This green tea shot is the perfect balance of lemon and lime, mixed with Irish whiskey. Combined, you get a refreshing shot with a hint of fizz that has a sweet and sour flavor-making a perfect, balanced, summer drink.
Sharing a cocktail recipe is not too common for me. Sharing a shot, even less so. For a variety of reasons, I barely drink any more these days, but this green tea shot needed to be shared.
The first time I heard of it I almost didn’t even take a sip. Green tea and I are just not a match. But then I learned there’s actually no green tea whatsoever in this drink and I was intrigued.
What is a Green Tea Shot?
Believe it or not, the drink doesn’t actually have any green tea in it — a fact that anyone, like myself, who can’t get past the earthy dirt taste of green tea will appreciate. It’s called a green tea shot because once it’s all mixed together, it has a greenish color and looks like a cool glass of iced green tea. The darkness and shade of the green color will depend on the type of sour mix you use, and if you want to add the extra color from the blue curacao.
This delicious shot has a refreshing lemon-lime citrus flavor. It has a little bit of sweetness from the peach schnapps and whiskey, a little bit of sour from the mix and a nice bubbly finish. The flavors work so perfectly together!
It’s said the shot was created by college students in the early 2000s (hi, that’s my generation) and I’m keen to believe it based on the use of peach schnapps. While it wasn’t a liquor I can say I enjoyed too much in my college days, these genius students were clearly smarter than me and my friends because this combination is delicious!
Why You Should Make This
You will love this sweet-sour whiskey drink because it’s not only delicious, but you can make it with just a few simple ingredients. Fun shots like this one are perfect for a hot summer day.
It’s also conducive to making a larger batch of the green tea shot mixture and turning this into a refreshing cocktail recipe, served over a glass of ice.
Equipment and Tools Needed
A cocktail shaker, a small strainer (if your cocktail shaker lid doesn’t include a strainer), and shot glasses are all you need to make this delicious drink!
If you don’t have a shaker, you can use a mason jar, or small jar that has a sealable lid so that you can shake the ingredients together.
Ingredients
- 1 part Jameson Irish whiskey- or your whiskey of choice
- 1 part peach schnapps
- 1 part sweet and sour cocktail mix
- A splash of Sprite or lemon-lime soda. Or, lemonade and a splash of lime or lemon juice
- Optional: a few drops of blue curacao (for color)
If you’re making just one shot, use .5 ounces of whiskey, peach schnapps and sweet and sour mix. You can adjust the amounts from this starting point to accommodate however many shots you’re making.
How to Make the Jameson Green Tea Shot
STEP 1
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes — just a couple of ice cubes are enough.
STEP 2
Measure out and add the Jameson whiskey or Bourbon, peach schnapps, and sour mix to the shaker. Shake for about 15 seconds, until the contents are combined and chilled from the ice.
STEP 3
Strain the shot mixture into shot glass, without ice. Top off the drink with a splash of lemon-lime soda.
STEP 4
Serve with a lime wedge and enjoy responsibly!
OPTIONAL
Add a few drops of blue curacao to enhance the color of your drinks. This will give your shot a brilliant color depending on how many drops you want to add.
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tip
Turn the shot into a green tea cocktail by doubling the amount used for a shot and serving it in a chilled martini glass. Like our grapefruit martini recipe, a sugared rim would complement this drink nicely.
Types of Whiskey
Irish – This whiskey is made in Ireland and usually has a smoother flavor than Scotch whiskey, which is why we prefer the flavor when making shots or cocktails.
Scotch – this whiskey is usually made in Scotland and aged in barrels for at least a few years. You can find a single malt scotch or blended scotch. Either can work for this recipe.
Bourbon – This is an American whiskey. It’s got a little bit of a sweeter flavor, but would still be delicious in the shot.
Variations
Remember to adjust the ingredients according to your taste preferences, and feel free to experiment with different ratios to find your perfect green tea shot recipe.
If you don’t like whiskey, substitute vodka. This will make it a white tea shot.
Substitute lemonade and a splash of lime juice for the lemon lime soda if you don’t want a fizzy drink. You can also use unsweetened lemonade for a less sweet shot or an unsweetened lemon club soda.
If you want to keep calories down, you can use diet lemon lime soda.
For extra sweetness and extra peachy flavor, add a little extra peach schnapps to your drink.
Tips and Tricks
- Freeze your shot glasses ahead of time before serving the drinks.
- You can make your own sour mix at home if you don’t have this on hand by combining 1 part lemon juice, 1 part lime juice and 2 parts simple syrup.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you want a more mellow drink, or to just make a non-alcoholic green tea shot, substitute a non-alcoholic whiskey or bourbon or a strong brewed barley tea for the whiskey. This will still give the same flavor of the original drink, without the alcohol content.
Yes you can! Just wait until you serve the drinks to add the soda because otherwise it will go flat by the time you serve it, and the fizz is one of the best parts of this drink.
You can use dried fruit, candied citrus or a fun cocktail pick with a cherry. It’s really up to you!
Yes. Although Jameson whiskey is a blended whiskey made from grains, according to the FDA, all distilled alcohol is gluten-free.
Other refreshing cocktails to try
This green tea shot is a great summer drink. For more seasonal cocktail ideas, try this strawberry salty dog or our refreshing and cooling serrano pepper cucumber margarita.
Green Tea Shot
Ingredients
- 1 part Jameson Irish whiskey, or whiskey of your choice
- 1 part peach Schnapps
- 1 part sweet and sour cocktail mix
- 1 splash Sprite, or other lemon-lime soda
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Just a couple of ice cubes are enough.
- Measure out and add the Jameson whiskey or Bourbon, peach schnapps and sour mix to the shaker. Shake for about 15 seconds, until the contents are combined and chilled from the ice.
- Strain the shot mixture into shot glass, without ice. Top off the drink with a splash of lemon-lime soda.
- Serve with a lime wedge and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
Absolutely loved this drink! Tried it last night and it was a hit with my friends. The flavors were spot on, and it had just the right amount of kick and it’s surprisingly refreshing. Definitely making this again for future gatherings! Thanks for sharing, this one’s going into my favorites list!