Equipment
- 3-ounce shot glass
Ingredients
- 1 oz Butterscotch schnapps
- 1 oz Spiced rum
Instructions
Pour the Base:
- In a 3-ounce shot glass, measure and pour 1 oz of butterscotch schnapps.
Add the Kick:
- Top the schnapps with 1 oz of spiced rum.
Savor the Blend:
- Enjoy your Burt Reynolds shot immediately, and let the smooth and spicy flavors linger.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where the name came from
The Burt Reynolds Shot is one of those drinks where the name probably came after the recipe. Amaretto plus Coca-Cola plus a high-proof beer chaser produces a flavour that strangely mimics Dr Pepper. The name traces to American bar trivia where Reynolds was the moustachioed face of 1970s manliness, the drink the same.
Some bars serve it as a layered shot, some as a depth-charge with the shot dropped into a beer. Both versions are correct, both end the same way.
What it tastes like
Almond and cherry up front from the amaretto, cola sweetness in the middle, slight bitter beer finish if you go the depth-charge route. Genuinely tastes like Dr Pepper.
Drinks easier than it has any right to. The amaretto rounds out the harshness of the beer and the beer cuts the sweetness of the amaretto.
The technique
Two ways. Option one: 30ml amaretto and 30ml Coca-Cola in a shot glass, slammed in one. Option two: 30ml amaretto in a shot glass, dropped into half a pint of high-proof lager. Drink the whole thing in one go.
The depth-charge version is the original; the shot-glass version is the version you order when you do not want a full pint in front of you.
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Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
Amaretto
- What it is
- Italian liqueur, 24-28% ABV, flavoured with bitter almond (technically apricot kernels). Disaronno is the most famous brand.
- Why we use it here
- It is the entire flavour identity. Without it the drink is just beer and Coke.
- Drink Lab pick
- Disaronno. The flavour everyone expects when they hear amaretto.
- Substitute
- Frangelico (hazelnut) gives a similar nutty profile but with a different finish.
Coca-Cola
- What it is
- You know what it is.
- Why we use it here
- The cola sweetness combines with amaretto to create that uncanny Dr Pepper-like flavour.
- Drink Lab pick
- Original Coca-Cola. The recipe needs the sugar and the spice profile.
- Substitute
- Pepsi works at a pinch. Dr Pepper is too on-the-nose.
Variations
Other shots with the same energy.
What if I don’t have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Frangelico or Drambuie work but the drink stops tasting like Dr Pepper.
Pepsi. Avoid Diet anything, the drink needs sugar.
Skip the depth-charge, just pour amaretto and Coke into a shot glass.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is in a Burt Reynolds Shot?
Why does a Burt Reynolds Shot taste like Dr Pepper?
Is a Burt Reynolds Shot strong?
Why is it called a Burt Reynolds Shot?
Can you make a Burt Reynolds Shot without amaretto?
What does a Burt Reynolds Shot taste like?
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