With the semester about to end, it’s time to pull out the party hats. For anyone sick of beer and your run-of-the-mill liquor shots, here are a few drinks you might not have heard of — all of which can be made with the ingredients listed. Not an aspiring bartender? Find each drink at the location provided.
The Scooby Snack, Surly Wench Pub
This shot could make anyone understand why Scooby Doo would muster up his courage and volunteer to enter a ghost-infested building just for a Scooby snack. Made with Malibu, crème de bananas, melon liquor and pineapple juice and topped with whipped cream, this shot will get your courage up a bit for whatever crazy shenanigans you and the gang have planned for the night.
Birthday Cake Shot, various bars downtown
Obviously, this one would be particularly relevant if the night is in celebration of someone’s birthday — but if you just like the way cake tastes, go for it. Apparently the birthday cake shot, which is made with hazelnut liqueur, vodka, sugar and a lemon, strangely tastes exactly like — you guessed it — birthday cake. Which is just plain impressive.
Rainbow Shots, Maloney’s Tavern
Mixed with grenadine, pineapple or orange juice, Malibu, blue curacao and a little bit of crushed ice, this colorful cocktail will surely make you wonder how the colors change as the liquid is poured into each shot glass. This one is probably meant for a group of at least five, but I won’t discourage you from drinking the entire rainbow yourself. You’re only young once, so why not?
Jalapeño Vodka-rita, Elliott’s on Congress
My friends continually insist that Elliott’s has the craziest variety of infused vodka, and I believe them after browsing the menu that lists flavors of vodka from key lime, cucumber, and orange to habañero and bacon. The jalapeño vodka-rita is made with jalapeño-flavored vodka (obviously), sweet and sour, triple sec, agave nectar, lime and orange juice, and will most likely come with a kick. If you are opposed to a spicy alcoholic concoction, just pick any of the other flavors to add to the vodka-rita … but you probably shouldn’t go with the bacon.
El Guapo, Playground Bar & Lounge
This shot’s name means “the handsome” in Spanish, and it seems like it would taste even better than it looks. El Guapo is mixed with Hornitos Reposado tequila, Aperol and lime juice. The added bonus is the mango-flavored Lucas candy on the rim to chase it all down. The candy may provide a flashback to childhood for those of us who remember begging our mothers for treats at the store and then enjoying them on the car ride home. Playground Bar & Lounge offers it with a mango con chile rim for a spicier finish.