The Slippery Nipple recipe
in two layers
Refrigerate the sambuca and Baileys for half an hour; they’ll pour more slowly and the layers will stay distinct.
Pour 2 cl of sambuca into a straight shot glass.
Hold a bar spoon with the rounded side facing upward just above the sambuca, with the tip against the side of the glass.
Slowly pour the Baileys over the rounded side so it settles as a layer on top of the sambuca.
Serve immediately, while the layers are still sharply separated.
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The story
No one knows for sure who invented the Slippery Nipple. The shot became popular in the 1980s, around the same time as the Sex on the Beach, when drinks were often given provocative names to stand out at the bar. More is known about the ingredients. Sambuca is an Italian anise liqueur that, under European regulations, contains at least 38 percent alcohol and at least 350 grams of sugar per liter. Baileys was launched in 1974 as the first Irish cream. Drink critics were not impressed: William Grimes called such shots in The New York Times a kind of cult for young drinkers who are not particular about taste. It nevertheless remained on the bar, especially as a party shot at the end of the evening.
The right glass
A Slippery Nipple is poured into a straight shot glass of 4 to 6 cl, made of clear, thick glass. That straight shape is important: in a narrow, cylindrical glass, the Baileys sits as a neat band on top of the sambuca, while in a wide or rounded glass, the layers blend together more quickly. A heavy base prevents the glasses from tipping over when you line them up on the bar. Take a look at our shot glasses, and for pouring, see our bar spoons.
Arcoroc Islande Shot Glass 6.5 cl (12 pieces)
RCR Opera Shot Glass 6 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 44,90.
The right tools
For a Slippery Nipple, in addition to the glass, you 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 € 66,85.
Variations & twists
Add a few drops of grenadine to the bottom to make a three-layer version: grenadine first, then sambuca, then Baileys. Many bars pour two parts sambuca to one part Baileys for a sharper shot. A Buttery Nipple replaces the sambuca with butterscotch schnapps and is sweeter. With coffee liqueur on the bottom, you have a Baby Guinness, and with a third layer of Grand Marnier on top of coffee liqueur and Baileys, you get the B52 Shot.
Serving tip
Line up the glasses and pour the sambuca into all of them first, followed by the Baileys. That way, you do not have to switch bottles and can work in one smooth rhythm. Wipe the rim dry if a drop has run down the glass, so the layers remain clearly visible.
Good to know
Making a Slippery Nipple without a bar spoon
A bar spoon has a long handle and a small, rounded bowl, which makes pouring easy. A regular teaspoon works too. Turn it over, hold the rounded side just above the sambuca, and let the tip touch the inside of the glass. Pour the Baileys from a jigger in a thin stream, so it runs over the spoon toward the side of the glass instead of plunging into the sambuca. Without a spoon, you can pour very slowly along the side of the glass, holding it at a slight angle. The layers will be less sharply defined.
Why does the Baileys stay on top
Despite its alcohol content, sambuca is a heavy liquid because it contains at least 350 grams of sugar per liter. Baileys contains cream, less sugar, and weighs less per centiliter. If you place it on top gently, it will float. If you pour too forcefully, the cream cuts through the sambuca, leaving you with a cloudy, light-brown shot. Reversing the order therefore never works: sambuca poured onto Baileys sinks straight through it. Chilled liqueurs are more viscous and flow more slowly, which is why half an hour in the refrigerator helps.
Which sambuca and which Irish cream
Choose a clear, white sambuca: the contrast between the transparent bottom layer and the beige Baileys is the whole point of this shot. Black sambuca tastes similar, but you can barely see the layers. Sambuca is usually between 38 and 42 percent; a sweeter bottle makes the layers form a little more easily. Baileys is the standard for the top layer, but any Irish cream with a similar consistency works. Do not use strawberry or caramel-flavored varieties, as they clash with the anise.
How much alcohol is in a Slippery Nipple
More than you can taste from its smooth flavor. Using sambuca at 40 percent and Baileys at 17 percent: 2 cl of sambuca provides 0.8 cl of pure alcohol, and 2 cl of Baileys adds another 0.34 cl. Together, that is just over 1.1 cl of pure alcohol in a 4 cl shot, or about 28 percent. That amounts to around 9 grams of alcohol, almost one standard drink. If you pour two parts sambuca to one part Baileys, you exceed 30 percent.
Slippery Nipple for a party
Place ten to twelve shot glasses neatly next to each other on a tray and work from left to right. Measure the sambuca with a jigger so that each bottom layer is the same height and the Baileys band is equally thick throughout. Then add all the top layers in one round using the same bar spoon. Keep the bottles cold until the last moment. A 70 cl bottle of sambuca makes 35 shots. Find more shots for an evening with friends among our party cocktails.
Slippery Nipple alongside Baby Guinness and B52
Three layered shots with Irish cream, all three made using the same motion over the rounded side of a spoon. The Slippery Nipple is the strongest and freshest of the three because of the anise from the sambuca. The Baby Guinness uses coffee liqueur as its bottom layer and comes in at around 16 percent. The B52 has three layers: coffee liqueur, Irish cream, and Grand Marnier. Those who like liquorice and anise choose the Slippery Nipple; those who prefer coffee choose the other two. More rounds can be found among our shots.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a Slippery Nipple?
A Slippery Nipple consists of sambuca with a layer of Baileys or another Irish cream on top, in equal parts: 2 cl of each. Sometimes a few drops of grenadine are added to the bottom. Drink the shot in one go, so the anise and cream come together.
How do you make the layers in a Slippery Nipple?
First pour the sambuca into the glass. Then hold a bar spoon with the rounded side facing up just above the sambuca, against the side of the glass, and slowly pour the Baileys over it. Because sambuca contains a lot of sugar and is heavier, the Baileys remains floating on top.
What is the difference between a Slippery Nipple and a Buttery Nipple?
The difference is in the bottom layer. The Slippery Nipple uses sambuca and tastes of anise; the Buttery Nipple uses butterscotch schnapps and tastes of caramel and butter. The top layer of Irish cream and the pouring method are the same.
Which glass do you use for a Slippery Nipple?
A straight, narrow shot glass holding 4 to 6 cl, made of clear glass. In a cylindrical shape, the two layers remain visible as clean bands. A thick, heavy base provides stability when you place a whole row on a tray.
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