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The Superman Shot
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Or could it be the newest superhero craze to sweep the planet? With its instantly recognisable blue and red colouring, The Superman is perhaps the best-known product of the recent trend for layered shots in superhero colours, which also includes The Batman, The Captain America, and The Deadpool. Both Marvel and DC Comics are enjoying a moment right now, and the idea that superheroes are ‘just for kids’ has been left firmly in the past. So if you find yourself throwing a superhero-themed party, or just having a few friends round to nerd out over the latest movie, these punchy liquorice and fruit flavoured cocktail shots are the perfect way to get the party started.
Superman himself is one of the most enduring superhero characters. Created in 1938 by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, the now familiar story of a mild-mannered everyman with a secret, crime-fighting alter ego has been capturing the public imagination ever since. Sent to earth as a baby from his doomed home-planet of Krypton, Superman has superhuman strength, x-ray vision that he can adapt to melt steel, is invulnerable to bullets, and perhaps most famously, he can fly.
His story begins when his spaceship lands in the rural farming community of Smallville, Kansas and is discovered by Jonathan and Martha Kent, who adopt Superman and raise him as a human boy, teaching him to conceal his true identity and use his powers for good. Given the name Clark by his adoptive parents, Superman grows up and moves to the city of Metropolis, getting a job at The Daily Planet, where he meets and falls for fellow reporter Lois Lane. As Clark Kent, he pretends to be mild-mannered and timid, disappearing to don his famous blue and red costume and ‘transform’ into Superman just in time to save the day.
In some versions of the story, Superman’s costume is made from special materials from the planet Krypton, while in others it is stitched from ordinary cloth by Martha Kent. Like it’s wearer, it is invulnerable to damage, so you’ll never see Superman with a hole in his cape.
The Superman shot is inspired by the iconic blue and red of the Superman costume, but it won’t make you invulnerable, so please drink responsibly.
Directions: A Step by Step List
The Superman shot contains just three ingredients. To make it, you will need:
Blue Curacao
Blue Raspberry Vodka
Red Absinthe
- Chill your shot glasses for at least an hour before using. This helps keep the layers separate, and keeps your drink nicely chilled too.
- Pour raspberry vodka into the bottom on each glass until they are a third full. Leave for a few seconds to settle.
- Next, add a layer of curaçao, pouring slowly over the back of a bar spoon until the glasses are two-thirds full. Again, leave a few seconds for the drink to settle.
- Now for the red layer. Rinse and dry your bar spoon, then slowly pour the red absinthe over the back of the spoon until your shot glasses are full.
- Serve and enjoy!
Superman Shot: Best Glassware
Just like the Man of Steel himself, The Superman packs a pretty powerful punch, so it’s best limited to a small-but-mighty shot. Shot glasses come in various shapes and sizes, often with ornate decoration or branding, but we recommend a plain glass, so you can fully appreciate the layered effect of the drink. Although if you happen to have glasses with the Superman ‘S’ on the front, that could look pretty cool too.
The volume of a shot glass can also vary slightly, so make sure you pick one with enough room for three layers of liquid, otherwise you could find it tricky to pour everything in the correct proportions. Avoid ‘cheater’ shot glasses with thick bases, as these can look like they hold more drink than they actually do.
If superheroes aren’t your thing, but you’re still in the mood to party, you're bound to find a drink that’s more to your taste on our ultimate list of shots. There’s something for everyone, from the sharp and fruity Alabama Slammer, to the decadent, creamy B-52 or the herbal warmth of the Oil Slick.
Or, for extra wow-factor, why not try making your own edible shot glasses? They’re surprisingly easy to make, and the effects can be really spectacular. Our favourites are the fruity, stained-glass effect glasses made from melted Jolly Rancher candy.
Then again, perhaps in the future we won’t need to drink our shots from glasses at all. In 2013, scientists at King’s College in London created the Whisky Tornado, using a humidifier and negative air pressure to produce a spinning column of whisky vapour. Created as part of the King’s Festival of Food, the Whisky Tornado was open to the public, who were invited to inhale a shot of whisky through a straw.
