Bull Shot
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 8.6% ABV ∙
The Bull Shot is a savory vodka drink of cold beef bouillon, lemon juice, Worcestershire and hot sauce, shaken and served long over ice.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Rim the glass with celery salt
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Vodka 60 mlBeef bouillon/Beef consommé 120 mlLemon juice 15 mlWorcestershire sauce 3 dashesHot pepper sauce 3 dashesSalt 1 pinchBlack pepper 1 grind
- Strain into the ice-filled glass
Tips
- Chill the bouillon and skim off any fat that sets on top so the finished drink doesn't turn greasy.
- Put the Worcestershire, hot sauce, salt and pepper in the shaker before the vodka and bouillon, so the seasoning mixes through instead of sitting undissolved.
History
The Bullshot was invented in the 1950s at the Caucus Club, a steakhouse and cocktail lounge in Detroit owned by Lester Gruber. According to cocktail historian David Wondrich, the drink emerged around 1952 with the help of John Hurley, an advertising executive at the BBDO agency who was a regular at the club.
Hurley had taken on the Campbell's Soup account and needed a way to boost lagging sales of the company's canned beef bouillon, so he and Gruber devised a savory cocktail that paired vodka with beef bouillon in the spirit of the already-popular Bloody Mary. The new drink caught on quickly at the Caucus Club and spread through the 1950s. It became a national fixture through the 1960s and '70s.
FAQ
What ingredients are in a Bull Shot?
Vodka 60 ml, cold beef bouillon or consommé 120 ml and fresh lemon juice 15 ml. The seasoning is 3 dashes each of Worcestershire and a vinegar-based hot sauce such as Tabasco, a pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper.
How do you make a Bull Shot?
Rim a Collins glass with celery salt and fill it with ice. Put the Worcestershire, hot sauce, salt and pepper in the shaker first, then the vodka, cold bouillon and lemon juice; shake with ice and strain into the glass.
Does a Bull Shot contain alcohol?
Yes. It is made with vodka and comes to about 8.6% ABV, lighter than most vodka drinks because 120 ml of cold beef bouillon dilutes it.
What does a Bull Shot taste like?
Savory and peppery first, like seasoned beef broth, with vodka warmth underneath and a kick of lemon and hot sauce at the end. Unlike a Bloody Mary, it has no tomato and is not sweet: the main flavor is the beef bouillon.
Is a Bull Shot shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The bouillon, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and hot sauce need the quick agitation of a shake to chill evenly and combine into one smooth savory drink.
What glass is a Bull Shot served in?
A Collins glass rimmed with celery salt and filled with ice.
