A starburst shot combines several different flavors into one delicious cocktail.
How Do You Make A Starburst Shot?
The first step to making a starburst shot is to infuse your spirit of choice with orange peel.
This can be done by rubbing the peels between your hands or over a bowl, and then adding them to the liquid that you will later mix together.
Next, add all other ingredients except bitters, simple syrup, and ice cubes.
Mix everything well until it’s completely blended.
Now, strain the mixture through cheesecloth and discard the solids.
Add the strained liquid to an old fashioned glass (or any type of container) along with 1/3 cup of fresh ice cubes.
Lastly, stir the drink using a bar spoon.
After about 15 seconds, remove the spoon from the glass and place it on top of the drink so that its handle rests inside the beverage.
Now, slowly pour the remaining 2/3 cup of simple syrup over the back of the spoon while holding it still against the bottom of the glass.
As soon as the last drop falls, quickly bring the spoon down onto the surface of the drink, releasing the entire contents into the glass.
Then, give the shot a quick stir and serve immediately.
If you want more information on how to make cocktails at home, check out our article here.
What Are The Ingredients In A Starburst Shot?
You can use any type of liquor, but most people prefer to use vodka or rum.
The alcohol helps create a thicker consistency that allows for the other ingredients to be mixed well together.
- 1 ounce of your favorite spirit (rum, vodka, gin)
- 0.5 ounces of dark chocolate syrup
- 3 ounces of orange juice
- 3 ounces of pineapple juice
- 4-6 drops of food coloring (optional)
The amount of color you add will depend on how much flavor you want from each ingredient.
How Do You Make A Starburst Shot Taste Good?
To create an intense flavor, use fresh fruits that have been cut up or blended together with sugar.
You can also add citrus juice and zest to give your shots more of a tangy kick.
Try this simple but tasty recipe for a starburst shot.
Start by adding vodka to a shaker filled with ice cubes.
Next, add some orange liqueur (such as Cointreau) and then fruit juices.
Finally, top off with sparkling water, stir, and serve immediately.
A starburst shot will be ready when all the liquid has settled on the bottom of the glass.
If you want to try something new, check out these other great recipes for cocktails!
What Is The Best Way To Drink A Starburst Shot?
This is the best time of year to enjoy a starburst, since it’s typically cold outside.
Starbursts are often served in martini glasses so that they can be easily mixed with other cocktails or alcohol-free beverages.
You can also use plastic cups if you want to serve them as punch shots.
If you want to keep these drinks chilled, simply add ice cubes before serving.
Starburst shots are typically made by combining vodka, liqueur, bitters, sugar syrup and fruit juice.
The amount of each ingredient will depend on your personal preference but this basic formula should give you an idea about how much to start with.
You may prefer to experiment with various fruits like orange, pineapple, berries, etc.
Some people choose to mix multiple ingredients together to create their own unique version, while others just prefer to stick with a few popular flavors.
Whatever you decide, there are plenty of options available when it comes to creating a great tasting starburst shot.
For example, you could try to recreate the classic “black cherry” flavor by mixing vodka with black cherry schnapps, grenadine and simple syrup.
Or perhaps you would prefer to go all out and make something more exotic like a mango lime starburst shot using coconut rum instead of vodka.
How Do You Make A Starburst Shot Look Pretty?
When it comes to looking good, there are many factors that go into making an attractive beverage: color, shape, texture, scent — even how well the ingredients blend together.
But when it comes to drinks, we tend to focus on two things — taste and appearance.
So what’s the secret to creating a visually appealing cocktail?
To answer this question, let me show you how I created my own version of a starburst shot using some simple ingredients like vodka and cranberry juice.
Keep in mind, though, that the following recipe will not be as effective if you use other types of liquor or mixers like orange liqueur or pineapple juice.
Here’s the first step: pour your chosen liquid (in this case, vodka) into your mixing glass, then add ice cubes until the mixture reaches about 1/3 full.
Next, slowly pour in your desired flavorings such as citrus fruit juices (orange and lime).
Be sure to stir gently with a bar spoon while pouring so that all of the contents get blended evenly but without breaking up any large chunks of frozen juice crystals.
Now just wait for the alcohol to warm up slightly, which should only take a few minutes, before serving.
Now, here are some tips to keep in mind when making your own starburst shots:
- Always choose high-quality ingredients that have been freshly prepared and stored properly.
- Start by preparing a basic base formula of 1 part spirit + 3 parts water + 4 parts sugar. If needed, adjust the proportions according to your personal preference.
- Add extra flavorings such as citrus fruits. You can also experiment with other spirits, including gin, rum, tequila, or whiskey.
- For cocktails, always chill everything thoroughly prior to shaking. A quick dip into cold water makes stirring easier too, especially if you’re working with hot liquids.
- If possible, shake everything vigorously for at least 20 seconds to ensure proper blending.
What Is The Best Way To Serve A Starburst Shot?
Starburst shots are usually served in shot glasses, but they can be made in any type of glassware as long as it’s large enough to hold all four ingredients.
You should also use high-quality liquor or liqueur (such as vodka) because cheap brands will not give your drink its signature flavor.
The most important part of your starburst shot recipe is the ratio between each ingredient.
The ratios given below are the most popular ones, but feel free to experiment with other combinations until you find the combination that works best for you.
- 1 ounce of your favorite liquor (or 1/4 cup of liquid)
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons of lime juice
- Lime wedges for garnish
To make a starburst shot, combine everything together in a shaker filled halfway with ice cubes.
Shake vigorously for 20 seconds.
Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into shot glasses or small cups.
Garnish with lime slices if desired before serving.
How Do You Make A Starburst Shot Without Alcohol?
You can use any flavor combination that appeals to your taste, but when it comes to alcoholic drinks, I recommend using something like vodka or rum as an ingredient in your drink.
There are many reasons why this works so well.
First off, with these ingredients, you’ll have more options on what type of flavor profile you want to create.
You could even try making a non-alcoholic version of a classic cocktail if you wanted to be extra fancy (and maybe get some people to take notice).
If you don’t feel like adding alcohol at all, just skip down to the section below where we talk about how to make a starburst shot without alcohol.
If you want to put together a starburst shot from scratch, here’s a general guide of how to build one up.
The first step will be choosing the base liquid.
Next, add fresh fruit and then finish by topping everything off with ice cubes.
Here’s how to do each part of the process individually.
- Choose the Base Liquids
- Add Fresh Fruits
- Finish Off With Ice Cubes
Choosing Your Base Liquid
When choosing which liquor to pour over the top of the other ingredients, you need to think carefully about what kind of effect you want to achieve.
For example, if you want to create a sweet, fruity flavor profile, you would choose a spirit similar to orange juice.
While most liquors work great for this, there are also liqueurs that would match really well too.
For instance, amaretto is a good choice since it has a strong almond flavor and would complement the fresh fruit nicely.
The next thing you want to consider is whether or not you want to add sugar to your base liquor.
Sugar helps balance out the acidity of citrus fruits, and while it may seem counterintuitive, it’s actually beneficial to include it in your final product because it creates a sweeter overall flavor profile.
For instance, if you were trying to make a strawberry lemonade, you would probably want to avoid including any added sugars because they tend to mask the natural sweetness of strawberries.
Adding Fruit To Your Starburst Shot
Once again, you want to pick the right type of fruit depending on what sort of flavor profile you’re going for.
For instance, if you’re looking to make a tropical beverage, pineapple pieces would go perfectly with the lime.
Next, start layering the fruit onto the inside of the glass before filling the rest of the bottle with your base liquor.
When you layer the fruit, try to alternate between types so that none of them end up sitting in plain view against the clear bottom of the glass.
Also, remember that your goal is to build layers of fruit within the glass to mimic the look of a real starburst.
For instance, instead of placing slices of pineapple directly on top of each other, place the whole pieces on their side.
Doing this will help give the appearance of stars shining through the fruit.
Lastly, fill the rest of the glass with ice cubes.
Remember, the idea behind creating a starburst is to imitate the shape of a star, so you want to keep the amount of ice cubes around 3/4 full.
Finishing Off With Ice Cubes
After putting in all of the necessary flavors, the last thing you want to do is top it off with ice cubes.
However, unlike the previous steps, you should only use small portions of ice cubes.
By doing this, you’ll still be able to see the starburst pattern throughout the entire drink.
As long as you aren’t pouring all of the ice cubes into the center of the drink, you should be fine.
Is There A Nonalcoholic Version Of A Starburst Shot?
Many bars and restaurants serve alcoholic versions of this drink, but they’re not always easy to come by.
There are also some non-alcoholic versions available online or in stores that offer similar taste sensations as an alcoholic beverage would provide.
However, these drinks aren’t nearly as popular as their alcohol-based counterparts.
If you want to try a non-alcoholic alternative to your favorite alcoholic drink, we have a few options for you below.
- Mojito – A mojito has rum, lime juice, sugar, mint leaves, and ice blended together. You can substitute any other spirit like pineapple rum or vodka, and add additional ingredients such as fresh fruit, herbs, or citrus peel to create a unique flavor combination.
- Cranberry Collins – Cranberries often go well with sweet cocktails — so why not combine them with cranberry juice instead? Combine cranberry juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, and gin (or another liquor) in a shaker filled with crushed ice. Shake it up until the mixture becomes frothy and pour over ice cubes in a tall glass.
- Tequila Sunrise – Tequila is great on its own, but if you want something more substantial, try mixing tequila with orange juice, grenadine, and a splash of soda water. Garnish with slices of orange and maraschino cherry.
Non-Alcoholic Cocktails With Alcohol Substitutes
- Bloody Mary – Replace the tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper mix in this classic drink with non-alcoholic Bloody Mary mix.
- Margarita – This Mexican staple gets a little sweeter when made with agave nectar instead of traditional white table wine. Add 2 ounces of tequila, 3/4 ounce of triple sec, 1 ounce of lime juice, 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice, and a pinch of cayenne pepper to a shaker full of ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled glass.
- Cosmo – This classic cocktail is usually served at brunch, but it’s super tasty all year round! Cosmopolitan mixers include vodka, ginger beer, peach schnapps, and cranberry juice. For an added kick, shake the mix with a couple of drops of blue curacao extract.
What Are The Health Benefits Of A Starburst Shot?
Starbursts come in two types — alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
The alcohol content can vary from brand to brand, but most have at least 1% ABV (Alcohol by Volume).
If you’re looking for an alternative, try a ginger beer or soda water with some fresh fruit like blueberries or strawberries (or mangoes!).
Or just enjoy it as a mocktail if that’s your thing.
Here are some of the health benefits of this tasty drink:
- Reduces stress: Starbursts contain antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and protect cells against damage. Antioxidants also help improve blood flow throughout the body which helps lower cholesterol levels.
- Boosts energy: Since these shots don’t contain caffeine they won’t give you jitters the way coffee will. They do contain B vitamins that boost metabolism and support healthy nerve function.
- Helps maintain cardiovascular health: Starburst shots may help prevent heart disease since they contain potassium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin C, folate, selenium, and fiber.
- Promotes weight loss: Drinking them regularly could be part of a strategy for losing weight. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who drank four starburst drinks per day lost more weight than those who didn’t drink them.
- Improves digestion: These shots contain digestive enzymes that break down complex carbohydrates and proteins so they digest easier.
- Protects teeth: Because of their high sugar content, starbursts make great snacks for kids. But did you know that drinking starbursts can actually strengthen tooth enamel? That’s because the sugars in this cocktail stimulate saliva production, which keeps bacteria away from our mouths.
Ingredients for the starburst shot
- 1/4 cup light rum vodka
- 3 tablespoons grenadine syrup
- 6 tablespoons cranberry juice mixed with 3/4 teaspoon orange extract
- Ice cubes
How to make a starburst shot
To make a starburst, combine all ingredients except the ice in a shaker filled with crushed ice.
Shake vigorously until well blended.
Strain into a chilled glass and serve immediately.
Are There Any Side Effects Of A
Starbursts can be made with alcohol, but if you’re not 21 years old then it’s probably best to leave out the hard stuff.
In fact, this drink is so good that even kids love it.
That means it’s safe as long as it doesn’t contain too much sugar or caffeine.
The sweetness comes from the fruit juices (and maybe some added honey), while the spice in the mix comes from the orange juice.
The ingredients vary depending on where you live, but here’s an idea of what’s included in most recipes:
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice – You don’t need to add anything else because lemons are already sweet enough.
- Orange juice – This adds flavor without adding sugars or calories.
- Cranberry juice – Cranberries have natural antioxidants which help fight off free radicals.
- Ginger ale – Ginger ale has a lot going on in its flavor. It also helps relieve nausea and stomach pain, plus it makes your mouth feel warm, so it helps keep away colds and flu viruses.
- Lemonade – Lemonade isn’t just water mixed with lemon juice. There are other ingredients like sugar and citric acid in lemonade, all of which give it more flavor than plain water would provide.
- Agave nectar – Agave syrup is a type of plant-based sweetener that contains fructose along with minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and iron. It’s sweeter than table sugar and tastes great in cocktails.
- Sugar – Sugar gives everything a little bit of sweetness, so it’s essential when making a starburst. Just make sure you use raw sugar instead of refined white sugar, since the former won’t cause spikes to blood glucose levels in people who aren’t used to consuming large amounts of sugary foods.
- Angostura bitters – Angostura bitters taste similar to cinnamon sticks, cloves, black pepper, nutmeg and cardamom. They were originally created by Dr. Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert, a German pharmacist living in Trinidad, British West Indies, who was looking for something to mask the bitter aftertaste left behind by quinine pills he consumed daily. He combined these spices with his favorite beverage, Jamaica Rum, and came up with a solution that’s still around today.
How to Make a Starburst Shot
To make a starburst shot, pour about 1/4 cup (60ml) of ginger ale into each glass.
Then fill them halfway with freshly squeezed lemon juice, followed by 2 tablespoons of cranberry juice.
Top those drinks off with another 1/4 cup (120ml) of ginger ale, then top them off again with the rest of the cranberry juice.
Finally, stir in 3 teaspoons of agave nectar and 1 teaspoon of angostura bitters.
Garnish with a whole piece of fresh ginger root before serving.
If you want to get really fancy, you could garnish with a slice of lemon peel and serve with a straw.
Equipment
- 1 Glass
Ingredients
- 1 Part Vanilla Vodka
- 1 Part Watermelon
- 1 Part Sweet Sour Mix
- Pink Sugar
- Pink Starburst
Instructions
- Shot glass rims are coated in pink sugar and corn syrup.
- Combine vanilla vodka, watermelon pucker, and sweet and sour mix in a tumbler with ice. Shake firmly.
- Add a pink starburst as a garnish after straining into a shot glass.
- DRINK SENSITIVELY!
Video
Nutrition
My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.