.
It sits in the candy-mimicry shot family with the Skittle Shot, the Jolly Rancher Shot and the Sour Patch Shot. All four use combinations of fruit liqueurs and citrus mixers to recreate familiar candy flavours. The Bottle Cap leans on the raspberry-and-root-beer combination for the soda-candy character.
Best ordered at a college bar or a sports bar for the candy-flavour novelty. Not a craft cocktail bar order. The trick is the flavour mimicry; the experience is the surprise of pouring four liquids and getting bottle-cap candy.
What it tastes like
Sweet raspberry up front, soft root beer through the middle, sharp lemonade citrus and salt on the finish from the margarita mix. The combination is genuinely close to a Bottle Cap candy in liquid form; the brain reads the flavour as the candy, which is the trick of the shot.
Around 7 percent ABV in the shot glass once shaken. Half an ounce each of two liqueurs at 15 percent ABV in a one-and-a-half-ounce mixer base means the shot drinks closer to a sweet long-pour than a hard spirit shot.
The technique
Combine half an ounce of raspberry liqueur, half an ounce of root beer schnapps, an ounce and a half of cold lemonade and half an ounce of margarita mix in a shaker with ice. Shake hard for five seconds. Strain into a chilled tall shot glass. Drink in one pull.
The shake is the technique. A stir leaves the shot too separated; a hard five-second shake blends the four ingredients evenly and chills the shot to the right temperature. Use a quality raspberry liqueur like Chambord and a fresh bottle of root beer schnapps for the standard build.
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Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The raspberry liqueur
- Use
- Chambord, Bols Raspberry, or any 15 to 20 percent ABV raspberry liqueur.
- Skip
- Raspberry vodka or raspberry syrup. Different alcohol level or no alcohol.
- Why
- Raspberry liqueur is the lead flavour and the colour. The fruit-and-sugar character delivers the raspberry profile of the Bottle Cap candy; raspberry vodka throws the alcohol level off and raspberry syrup loses the liqueur body.
The root beer schnapps
- Use
- DeKuyper Root Beer Schnapps or any 15 to 20 percent ABV root beer-flavoured liqueur.
- Skip
- Root beer soda. No alcohol.
- Why
- Root beer schnapps is the candy-soda flavour signature. The sarsaparilla-and-licorice character delivers the root beer note that gives the Bottle Cap shot its candy character; without it the shot is just a raspberry-lemonade pour.
The margarita mix
- Use
- A quality margarita mix with salt and lime.
- Skip
- Plain lime juice. Loses the salt-and-sweet curve.
- Why
- Margarita mix adds the salt-and-sour finish that completes the candy mimicry. The combination of salt, lime and sugar in the mix delivers a sour-tang note that matches the Bottle Cap candy finish; plain lime juice misses the salt component.
Three Variations
Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.
The standard build
- Bottle Cap Shot, shaken
- Half ounce raspberry liqueur, half ounce root beer schnapps, ounce and a half lemonade, half ounce margarita mix, shaken with ice and strained into a chilled tall shot glass.
The cocktail build
- Bottle Cap Cocktail
- Multiply each ingredient by three and serve over ice in a rocks glass. Drinks like a long sour cocktail; same flavour balance, slower pour.
The frozen build
- Bottle Cap, blended
- Combine the same ingredients with crushed ice in a blender. Blend smooth and pour into a hurricane glass. Drinks like a candy-soda slushie.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Cassis (blackcurrant liqueur). Different berry, holds the fruit-liqueur character.
A teaspoon of root beer extract plus an ounce of vodka. Loses the schnapps body, holds the root beer flavour.
Lemon-lime soda like Sprite. Holds the sweet-and-fizzy lift; slightly different lemon profile.
Half an ounce of sweet-and-sour mix plus a pinch of salt. Different texture, holds the salt-and-sour finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is in a Bottle Cap shot?
Half an ounce of raspberry liqueur, half an ounce of root beer schnapps, an ounce and a half of cold lemonade and half an ounce of margarita mix, shaken with ice and strained into a chilled tall shot glass.
Why is it called a Bottle Cap?
Named for the candy of the same name: small flat round candies that look like bottle caps and come in soda flavours. The shot mimics the flavour of a Bottle Cap candy, with raspberry-and-root-beer notes and a sweet-tart finish.
How strong is a Bottle Cap shot?
Around 7 percent ABV in the shot glass once shaken. Half an ounce each of two liqueurs at 15 percent ABV in a one-and-a-half-ounce mixer base means the shot drinks closer to a sweet long-pour than a hard spirit shot.
What does it taste like?
Sweet raspberry up front, soft root beer through the middle, sharp lemonade citrus and salt on the finish. Reads like a Bottle Cap candy in liquid form.
Should I shake or stir?
Shake. A hard five-second shake blends the four ingredients evenly and chills the shot to the right temperature; a stir leaves the shot too separated and the flavours do not blend properly.
Can I drink it as a cocktail?
Yes. Multiply the ingredients by three and serve over ice in a rocks glass for the cocktail version. Same flavour balance, slower pour.
What is the best raspberry liqueur?
Chambord is the standard pour for the Bottle Cap and the most widely available; Bols Raspberry is the budget alternative. Both deliver the raspberry-and-sugar character the shot needs.
What other candy shots are similar?
A Skittle Shot, a Jolly Rancher Shot, a Sour Patch Shot and a Starburst Shot. All four use combinations of fruit liqueurs to recreate familiar candy flavours.
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