Restaurants and bars are ready to offer their customers a wide selection of alcoholic beverages. You can choose your favorite pure drink or order a cocktail from your favorite ingredients. Shots have become quite popular drinks: this is a small alcoholic cocktail, which is recommended to drink in one sip. A striking representative of such drinks is the "B-52".
Historical reference
At the moment there is no single version of the origin of this drink. Some argue that this is the invention of the pilot in 1944. Others argue that in 1945, one bartender came up with this cocktail at Keg's steakhouse.
The name of the cocktail is associated with the musical rock band The B-52s, as well as with fashionable hairstyles for women in the 60s. Unfortunately, all of these options for the appearance of the "B-52" are not confirmed or are the legends of local residents.
The official version is the following events. In 1955, a new strategic bomber, the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, entered the United States Air Force. At the same time, in one of the bars in Malibu appears an alcoholic cocktail with a sweetish coffee flavor, consisting of three layers. To attract attention to the new drink, the administration decided to name it in honor of the newcomer to US aviation - "B-52".
The composition of the cocktail B-52
At the moment, there is a wide variety of components in B-52, as each bar or restaurant seeks to bring something new and make its recipe unique. The International Association of Bartenders is trying to maintain the classic composition of this favorite drink, represents the best bartenders in the world to the public and popularizes bar culture. According to the accepted standards, "B-52" consists of:
- Kahlua coffee liqueur ;
- Baley's Creamy Liquor;
- Grand Marnier Orange Liqueur.
Each component is added in the indicated order of 20 ml each.
There are several variations of the cocktail in question. Varied variations depend solely on the brand of liquors and on whether they are ignited. Due to the fact that the bars like to experiment with the recipe for this drink, a whole collection of similar cocktails was invented called the “B-50 Series”:
- "B-57" - a layer of creamy liquor is replaced by mint schnapps;
- "B-55" - absent Xenta Absent is poured instead of orange liquor;
- "B-54" - orange liquor is replaced by almond "Amaretto";
- “B-53” is obtained when “Sambuca” with aniseed liquor (also known as “Oscar Wilde”) comes to replace the creamy liquor;
- “B-52” - two layers are added, which consist of Rum Bacardi and Frangelico (also such a cocktail can be found under the name “B-52” with a full load);
- "B-51" - there is a replacement of orange liquor with nut Frangelico.
Again, there is a lighter version of the B-52 cocktail, the so-called "female version". Its lightness lies in the fact that coffee liquor is replaced with chocolate, which adds even more sweetness to an alcoholic drink.
The recipe for cocktail "B-52"
All of the listed components are neatly poured in order according to the build method, that is, so that the layers do not mix. The drink is served in a pile called shot glass, the kit comes with a straw. According to all the rules for serving this cocktail, the upper layer is ignited, and at the time of burning, the drink is quickly drunk. There is another way of feeding - with ice, when the layers are mixed during feeding when crushed ice is added.
B-52 at home
There is no difficulty in making the B-52 cocktail at home. The recipe is practically no different from that served in restaurants or bars.
To begin with, we will make a list of the ingredients that you will need, in a proportion of 20 ml each:
- Captain Black or Kahlúa coffee liqueur;
- creamy Bailey liquor or any other analogue thereof;
- Cointreau Orange Liqueur.
If you are preparing an alcoholic cocktail at home, you need to carefully monitor to get uniform layers. Most often, people are faced with the fact that when a new layer is added, the old one breaks and the drink mixes. To avoid the described error, you must follow the following instructions for preparing "B-52":
- The bottom layer is coffee. Pour it into the stack first.
- Then you need either a knife or a spoon. Using the back of a spoon or knife blade, pour cream liqueur over the coffee layer.
- The last ingredient - orange liquor - is added to the stack gently, along the blade of the knife or the edge of the spoon. Keep your layers even.
Terms of Use "B-52"
In addition to the difficulties of preparing the original alcoholic drink, there is one more point - special rules for drinking.
As mentioned earlier, "B-52" refers to puff shots, so it is served in a special high pile. Two types of serving are offered - ignited and normal. Remember that in any case, the drink must be drunk in one gulp. If you were given a “fiery” cocktail, remember that you need to drink it very quickly through a straw, otherwise the alcohol will evaporate and the layers will warm up, melt and mix. To prevent the cocktail from losing its presentation when set on fire, bartenders pour rum onto a layer of orange liquor.