Tuesday, May 18, 2010

cocktail review no. 38 - B-52

DING DING DING DING DING DING DING!!!

Congratulations! Congratulations to one and all! If you're reading this, this means you are among the first ever to lay eyes on one of the Postman's über-special double-secret SHOT REVIEWS!


Okay, yeah, I know. It's off-color to pair a Vietnam travelogue with a shot called "B-52." Lay off, buster. Comb through any cocktail encyclopedia you like and see if you can find another Vietnam-related drink. I dare you. Maybe "Shooing Away the Tribes of the Night"? Ha ha, very funny. That's way more off-color than a "B-52."

Ordinarily I don't go in for shots. I downed more than my share of tequila slammers when I was in da club in Busan, yeah. My posse knocks back an obligatory shot of Jack Daniel's Single Barrel or Maker's Mark when we're out on the town. My cousin Brian and I had a few Jell-O shooters during my ill-fated graduation party in Fargo, sure. But I'm not really a shots man. I can be persuaded, however.

That being said, I've decided to sneak a few shot reviews in here on occasion. Even if shots are transient and fleeting, and can't be enjoyed with the same leisure and mellowness as a full-blown cocktail, the unique flavor and often exotique content of shots make for an interesting experience nonetheless. Therefore, if I should happen to come across a unique shot (on the rare occasion I imbibe one), I'll review it here. But I'm going to be sneaky about it. You'll have to actually click on the post to know whether I'm doing a shot or not, unless you can tell from the name (or you've got me in your blogroll with "snippets" enabled). Maybe later on, when I get to be an affluent novelist/pilot/bartender, I'll start offering prizes for the lucky folks who happen to notice my shot reviews, and comment on them. Yeah, maybe. We'll see.

Anyway, on with the review.

  • ¼ ounce Kahlúa
  • ½ ounce Bailey's Irish Cream
  • ¼ ounce Grand Marnier
Pour the Kahlúa into a shot glass. Pour the Bailey's over the back of a teaspoon so it floats on top of the Kahlúa. Layer the Grand Marnier on top.

I wasn't expecting much from this. I rather thought that the combination of coffee liqueur, Irish cream, and orange liqueur would be nasty.
Boy, was I wrong. This is tasty. Thanks to the viscosity of the Kahlúa and the Bailey's, this shot's a bit thicker than most, and goes down slow and smooth. But more importantly, the distinct coffee baseline is offset by the orange overtone. Grand Marnier is fancy stuff (actually cognac and orange). After having a shot like this, you can tell it's a notch above ordinary triple sec.

All in all, B-52s aren't half-bad. It's a lot of work for a shot, but ultimately worth it.



7 comments:

sarahjayne smythe said...

Wow. This sounds like something I might actually like drinking. :) I'll have to try it.

Jane Jones said...

I'm not much of a shot person. Give me a good locally brewed beer on tap anyday, an outdoor patio, and a chill crowd and I am one of the happiest girls on earth.
But I do like to experiment. So just maybe I can be convinced to try this :)

A.T. Post said...

I tell you what, ladies, this shooter caught me off guard. Thought it sounded gross when I first heard about it. But it's really something else. And you could always make a drink out of it, too! Just triple or quadruple the ingredients!

Oh, and Jane: your definition of a good evening with the gang (and a locally brewed beer on an outdoor patio) and mine sound remarkably similar. And my love of experimentation was precisely the reason I got into mixology in the first place...

Susan Carpenter Sims said...

Wow, this sounds delicious. I am a bit of shot girl, myself. I will definitely have to try this.

Murr Brewster said...

For me, "shot" is a noun and an adjective, both occurring at once. Put me down for the good IPA.

dolorah said...

Sounds interesting. Next time I'm out I'll have to try it.

Love that airplane pix.

......dhole

A.T. Post said...

Polly: Go to it! It ain't too strong, either...so you can definitely have two or three. Hint, hint.

Murrmurr: Heh heh...

DH: I hope the bartender knows what THIS is...they'd better...or else. Thanks, I'm not much into jets but the Stratofortress does have some nice lines, doesn't it?

I think I've got the perfect pic for the header. I just have to download it. I'll do it sometime tomorrow, I reckon.