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Home » Drinks

Rainbow Shots

Published: Oct 3, 2022 by Ali

Jump to Recipe

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

These bright colored rainbow shots are easy to make with only 3 ingredients: grenadine, orange juice and blue curaçao. These are great shots to make for a party or a large group of guests.

Rainbow shots with red, yellow and blue layers, garnished with a maraschino cherry.

For other shot recipes, try these rumchata pudding shots, this blue kamikaze shot or these watermelon shooters.

For cocktails that also have a layered look, try this vodka sunrise or this amaretto sunrise.

Jump to:
  • Recipe Highlights
  • Ingredients
  • Equipment
  • Instructions
  • Expert Tips
  • FAQ
  • 📖 Recipe
A rainbow shot with colored layers, garnished with a maraschino cherry.

Recipe Highlights

  • The rainbow, layered look of these shots make them great for serving to guests.
  • These fruity shots actually taste great since the layers are formed in each shot glass.
  • Although they look fancy, its easy to make a large batch of these rainbow shooters in under 10 minutes.

Ingredients

The ingredients needed to make the rainbow shots.
  • Grenadine: Grenadine forms the bottom, red layer of the rainbow shot. It also adds sweetness to the shot. You can substitute this with a flavored, red-colored simple syrup, such as this strawberry syrup or this raspberry syrup.
  • Orange Juice: Orange juice forms the middle yellow-orange layer of the shot. Store-bought orange juice actually works better than freshly squeezed juice in this case since it is thicker and more opaque.
  • Blue Curaçao: Blue curaçao is an orange liqueur with a bright blue color. Use whatever brand you are able to find.

Equipment

  • A cocktail spoon to assemble the shots.
  • Shot glasses to serve the rainbow shots in.

Instructions

Step 1: Add the grenadine to the bottom of the shot glass.

Step 2: Gently pour the orange juice down the back of a spoon, on top of the grenadine layer.

A collage of process photos illustrating steps 1 and 2.

Step 3: Mix the blue curaçao and water together. Then, pour the mixture down the back of a spoon on top of the orange juice layer.

A process photo illustrating step 3.

Expert Tips

  • Make them in advance. Make these shots up to a couple hours in advance and store them in the fridge until you are ready to serve them. More time than this and the layers may not look quite as crisp as they begin to bleed.
  • Practice. You may mess up the first shot you try making. If needed, practice a couple times before serving guests.
  • Stir before drinking. Although this shot looks great in layers, it will taste better if it is mixed before drinking.
  • Adjust the sweetness. If you want a less sweet shot, make the grenadine layer smaller. You can decrease it by half and still have the red rainbow layer.
  • Experiment with flavors. Substitute the orange juice for another fruit juice such as mango nectar or peach juice.

FAQ

Are these shots like the party trick rainbow shots?

No. Classic rainbow shots are poured out into a row of 7 or 8 shot glasses, each with a different color of the rainbow. These shots have a rainbow layer within each one.

Why do I have to mix the blue curaçao with water?

On its own, the blue curacao is too dense. When mixed with water, it will become light enough to sit on top of the orange juice.

Can I rearrange the colors of the rainbow?

No. These layer sit on top of each other based on the density of the liquid. It is not possible to re-adjust the order of the layers.

A rainbow shot on a white marble serving board.
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📖 Recipe

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Rainbow shots with red, yellow and blue layers, garnished with a maraschino cherry.

Rainbow Shots


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Ali
  • Total Time: 3 minutes
  • Yield: 1 shot 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

These bright colored rainbow shots are easy shots to make and are perfect for a party or a large group of guests.


Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ oz grenadine
  • ½ oz orange juice
  • 1 tsp blue curaçao + 2 tsp water

Instructions

  1. Add the grenadine to the bottom of a shot glass.
  2. Gently pour the orange juice down the back of a spoon, on top of the grenadine layer.
  3. Mix the blue curaçao and water together. Then pour the mixture gently down the back of a spoon, on the top layer of the orange juice.

Notes

  • Practice. You may mess up the first shot you try making. If needed, practice a couple times before serving guests.
  • Experiment with flavors. Substitute the orange juice for another fruit juice such as mango nectar or peach juice.
  • Prep Time: 3 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Category: Shot Recipes
  • Method: Poured
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 shot
  • Calories: 75
  • Sugar: 11.6g
  • Sodium: 6mg
  • Fat: 0g
  • Saturated Fat: 0g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 16g
  • Fiber: 0g
  • Protein: 0.1g
  • Cholesterol: 2mg

Leave a comment if you tried this recipe!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. MJ

    May 26, 2023 at 10:09 am

    I was nervous about making this (was sure I would mess it up!), but they turned out gorgeous!! Such a fun treat to make for when we have game night with friends!

    Reply
  2. Casey

    May 26, 2023 at 10:00 am

    I can't believe how easy these were to make. The fruity flavors really do go well together.

    Reply

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Ali in a white tank top wearing sunglasses, with trees with yellow leaves in the background.

Hi, I'm Ali! Full-time nurse, lifetime foodie. Join me as I create, eat and drink the most delicious brunch, cocktail & dessert recipes! More about me —>

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