Architecture of the Shot: Constructing the Perfect Shots and Shooters from the Bottom Up. Paul Knorr

      Apocalypse Now is a world-famous Vietnam War film by Francis Ford Coppola, ranked as one of the top 20 films of all time. The film is noteworthy for its themes of violence and its effect on the human psyche. It is legendary for the troubles experienced during production, ranging from an overweight and unprepared starring actor (Marlon Brando), to expensive sets destroyed by tropical storms. In the movie, a façade of civilization masks the violence behind the Vietnam War and in the shot it is the sweet coffee liqueur and peppermint schnapps that mask the power behind the vodka.

      THE NOTES

      Place 6 or 7 square ice cubes into a cocktail shaker. Pour in 3 fluid ounces (90ml) of vodka, coating the ice. Add 3 fluid ounces (90ml) of coffee liqueur and 3 fluid ounces (90ml) of peppermint schnapps. Shake vigorously in a vertical motion for 10 seconds. Strain slowly into six 1½ fluid ounce (45ml) shot glasses. Before consuming, wax rhapsodic about how you “love the smell of Napalm in the morning.”

APPLE PIE

      The saying “as American as apple pie” is familiar to people around the world, leading them to believe that apple pie is an American invention. This is patently false. First of all, apples themselves are not even American; they were brought over from Europe in the seventeenth century. Written recipes for pies, tarts, and puddings made from apples date as far back as 1381, before America was even discovered! The apple pie familiar to most Americans, with its lattice crust and hint of cinnamon, is actually a variation of a Dutch appeltaart. However, over time, American folklore accepted the notion of apple pie as American, and today the U.S. is one of the world’s top apple producers. One vague reason for the enduring association of apple pie with Americans is that American GIs during World War II were told to tell reporters “for Mom and apple pie” if asked why they were fighting the war—a stock answer to avoid getting involved in political debates and possible fights. For the Apple Pie shot, the fresh apple juice and cinnamon schnapps combine with the vodka to evoke the flavor of traditional apple pie with a much more powerful kick than the one Grandma used to make.

      THE NOTES

      Place 6 or 7 square ice cubes into a cocktail shaker. Pour in 4½ fluid ounces (135ml) of vodka, coating the ice. Add 2¼ fluid ounces (67.5ml) of cinnamon schnapps and 2¼ fluid ounces (67.5ml) of fresh apple juice. Shake vigorously in a vertical motion for 10 seconds. Strain slowly into six 1½ fluid ounce (45ml) shot glasses.

B-52 (FLAMING B-52)

      Contrary to popular assumption, the B-52 shot is not named after the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress aircraft—at least, not directly. Best known for the song “Love Shack,” the B-52s was a new-wave band formed in the late 1970s that took its name from a beehive hairstyle called the B-52. The hairstyle itself was so named because of its resemblance to the front of the B-52 aircraft. Peter Fich, a bartender at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta, Canada, developed this shot and named it after the band. Mr. Fich was known to name the drinks he invented after the music he liked. To summarize: the shot was named after a band that was named after a hairdo that was named after an aircraft.

      THE NOTES

      Make sure that the bar is free of any spilled alcohol by wiping it with a clean cloth and that all napkins and flammable items are at a safe distance. Pour 1 fluid ounce (30ml) of coffee liqueur into a 3 fluid ounce (90ml) shot glass. Take a long bar spoon and let the edge of the spoon touch just above the coffee liqueur. Slowly pour 1 fluid ounce (30ml) of Irish cream liqueur over the back of the spoon to create a layer. Repeat this process with 1 fluid ounce (30ml) of Grand Marnier to create a third layer. For a Flaming B-52, reduce the Grand Marnier by half and slowly pour ½ fluid ounce (15ml) of overproof rum over the back of the spoon to create a fourth layer. Using a lighter or match, carefully guide the flame to the edge of the glass until the overproof rum ignites. Admire the beauty of an alcohol flame for three to five seconds before snuffing with an inverted pint glass and knocking back the shot.

BABY GUINNESS

      Guinness is an Irish dry stout beer that has been brewed in Dublin, Ireland, since 1759. The most distinctive feature of the beer is the creamy head that forms when a pint of draught is pulled. As the drink settles, a light tan layer of thick foam forms on top of the almost black stout beer. The Irish cream liqueur and coffee liqueur in this shot taste nothing at all like Guinness but when layered in a shot glass, the light tan color of the Irish cream on top of the black color of the coffee liqueur looks like a miniature version of the classic pint. Once it is poured, take the shot in your hand and stomp around like a giant drinking a tiny little beer.

      THE NOTES

      Pour 2 fluid ounces (60ml) of coffee liqueur into a 3 fluid ounce (90ml) shot glass. Take a long bar spoon and let the edge of the spoon touch just above the coffee liqueur. Slowly pour 1 fluid ounce (30ml) of Irish cream liqueur over the back of the spoon to create a layer. The use of small glasses shaped like pint glasses or miniature beer mugs will enhance the appearance of the shots.