Kamikaze
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 25% ABV ∙
The Kamikaze is a vodka shot cocktail made with vodka, triple sec, and fresh lime juice, shaken and strained into a shot glass. Sharp and citrusy, with a clean vodka backbone and a tart lime snap that fades into a light orange sweetness on the finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Vodka 30 mlTriple sec 15 mlLime juice 15 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a lime wedge
Tips
- Pre-chill the shot glass before straining so the drink stays cold despite its small serving size.
- Use fresh lime juice rather than bottled; at this small volume, stale citrus flattens the whole shot.
- Fine-strain after shaking to keep ice shards and pulp out of the small pour.
History
The Kamikaze's origin is disputed. One widely repeated account, traced to cocktail writer John Mariani's account in a 1989 issue of Motorboating and Sailing magazine, credits New York bartender Tony Lauriano with mixing vodka, triple sec, and lime juice at the restaurant Les Pyrenees in 1972; he is said to have first called it the Jesus Christ Superstar after the Broadway show before the name was dropped in favor of Kamikaze. A rival, less documented theory holds that the drink was invented at an American naval base in Japan in the years following World War II, popularized by servicemen stationed there. Wikipedia's entry hedges on the naming question itself, noting only that the drink is probably named for the Japanese kamikaze dive bombers of the war, without endorsing either creation story.
Whichever account is accurate, the Kamikaze is generally agreed to have entered wide American use as a bar shot in the 1970s and become a fixture of disco-era nightlife through the 1980s, prized for its simplicity of equal parts vodka, triple sec, and lime juice.
FAQ
What is a Kamikaze drink made of?
A Kamikaze is made of vodka, triple sec, and fresh lime juice, shaken with ice and strained into a shot glass. It is garnished with a lime wedge and typically served as a shot rather than a sipped cocktail.
What's the difference between a Kamikaze and a Cosmopolitan?
A Cosmopolitan adds cranberry juice and is served up in a larger cocktail glass as a sipped drink, while a Kamikaze uses no cranberry and is served as a small, fast shot. Both share the same vodka, triple sec, and lime base.
Do people still drink Kamikaze?
Yes, the Kamikaze remains a common order at bars and parties, especially as a quick, low-cost group shot. Its simple three-ingredient build and shot-glass format have kept it a staple of casual drinking menus for decades.
Why is Kamikaze blue?
A standard Kamikaze is not blue; the vodka, triple sec, and lime juice build produces a pale, slightly cloudy yellow-green drink. Some bars swap in blue curacao for the triple sec to make a blue variant, but that is a different recipe from the classic Kamikaze.
