Top Alcohol Shots, According to Bartenders

What do you do when you’re at a bar looking to get your drink on, and the cocktail menu looks lackluster, or you’re short on time? Shots! Snobs need not apply.

If you think shots are only for dive bars and subpar liquor, you’re mistaken. Shots remain popular, and diverse options abound, catering to every palate and budget. The terms “shot” and “shooter” can be used interchangeably. Typically, a shot is a small, neat pour of an alcoholic liquid. A shooter can mean a mini cocktail or layered alcoholic drink. We polled bartenders from across the country to ask them what’s hot and what’s not in shots these days. Make these shots at home to get the party started or order them when you’re out and impress your friends with your trendy cocktail knowledge.

Quality Counts

All the bartenders we spoke with agreed that quality is a must when enjoying straight liquor shots. The practice of shooting the cheapest liquor to get drunk quickly is finally relegated to the past. “The days of Rot gut kamikazes with sweetened lime juice are done,” says Aaron DeFeo, partner, Little Rituals, in Phoenix, Arizona.

He adds, "Shots were a lifeblood of the bar industry for so many years, an extra revenue stream above and beyond that had the capability to tune ordinary nights into high revenue affairs… but it’s the effect of shots—when done communally—that adds an instant community and energy to the room.” He notes that as cocktails get increasingly more complex, and as guests change their overall drinking behavior, it’s important to look at shots as a way to bring as many people together as possible. They should never be too complex, and should always be fun. But adding a cool flavor, liqueur or ingredient is always a plus because then it heightens the experience.

They should be high quality, thoughtful, simple and fun. Says DeFeo, “It’s an opportunity to use spirits that might not be called for in standard cocktails, as the bartenders often ‘call the shots’ so to speak. Introduce people to a Blanche Armagnac or make them fall in love with an outstanding citrus gin (think St. George T erroir Gin).

Bittersweet Bliss: Amaro shots

Amari is an excellent answer when you’re looking for a quick pour of something other than just a spirit like whiskey, vodka, or rum straight. Amari, an Italian word, plural for amaro, a bittersweet liqueur infused with herbs and various aromatics, is complex and has a range of regional styles and varying levels of bitterness and sweetness. Fernet is one of the most recognized, and once the ultimate bartender’s handshake (a shot ordered or offered to identify or acknowledge a fellow bartender or community member) of shots is now beloved with imbibers worldwide. These complex liqueurs offer big flavors and can be enjoyed chilled or at room temperature. Read more about Fernets.

Jeffrey Talbert, lead bartender at Falling Rabbit in Duluth, Georgia shared, “I find that more and more people are finding comfort in amaro based shots these days, possibly due to the growing interest in the world of craft beverage culture. As bartenders' tastes increasingly err on the herbal, strong, and bitter, so do local regulars and avid barflies in an effort to be a part of their favorite bar or drinking community.”

“Over the past 25 years behind the bar, I've watched Amaro go from something you'd only see after dinner at an Italian restaurant to a bartender staple. First, it was all about Fernet, and now Montenegro is having its moment. Bitter, sweet, herbaceous, and easy to throw back.” says Shannon Reynolds, cocktail creator at Mercy Tavern, Salem, Massachusetts.

Most bars have at least a small selection of amari on their shelves, or at least one brand, and that brand might be a tasty one reserved for fellow industry professionals enjoying a drink at the bar. Amari shots are wildly popular. Next time you saunter up to the bar, ask for a shot of a popular amaro or the bartender’s favorite choice.

Popular Shots and Shooters

The Green Tea Shot

Although this shot doesn’t include green tea, much like a Long Island Iced Tea, which contains zero tea, it’s delicious and easy to execute. Gen Z’ers may roll their eyes at the mere mention of this shot, or so we are told; all the Gen Z of drinking age polled said they think it’s a tasty shot. Introduced in the early 2000s, the Green Tea shot is a bar staple for many bartenders we spoke with, and many have made their own interpretations and variations of this shot, which often end up on the cocktail menu. The White Tea Shot has vodka in place of Irish whiskey. “This shot is refreshing and most bars have what it takes to make it or at least a version of it. Because if you’re at a place that doesn’t carry the peach liqueur, other sweet and viscous liqueurs will do in a pinch.The Green Tea Shot has staying power; try it and decide for yourself” shares Kala Ellis, bar and spirits specialist, Tall Tales the rooftop bar at Waymore's Guest House & Casual Club, Nashville.

.5 oz Irish whiskey such as Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey

.5 oz peach schnapps

.5 oz Rose’s lime juice

Chilled Sprite to top

Add whiskey, schnapps, and Rose’s lime juice to a cocktail shaker with cubed ice and shake well. Strain into a shot glass and top with chilled Sprite.

Baby Guinness

Drinkers around the globe have firmly embraced the Baby Guinness, a beloved Irish export, because it’s quick to make and easy to drink. This shot is said to have originated in the 1980s in a bar near a maternity ward and would be served to new fathers as a celebratory shot. Despite its name, this shot does not contain a drop of Guinness; it does, however, look like a miniature pint of Guinness. If you were drinking in bars in the 80s, you may feel that this shot is familiar, and you’re not wrong. Layered liqueur shots, immensely popular then, went by risque names like Slippery Nipple. This shot offers a sweet flavor combination, sippable or shootable, delivering a long, warm finish.

1.5 oz of coffee liqueur like Kahlúa

.25 oz of cream liqueur like Baileys

Pour the coffee liqueur into the shot glass and then top it with the cream liqueur by slowly pouring it over the back of a spoon into the shot glass.

Snaquiri

The Snaquiri, “a sneaky, pre-daiquiri daiquiri,” is a mini daiquiri meant to be drunk as a shot and has become the new darling of cocktail shots, or shooters as some call them. Credit for this goes to Karin Stanely, a bartender from Brooklyn, New York City, who was having a drink and talking with another bartender about their favorite beverages. The winning favorite Daiquiri was so beloved by the bartenders that they began ordering them two at a time, one in a water glass and one in a coupe glass; the cocktail in the water glass was the shot, and the other drink was for sipping. A very efficient way to get your favorite cocktail down your gullet faster.

Since then, the ‘Snaq’ as it’s referred to, spread across the city and across the US after a cocktail conference, becoming a popular shift drink for bartenders to kick back before beginning their shift, and now you can find flights of “mini daiquiris” on craft cocktail bar menus. “Snaquiris” are also a longstanding go-to. “Fun snaquiris are the new kamikazes of the bar world I would say. There are endless options with the amount of rums, modifiers and spirits that are available,” shares DeFeo.

4 oz dry white rum

2 oz fresh lime juice

1.5 oz simple syrup (1:1 sugar and water)

Two lime slices

Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker with cubed ice or a king cube and shake well. Strain into two cocktail glasses and garnish each with a lime slice. Sip one fast and savor the second one.

Trend Setters

You’ve heard the term everything old becomes new again? That’s the case with shots; In 2012, Midori’s parent company, Suntory, reformulated the recipe, which resulted in a much-improved melon-flavored liqueur that is less sweet and has more authentic flavors of two Japanese melons, the Yubari, and muskmelon. It took a minute for the revised version to gain the trust of consumers and bartenders, while some bartenders will tell you that the liqueur remained beloved although overshadowed for decades. The melon ball shot has been pulled from the recycling bin and back into the cocktail Rolodex featuring Midori. Most bars will have the ingredients to craft this shot, and it’s easy to whip up at home. While chilled Midori shots are becoming all the rage, try this shooter that embraces bold fruit flavors.

.5 oz vodka

.25 oz Midori

.25 oz pineapple juice

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with cubed ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled shot glass. Toss in a little edible glitter before shaking for Instagram-perfect party pics.

Pro Tip

Whether ordering shots and shooters next time you’re at the bar or making them at home, shots are a fun way to try new flavors without committing to an entire cocktail. Pro tip: Ask your bartender for their favorite shooter, and you might glimpse the world of the famed bartender handshake!