Ingredients
- .5 oz Almond Liqueur
- 1/4 oz Coffee Liqueur
- .5 oz Root Beer Schnapps
- OP Rum
- .5 Glass(s) Bitter Beer
Instructions
Prepare the Shot:
- Pour 0.5 oz almond liqueur, 0.25 oz coffee liqueur, and 0.5 oz root beer schnapps into a shot glass.
Float the Rum:
- Carefully float a little overproof rum on top of the mixture.
Fill the Mug:
- Fill a beer mug halfway with bitter beer.
Light it Up:
- Light the rum on fire (carefully) and let it burn for a moment.
Drop and Drink:
- Quickly drop the flaming shot into the beer mug and slam it back as fast as you can!
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where it came from
The Flaming Dr Pepper is a 1980s American bar trick that ended up on enough novelty menus to count as a recipe. The name is the reveal: three liqueurs that have nothing to do with Dr Pepper combine to taste exactly like the cola once the rum is burned off.
It sits in the bomb-shot family alongside the Jagerbomb, the Irish Car Bomb, and the Sake Bomb. All four involve a smaller glass dropped into a larger one to combine flavours. The Flaming Dr Pepper added the fire as a piece of stagecraft that did not survive most modern bar insurance policies.
Best ordered as a one-off at a place that lets bartenders light shots. Skip in any bar where the staff look uncomfortable with the lighter.
What it tastes like
First taste is the mix of almond, coffee and root beer through the bitter-beer base. The overall impression is genuinely close to Dr Pepper soda, hence the name. Sweet up front, slightly bitter from the beer, faint cinnamon-and-cherry notes from the almond and root-beer combination.
Around 12 percent ABV by the time the beer dilutes the spirits. Less strong than the constituent pours suggest because half a glass of beer carries the volume. Still a real one-and-a-half drinks per round.
The technique
Pour the almond liqueur, coffee liqueur and root beer schnapps into a shot glass. Float a small layer of overproof rum on top using a bar spoon. Light the rum on fire with a long match or barbecue lighter. Wait for the flame to settle to a low blue burn.
Drop the lit shot glass into a glass of bitter beer (filled to about half) and drink the resulting bomb in one. The drop extinguishes the flame as the rum hits the beer. Drink immediately while the carbonation is still active.
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Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The overproof rum
- Use
- Bacardi 151, Wray and Nephew, or Cruzan 151. The high proof is what lets the rum catch fire.
- Skip
- Standard 40 percent rum. It will not light cleanly.
- Why
- Overproof rum is at 75 percent ABV, the threshold for a clean blue flame. The fire is the trick. Without it the shot is not a Flaming Dr Pepper.
The almond liqueur
- Use
- Disaronno or Lazzaroni amaretto.
- Skip
- Almond syrup. Different drink, no alcohol weight.
- Why
- The amaretto carries the almond-cherry note that combines with the root beer to mimic the soda. The shot does not work without it.
The bitter beer
- Use
- A standard pale lager or a dry Irish stout, half a pint, served cold.
- Skip
- IPAs or fruity craft beers. The hops or fruit clash with the spirits.
- Why
- The beer is half the pour and most of the volume. A neutral bitter beer carries the carbonation that fizzes the spirits without fighting their flavour.
Three Variations
Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.
The standard build
- Flaming Dr Pepper, ignited
- Three liqueurs in the shot, overproof rum on top, lit, dropped into half a glass of bitter beer.
The non-flaming build
- Dr Pepper bomb, no fire
- Skip the lighter. Build the same shot, drop it into the beer without lighting. Same flavour, no stagecraft.
The Aussie summer build
- Flaming Dr Pepper with cider
- Replace the beer with a half-pint of dry apple cider. Closer to a cherry-cola flavour, less bitter on the finish.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Skip the fire. Build the shot with one ounce of standard rum on top instead. Loses the trick, keeps the flavour.
A teaspoon of root beer extract plus half an ounce of vodka. Different sweetness curve, similar flavour direction.
Cold espresso reduced with sugar. The bitter note is the function; either source works.
Half a pint of cola. Different drink, sweeter, no carbonation bite. Stops being a Flaming Dr Pepper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is in a Flaming Dr Pepper shot?
Half an ounce of almond liqueur, a quarter ounce of coffee liqueur, half an ounce of root beer schnapps, a layer of overproof rum on top, and half a glass of bitter beer to drop the shot into.
How strong is a Flaming Dr Pepper?
Around 12 percent ABV by the time the beer dilutes the spirits. Less strong than the constituent pours suggest because half a glass of beer carries the volume.
What does it taste like?
Genuinely close to Dr Pepper soda. Sweet up front, slightly bitter from the beer, faint cinnamon-and-cherry notes from the almond and root-beer combination.
Why does it taste like Dr Pepper?
The combination of amaretto (almond and cherry notes), root beer schnapps (sarsaparilla and licorice), and the carbonation of the beer recreates the flavour profile of the soda. None of the ingredients are Dr Pepper themselves.
Is the fire necessary?
No. The fire is the stagecraft. The shot can be dropped without lighting and the flavour is the same. The fire is what makes it a Flaming Dr Pepper rather than a Dr Pepper bomb.
What overproof rum should I use?
Bacardi 151, Wray and Nephew, or Cruzan 151. All three are at 75 percent ABV, the threshold for a clean blue flame.
Is it dangerous?
The flame is small and short-lived. Bartenders need a long match or barbecue lighter and a clear bar surface. Hair, sleeves, paper menus and napkins should be clear of the glass.
Can I do this at home?
Possible but not recommended. Overproof rum and open flames near small glasses is the same risk as a kitchen flambe. If trying at home, do it on a steel kitchen counter, with a fire blanket or extinguisher within reach.
What glass should I drop it into?
A standard pint glass with half a pint of beer. The shot glass needs room to drop without the beer overflowing.
What other bomb shots are similar?
The Jagerbomb (Jagermeister and Red Bull), the Irish Car Bomb (Irish whiskey, Irish cream, Guinness), and the Sake Bomb (sake and beer). All four work on the same drop-and-drink principle.
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