The B52 Shot recipe
for your table
Pour the coffee liqueur as the first layer into a straight shot glass, filling it one-third.
Hold a bar spoon with the rounded side facing up just above the coffee liqueur and slowly let the Baileys flow over it.
Repeat this with the orange liqueur for the third layer. Pour each layer more slowly than you think you need to.
Serve immediately, while the layers are still sharply defined.
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Send the B52 Shot recipe to your own email so you have it at hand when you’re about to make it. You’ll also receive a €5 discount code on orders from €50, for the glasses that go with it.
The story
The B52 is attributed to bartender Peter Fich, who worked at the Banff Springs Hotel in the Canadian Rocky Mountains in the late 1970s. He named his creations after favorite bands and songs. Hence the nod to the B-52s, or to the bomber that band itself was named after; both stories circulate. What made the shot famous was not the story but the physics: coffee liqueur contains the most sugar and is therefore the heaviest, Irish cream lies in between, and orange liqueur has the highest alcohol content and is the lightest. That is precisely why the layers stay in place.
The right glass
For a B52, you need a straight shot glass of 5 to 6 cl. This is the one recipe where the shape of the glass determines the result. A tapered shot glass makes the layers run into each other; a narrow, straight-sided glass keeps them neatly separated and also makes them look optically thicker. Choose clear, colorless glass without a pattern: every facet in the glass wall distorts the dividing line you have poured so carefully.
RCR Opera Shot Glass 6 cl (6 pieces)
Arcoroc Vigne Shot Glass 6 cl (6 pieces)
Twelve shot glasses together € 41,90.
The right tools
For a B52 Shot, in addition to the glass, use a bar spoon for stirring and a jigger for precise measuring. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 51,85.
What do you use to make a B52 Shot?
For a B52 Shot, you need sambuca. Popular bottles include Salmari and Grand Marnier. On each drinks page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it goes with, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
The B52 has a whole family: with absinthe on top, it's called a B52 Bomber, with tequila instead of orange liqueur, it's a B51, and with blue curaçao on top, a B53. Replace the coffee liqueur with raspberry liqueur for a fruity version. In some bars, the top layer is set on fire. Don't do that at home: burning alcohol spreads unpredictably and the glass becomes too hot to hold within seconds.
Serving tip
Chill the liqueurs beforehand: cold liquid is denser and stays separated better. Place the shot glass on the table and pour while standing. In your hand, it always moves just a little too much. Didn't get it right the first time? Empty the glass and start again; pouring more over a disturbed layer never works out.
Frequently asked questions
Which glass do you use for a B52?
A straight, colorless shot glass of 5 to 6 cl. View our shot glasses. Look for models with straight sides.
How do you get the layers neat?
Pour each layer over the rounded side of a bar spoon held just above the previous layer. This slows the fall of the liquid and keeps the separation intact. No bar spoon? An ordinary teaspoon works too.
In what order do you pour?
Always from heavy to light: first coffee liqueur, then Irish cream, then orange liqueur. If you reverse the order, everything mixes immediately.
Can you set a B52 on fire?
It happens in some bars, but we advise against it. The glass gets hot extremely quickly, the flame is barely visible in daylight, and you should never drink from a burning glass. It also doesn't improve the taste.
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