Serving Shooters at Your Nightclub, Bar or Restaurant

If you’re looking for new ways to spice up your drink list, you might want to consider adding a few shooters. Whether you work in a restaurant, a bar, or a nightclub, shooters are often not properly presented. This is mainly because bar managers overlook just how valuable an addition they can be.

Whenever I talk to a bar staff about how to improve their sales, I always focus on getting them to consistently use suggestive selling or up-selling. It’s the single, easiest way to increase the average check (the average amount of money a customer will spend), and suggesting a shooter is a great way to do it.

REASONS WHY SHOOTERS ARE EASY TO

SELL

GREAT FOR CELEBRATIONS- Champagne and shooters are very popular for toasting a special occasion.

EASY TO BUY FOR GROUPS- People are very particular about the cocktail or beer they drink, but are usually willing to try something new if it’s a shooter.

VARIETY OF TASTES AND COLORS – It’s a dessert or a special treat.

SMALL, QUICK AND EASY TO DRINK – Some people (especially in dance clubs) want to have their drink and get right back to their fun. They don’t want to carry their drink around.

In the past when someone ordered a shooter, they would get a simple, straight shot of tequila or whiskey. Then came the Boiler Maker (a shot of whiskey dropped into a glass of beer), and over time bartenders began making layered shooters such as the B52 (Kahlua, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Grand Marnier).

In recent years, with the explosion of the many new liquors on the market, imaginative bartenders have begun to experiment with different combinations.

LAYERED OR COMBINATION SHOOTERS

Keep in mind that for every name of a drink or shooter, there will be multiple ways to make it, depending on what bar you work in and what part of the world you’re from.

CHINA WHITE -White Crème de Cacao, Irish Cream- Sprinkle Cinnamon/top

JACK FROST -Jack Daniels, Peppermint Schnapps

BLOODY BRAIN -Melon Liqueur ¾; Advocaat ¼; put melon in first, then a continual stream of the thicker Advocaat, making a “brain” or spaghetti like shape.  Then add a little Grenadine to make it look gruesome.

DR PEPPER - 1 oz Amaretto (in a shot glass) dropped into 2 oz. beer & 2 oz. Coke/Pepsi in a beer glass.

HINT: Shooters will separate into layers much better if the ingredients are cold.  If you really want them to be perfect, make the shooters and keep them in the fridge for an hour.

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BENEFITS OF JUICE SHOOTERS

The next generation of shooters are here. They are mixed with juice or milk and served in 2 oz. Shooter glasses. They still have 1 oz. of liquor. Just add a little juice, then shake & strain.

VARIETY OF COLORS - A great selling feature if a customer is unsure of what to order.  Ask them to pick a color or their favorite color.

VARIETY OF TASTES – Not every customer likes a harsh taste.  Now you can offer sweet, creamy or something just a little smoother.

PERCEIVED VALUE – Most customers will choose the big shot for the same price because they believe that they are getting more value for their money.

TRY THESE POPULAR JUICE SHOOTERS- Shake, strain and serve cold.

(RED) Killer Watermelon Southern Comfort, Melon Liqueur, Cranberry juice

(BLUE) Bazooka Joe Banana Liqueur, Irish Cream, Blue Curacao, milk

(GREEN) Kamikaze Vodka, Triple Sec, Lime juice

(Brown)  X-Ray Kahlua, Irish Cream, Frangelico, Milk

WARM SHOOTER:

(BROWN) Panty Remover Frangelico, Irish Cream, coffee

If you want to take it a step further, here are a few shooters that you can have a little fun with. You need to be careful with them, but done properly, they’re very safe and your customers will love them!

Flaming Blue Lamborghini (double) In a martini glass:

½ oz Sambucca & flame it, ½ oz Kahlua, ½ oz Blue Curacao, ½ oz. Galliano

Swirl glass gently for desired flame level. Sprinkle cinnamon over flame for special effect.  Hand the customer a LONG straw. Pour 3 oz.of milk into glass while the customer sips.

HINT: Hit the middle of the glass with the milk while swirling the glass to keep the flame going. BE CAREFUL!

Upside Down Shooters: Have the customer turn their back to you, tilt their head back, while you hold their head and pour into their mouth. Have some fun with these J

Sperm White Crème de Cacao, milk (Shake & Strain)

OR

Margarita Tequila, Triple Sec, lime juice (Shake & Strain)

Blow Job- Get the customer to put their hands behind their back and drink it with no hands.

Peppermint Schnapps, Irish Cream, whipped cream on top.

Your job as a bartender is (or can be) about much more than just taking an order and making a drink. Anybody can do that.  When you use your imagination and experiment a little, everybody wins.

Many of these are made in a shaker tin with milk or juice. Create an opportunity for yourself to show your Flair skills.

Please drink responsibly. Your mom wouldn't want you to drink & drive and neither do we :)

Thank you from

Scott Young and the Team at ExtremeBartending.com