Alabama Slammer
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 11.7% ABV ∙
The Alabama Slammer is a fruity highball of vodka, Southern-style whisky liqueur, amaretto, sloe gin, and orange and lemon juice.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Vodka 30 mlSouthern / Louisiana-style whisky liqueur 20 mlAmaretto liqueur 15 mlSloe gin 15 mlOrange juice 90 mlLemon juice 10 ml
- Strain into the ice-filled glass
- Garnish with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry on a skewer
Tips
- Stir with ice for just 10–15 seconds before straining; any longer and the vodka and three liqueurs turn watery.
- The 90 ml of orange juice hides a heavy pour of vodka, whisky liqueur, amaretto or sloe gin until the drink is already too sweet, so measure all four.
- Squeeze the orange juice fresh; at 90 ml it is the bulk of the drink and sets its flavor.
History
The Alabama Slammer is generally traced to the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, where it is said to have originated as a shot in the late 1960s or early 1970s among students celebrating Crimson Tide football. Its name plays on the practice of "slamming" back a shot glass. The exact creator and precise date remain undocumented, and Harry's Bar in Tuscaloosa has been credited by some, though the drink is thought to predate the bar's 1972 opening.
Its print debut is often placed in the 1971 Playboy Bartender's Guide, with Southern Comfort, sloe gin, amaretto, and lemon juice rather than orange juice, though some who checked the 1971 and 1972 editions found only a drink called the "Alabama." The 1984 Mr. Boston 50th Anniversary Bartender's Guide likewise specified lemon juice. Orange juice became the standard mixer only in later versions of the recipe.
The drink grew into a fixture of college tailgating culture through the 1970s and 1980s and gained wider notice after being namechecked in Tom Cruise's bar-top speech in the 1988 film Cocktail.
FAQ
What are the ingredients of an Alabama Slammer?
Vodka (30 ml), Southern-style whisky liqueur (20 ml), amaretto (15 ml) and sloe gin (15 ml), with 90 ml of fresh orange juice and 10 ml of lemon juice. Early printed versions had no vodka or orange juice, only Southern Comfort, sloe gin, amaretto and lemon juice.
How do you make an Alabama Slammer?
Stir all six ingredients with ice for just 10–15 seconds, strain into an ice-filled highball glass, and garnish with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry on a skewer. Stirring any longer waters down the vodka and liqueurs.
Is an Alabama Slammer a strong drink?
Moderately: an Alabama Slammer is about 11.7% ABV. Vodka and three liqueurs give it a real kick, but 90 ml of orange juice stretches it into a highball and hides the alcohol, so it drinks lighter than it is.
What can I use instead of sloe gin in an Alabama Slammer?
Mix 1 part crème de mûre or crème de cassis with 2 parts gin and use it in the same 15 ml; it comes close in strength and sweetness but tastes of blackberry or blackcurrant rather than sloe. Plain London dry gin makes the drink drier and stronger, while Chambord makes it sweeter and weaker.
