Alabama Slammer Shot
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 13.8% ABV ∙
The Alabama Slammer Shot is amaretto, a Southern-style whisky liqueur, and sloe gin, shaken with orange and lemon juice and served in a chilled shot glass.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Amaretto liqueur 15 mlSouthern / Louisiana-style whisky liqueur 15 mlSloe gin 15 mlOrange juice 10 mlLemon juice 10 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a maraschino cherry
Tips
- Three liqueurs make this sweet, so shake hard with plenty of ice for 10-12 seconds; the extra water keeps it from tasting syrupy.
- At only 10 ml each, the orange and lemon juice are easy to overdo, and a little extra swamps the three liqueurs.
History
The Alabama Slammer is generally traced to the 1970s in or around the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, where college crowds drank it by the shot or by the pitcher at Crimson Tide football tailgates. Its earliest known printed recipe appeared in a 1971 Playboy bar guide, calling for Southern Comfort, sloe gin, amaretto, and lemon juice. That puts its origin no later than 1971, or in the late 1960s by some accounts. Harry's Bar in Tuscaloosa has claimed to be its birthplace, though that bar did not open until 1972, a year after the drink's first print appearance.
The recipe was revised in the 1984 Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide, still with lemon juice, before later versions added orange juice. The drink is also sometimes called the Southern Slammer, and its "Slammer" name reflects its original form as a shot meant to be downed quickly.
No single inventor is documented. A popular but unsubstantiated claim credits quarterback Brett Favre with popularizing the drink, though it was already common on college campuses in the 1980s before his career began.
FAQ
What is in an Alabama Slammer Shot?
Amaretto, Southern-style whisky liqueur (such as Southern Comfort) and sloe gin, 15 ml each, plus 10 ml each of fresh orange and lemon juice, with a maraschino cherry as the garnish.
How do you make an Alabama Slammer Shot?
Shake the amaretto, whisky liqueur, sloe gin and both juices hard with plenty of ice for 10–12 seconds, then fine strain into a chilled shot glass and add a maraschino cherry. The long shake adds water, which keeps three liqueurs from tasting syrupy.
