Ingredients
- 2 oz Coffee
- 1 oz Vodka
- 1 oz Triple Sec
- .33 oz Lemon Juice
- fill with Whipped Cream
Instructions
- Start with the coffee, preferably freshly brewed espresso.
- Add vodka, triple sec, and lemon juice to the coffee.
- Stir well to combine.
- Top with a generous layer of whipped cream.
- Serve and enjoy your Buttsex Cocktail.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where the name came from
Buttsex is part of the dirty-named shot wave from American college bars in the 1990s and 2000s. The name comes from the contraction of butterscotch (Buttershots schnapps) and Crown Royal whisky. The pun is the joke. The drink is two ingredients, equal parts.
It became popular in Canadian bars (Crown Royal is Canadian whisky) before crossing into US college bars. Most bartenders north of the border can pour one without the customer having to spell it out.
What it tastes like
Sweet butterscotch up front, then the Crown Royal lands with the toffee-vanilla-spice character of Canadian whisky. The butterscotch softens the whisky bite enough that whisky-haters can drink it; the whisky stops it from being a candy shot.
Tastes meaningfully better than the name suggests. It’s a legitimately good combination that gets ignored because of the joke. Butterscotch and brown spirits work brilliantly together — see also: butterscotch Old Fashioned, butterscotch Manhattan.
The technique
Two equal pours, shaken with ice, strained into a chilled shot glass. No layering needed — these two liqueurs just want to be friends. The cold smooths out the schnapps sweetness and amplifies the whisky character.
Cold ingredients again — both bottles in the freezer for 15 minutes before serving makes a meaningful difference to how the drink lands.
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.
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 butterscotch schnapps
- Use
- Buttershots (DeKuyper) — the standard
- Try
- Caramel liqueur for a more burnt-sugar edge
- Why
- Buttershots is what every bar pours when butterscotch schnapps is on the call.
The Crown Royal
- Use
- Crown Royal Original (Canadian whisky)
- Try
- Crown Royal Apple for a fruit-forward version
- Why
- Crown Royal’s smoothness is why this works. Bourbon would fight the schnapps; Canadian rye blends in.
The technique
- Use
- Shake with ice, strain into a chilled shot glass
- Skip
- Layering (the two liquids merge anyway, no benefit)
- Why
- Cold + diluted = smoother. Room-temp shots taste harsher.
Variations
Other shots in the butterscotch and brown-spirit family.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Caramel liqueur is the closest swap. Toffee liqueurs (like Buttershots’ competitors) work too.
Any Canadian whisky works (Canadian Club, Seagram’s VO). Bourbon will work but is sweeter and rounder, more dessert-shot-like.
Bump the whisky to 22ml and reduce schnapps to 8ml. The whisky character will dominate.
Use Buttershots and a sweet bourbon like Maker’s Mark. The drink will taste like liquid butterscotch candy.
Order a “Butterscotch Crown” — same drink, less awkward to ask for in front of your boss.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is a Buttsex shot?
Buttsex is a 30ml/1oz shot made of equal parts butterscotch schnapps (Buttershots) and Crown Royal Canadian whisky. The name is a contraction of the two main ingredients.
Why is it called Buttsex?
The name is a contraction of “Butterscotch” (Buttershots schnapps) and “Crown Royal” (whisky). It’s also dirty-named-shot humour from American college bars in the 1990s and 2000s. The pun is the joke; the drink is just two liqueurs.
How do you make a Buttsex shot?
Add 15ml butterscotch schnapps and 15ml Crown Royal whisky to a shaker with ice. Shake for 8-10 seconds. Double-strain into a chilled 30ml shot glass. Drink in one.
Do you have to use Crown Royal?
No, but Canadian whisky is recommended. The smoothness is why this works. Bourbon makes it sweeter and more dessert-like; rye makes it spicier; Scotch generally fights the schnapps.
What does a Buttsex taste like?
Sweet butterscotch upfront, smooth toffee-vanilla whisky on the back. The schnapps softens the whisky enough for non-whisky-drinkers; the whisky stops it being candy.
How strong is a Buttsex?
Around 27% ABV. Buttershots is 15%, Crown Royal is 40%. The shaking dilutes it slightly. It’s a stronger shot than the cream-based ones but not as strong as straight whisky shots.
Can I order a Buttsex at any bar?
Most American and Canadian college-leaning bars know it. UK and Australian bars sometimes do, sometimes don’t — describing it (“butterscotch schnapps and whisky shot”) works fine.
Should I shake or just pour and stir?
Shake. The dilution from melting ice and the chill make it smoother. Just pouring leaves it sticky-sweet and unbalanced.
Is a Buttsex the same as a Buttery Nipple?
No. Buttery Nipple is butterscotch schnapps and Baileys (cream). Buttsex is butterscotch schnapps and Crown Royal (whisky). The Buttery Nipple is layered; the Buttsex is shaken. Different drinks despite the family resemblance.
When do you drink a Buttsex?
Late at a college bar. After dinner as a dessert shot. As a round when half your group hates whisky and half wants something sweet — the Buttsex satisfies both.
More Like This
More dirty-named layered shots and party shooters.
