Bring the party to your Fourth of July celebration with these red white and blue shots! These fun patriotic party shooters feature layers of red, white, and blue liqueurs, making them perfect for serving up for the 4th, Memorial Day, or Labor Day!
What Are Red White and Blue Shots?
Red, white, and blue shots are festive layered shooters that are served for patriotic celebrations like the Fourth of July or Memorial Day.
They’re made by carefully layering red, white, and blue-colored liqueurs to create a vibrant, tri-color effect which mimics the colors of the American flag in a shot glass.
Don’t let the layering technique intimidate you though – it only took me a few tries to get the hang of it and now they’re so easy (and fun) to make!
I also love how customizable this recipe is, so you can swap in different liqueurs depending on personal preference or what your local liquor store has available. They’re fun, beautiful to look at, and crowd-pleasing for your summer parties!
Katie’s tip
If you don’t like party shots, get a similar layered effect in my frozen Red White and Blue Margarita recipe or enjoy a fruity glass of Red White and Blue Sangria!
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Ingredients List
- ½ ounce grenadine
- ½ ounce blue curacao
- ½ ounce white chocolate liqueur (like Trader Vic’s, Godiva, or Mozart)
*Increase to ⅔ ounce for a 2-ounce shooter vs the single shot glass (or you can just estimate/eyeball it)
Ingredient Tips and Substitutions
- For the red layer, you can also use strawberry schnapps, or another red-color liqueur
- The only alternative to blue curacao liqueur for the blue layer is really a clear liqueur of choice with blue food coloring (1-2 drops) added – no other liqueur is the same vibrant blue color
- The white chocolate liqueur can be swapped for white creme de cacao, RumChata, or a clear liqueur instead – peach schnapps (like Dekuyper Peachtree) is my other go to choice here (but I recommend chilling it to make the layering cleaner)!
Specific Gravity
When it comes to layered shots, specific gravity plays the largest role. The densest (usually sweetest) will sink to the bottom. If you want the drink to properly layer, then each subsequent layer needs to have a lighter specific gravity.
Should two layers have nearly the same gravity, they will mix instead of layering, so you don’t get the clean lines. Try different combinations if you want to experiment with other liqueurs to see what works!
Make sure to pour slowly over your spoon for the best layering results!
Step By Step Instructions
- Pour grenadine into the bottom of a shot glass (it should be about ⅓ full)
- Add the middle layer. First, measure out the white chocolate liqueur. Place a cocktail spoon or a cutlery teaspoon over the shot glass, and slowly pour liqueur over the back of the spoon to layer it on top of the grenadine
- Now, measure out the blue curacao, and again use the spoon to layer it on top of the white chocolate layer
- Repeat for as many shots as you’d like to make, and enjoy!
Pairing Suggestions
Savory Options
- Mini Sliders or Hot Dogs: Bite-sized, party-friendly, and very American. Air Fryer Frozen Pigs in a Blanket are a tasty, time-saving option here!
- Buffalo Chicken Dip or Deviled Eggs: Crowd favorites that are rich but not too heavy. I’ve got Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Dip, Microwave Buffalo Chicken Dip, and Air Fryer Deviled Eggs recipes to cover all your needs!
- Chips & Patriotic Salsa: Serve blue corn tortilla chips with salsa and sour cream arranged in red, white, and blue layers!
- BBQ Skewers or Meatballs: Something flavorful and easy to grab on a cocktail toothpick
Sweet Treats
- Red, White, and Blue Fruit Kabobs: Strawberries, blueberries, and marshmallows or bananas on skewers
- Red White and Blue Strawberries: These patriotic strawberries are easy to make and perfect for all your summer parties
- Patriotic Pretzels: Yogurt or white chocolate-dipped pretzels with red and blue sprinkles
- Mini Cheesecakes or Sugar Cookies: Decorated with patriotic-colored icing or fruit. Try my Air Fryer Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza for the perfect complement!
- Fourth of July Bark: A sweet chocolate bark with red, white, and blue candy or sprinkles—fun and easy to make ahead!
Other Drink Pairings
- Sparkling Lemonade or Berry Punch: A great non-alcoholic complement for guests who want something refreshing
- Blueberry Mojitos or Strawberry Margaritas: For guests who want to stay in the color theme with a larger cocktail!
Recipe FAQs
What Does Blue Curaçao Taste Like?
Blue curaçao has a sweet, slightly bitter orange flavor, similar to triple sec but with a vibrant blue hue. It’s made from the dried peel of the Laraha citrus fruit, giving it a bright, citrusy profile that pairs well with tropical and citrus-based cocktails.
How to Properly Layer Drinks?
To properly layer drinks, start by understanding the density of each liquid—heavier ingredients like grenadine go on the bottom, while lighter ones like blue curaçao float on top.
Pour each layer slowly over the back of a spoon, held just above the previous layer, to keep them from mixing and create clean, distinct layers.
Tips For the Best Red White and Blue Shots
- Chilled glasses and liqueurs making layering easier! If you have time to chill them in advance, I highly recommend it
- Make sure not to rush. That’s the most important tip when it comes to layering shots – just pour slow and steady and they’ll turn out great!
Serving Tips
- Garnishes aren’t really needed for a shot, but you could top with whipped cream and add some festive red white and blue sprinkles or pop rocks for a “fireworks” theme!
- You can prepare the shots in advance and store them on a tray in your fridge until ready to serve (I try to do no more than 24 hours). Don’t do this if you use RumChata for the white layer, as I find it tends to thicken and change the texture in a weird way
- Watermelon Jello Shots
Final Thoughts
This red white and blue layered shot features the perfect color layers for your patriotic party! Serve them up for Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, and more (though of course only to people of legal drinking age)!
With just 3 simple ingredients, you can easily make these colorful shooters by the tray, perfect for guests at your backyard barbecue, pool party, or other summer get togethers.
These red white and blue shooters are the perfect patriotic cocktail option to celebrate Independence Day and more, with all the colors of the American flag! If you like, you can also make Red White & Blue Jello Shots for a jiggly, chewable version!
Red White and Blue Shots (Layered Shooter Cocktail)
Equipment
- Shot glass (normal or tall shooter variety)
- Spoon (standard cutlery; for layering)
Ingredients
- ½ ounce grenadine (or ⅔ oz for a 2-ounce shooter style glass)
- ½ ounce blue curacao (or ⅔ oz for a 2-ounce shooter style glass)
- ½ ounce white chocolate liqueur (or ⅔ oz for a 2-ounce shooter style glass)
Instructions
- Pour grenadine into the bottom of a shot glass (it should be ⅓ full)½ ounce grenadine
- Measure out the white chocolate liqueur. Place a cocktail spoon or a cutlery teaspoon over the shot glass, and slowly pour the liqueur over the back of the spoon to layer it on top of the grenadine½ ounce white chocolate liqueur
- Now, measure out the blue curacao, and again use the spoon to gently layer it on top of the white chocolate layer½ ounce blue curacao
- Repeat for as many shots as you’d like to make, and enjoy!
Notes
- For the red layer, you can also use strawberry schnapps, or another similar red-colored liqueur
- The only alternative to blue curacao liqueur for the blue layer is really a clear liqueur of choice with blue food coloring (1-2 drops) added – no other liqueur is the same vibrant blue color
- The white chocolate liqueur can be swapped for white creme de cacao, RumChata, or a clear liqueur instead – peach schnapps is my other top choice here (but I recommend chilling it to make the layering cleaner)!
- Feel free to try other liqueurs, but remember their specific gravity will determine the order they settle in the glass (the densest sinks to the bottom)
- Slow and steady wins the race here – pour slowly for the best layering results!
- Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand and flavor of ingredients, size of glasses, any garnishes added, and actual quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only
Nutrition
