Wednesday, July 4, 2012

The "Uncle Sam I Drunk Yet?" Shot

Happy Fourth of July everybody!! I know it's not technically the 4th yet in the States (which are probably the only time zones that count), but since I can't be home to celebrate it, I'm bringing it in with a bang here in Germany. :) 

I've planned an American dinner for my international friends, and hopefully they'll like my Southwestern Chicken Chili and Chips, Ranch Dip, and Oreo truffles, and St. Louis style Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. In order to throw in a bit of patriotism, I decided a Red, White, and Blue drink was also in order.

I also wanted to somehow incorporate Kool-Aid into the mix, because my mom had sent me some packets in the mail, and Kool-Aid is pretty much distinctly American. So welcome to the party Kool-Aid! But how to make a layered shot? This led to lots of speculation, google-searching, and in the end just testing everything out. So you're welcome all you patriotic people out there, I just had three of these babies because I couldn't let the bloopers go to waste. You can make it with alcohol, or omit the alcohol completely for a (still really awesome) virgin drink. 

 In the end, here's the recipe that I came up with! I apologize for my makeshift recipe, and props to my friend Emily for the name!  Although it's a bit tricky to get the layers perfect, after pouring a shot or two, you get the hang of it! Pretty, ain't it? :) 

Note: This can be a very sweet drink, and may take some manipulations. However you mix it though, both grenadine and banana nectar are still pretty sugary, so don't forget you're consuming alcohol! Hence the name ;)

The "UNCLE SAM I DRUNK YET?" Shot



 What you need (it's simple really):

-RED LAYER: Raspberry or Grenadine syrup (whichever you prefer, but make sure it's a heavy full-sugar syrup)

-WHITE LAYER: Banana Nectar  (This must be REAL nectar, no banana-flavored stuff, because the banana bits are what helps the layers form) 
*can also be substituted with any cream liquor for a more alcoholic content and different flavor

- BLUE LAYER: Diluted Berry Blue or Mixed Berry Kool-Aid with added Vodka or Gin to your preference. In order to reduce wasted Kool-Aid (since you're really only making a couple shots), make the Kool-Aid as normal, then set aside a very small bowl of Kool-Aid to use for the shot(s).

Directions (these seem long, but it's not difficult, don't worry!):

1. Add additional water to the Kool-Aid you set aside to dilute. You don't want this layer to be very sweet, since the banana nectar and Grenadine are already sweet enough! I diluted mine quite a bit, so that it didn't really taste good plain anymore. Then decide how strong you want your shot to be. I mixed about 1/4 Kool-Aid, 3/4 vodka. This will be your blue layer. Don't worry about adding too much vodka, because this is the only alcohol in the shot. I also used a double shot glass so that the alcoholic content would more resemble a shot. 
*For the non-alcoholic version, just make a diluted Kool-Aid mixture. It really doesn't have to be sweet at all.
2. ASSEMBLY: 
-Pour the grenadine into the glass. 
-Using a spoon, slowly pour the banana nectar into the glass.
 *If you're not familiar with this, this is how it's done: Trickle the banana nectar over the round back side of a spoon into the glass while keeping the spoon end against the wall of the glass. The nectar should flow gently down the side of the glass and onto the previous layer. 

-Using the same spoon method, finally add the vodka/Kool-Aid mixture to the top. 

And voilĂ ! You have a pretty, patriotic, layered shot! 




I also had to include a photo of the irony here, because I only had one shot glass on hand, but shhh, don't tell! :)