A decade or two ago, upon hearing the name Jolly Rancher, you would have thought of candies. Now, you would probably think of all those colorful and strong drinks, including Jolly Rancher’s shot recipe.
With a simple combination of citrus juice, vodka, and a few others, you don’t need fancy equipment to make Jolly Rancher’s shot recipe. A simple cocktail shaker and a few shot glasses will do. Let’s take a look.
Ingredients
- Vodka — 2 ½ oz.
- Apple schnapps — 2 oz.
- Pineapple juice — 1 oz.
- Lime juice — 1 oz.
- Ice — a pack
Instructions
- Grab your cocktail shaker and mix vodka, apple schnapps, pineapple juice, and lime juice.
- Add a few ice cubes.
- Shake vigorously for half a minute.
- Chill the shot glasses for half an hour or so.
- Pour the drink into the glasses.
- Add ice cubes if needed.
Substitutions
- Lime juice — As the secret ingredient of Jolly Rancher’s shot recipe, lime juice provides some needed acidity with flavor. But it can be easily replaced if you’re short on it. Lemon juice would be the obvious alternative, and it works great, at least that was our experience. You can use any other citrus juice, though keep in mind that the flavor and color will be different.
- Vodka — Jolly Rancher’s shot recipe is traditionally made with vodka. If vodka is not your thing, you can try gin, tequila, or maybe even rum. Just keep in mind that we’d strongly recommend staying away from dark rum and using white rum.
- Apple schnapps — After many trials and errors, we have realized that apple schnapps is replaceable. Apple juice would be the safest alternative. Still, if you’re looking for something stronger, we’d recommend going with apple brandy or apple cider.
Variations
- Garnish it — Some might think that Jolly Rancher’s shot recipe could use a bit more flair. If that’s the case with you, you might want to consider garnishing the glass with some fresh fruit. Sliced strawberries and apple slices are always great.
- Colorful — Jolly Rancher’s shot recipe makes a colorful enough cocktail, but it can always get more colorful. A good way to do that would be to add some Blue Curacao to the mix. Nothing much, simply one oz. would be enough to achieve a pure blue shot.
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker
- Jigger
- Shot glasses
- Knife
Storage
Although Jolly Rancher’s shot recipe is prepared with immediate consumption in mind, if you end up with leftovers:
- Transfer the leftovers to a jar with a strong lid. If that’s not possible, an airtight container will also do.
- Once stored in your fridge, the leftover drink will last for a day.
Pro Tips
- The ingredients — While Jolly Rancher’s shot recipe makes the ingredients fairly clear, you can always adjust the amount depending on your taste. For a stronger shot with a kick, we’d recommend increasing the alcohol content. If, on the other hand, you’d rather have a milder drink, simply go easy with the vodka.
- The ice — Keep in mind that the ice will simply dilute your drink, resulting in a weaker and milder drink. If that’d be a problem for you, feel free to skip the ice. In that case, make sure to chill the shot glasses properly.
