What makes drinking even more entertaining? Fire, of course.
There are two major discoveries in the history of humanity that have endured the test of time for so long it’s no surprise they inevitably would join together as one: alcohol and fire.
Like anything, our ancestors could have never predicted two logical opposites convening historically under various contexts. At a certain point in time and space, a curious (or possibly bored) bartender decided to blend our favorite beverages with our insatiable primal desire to burn things. The result is both breathtaking and dangerous, as you would expect.
It’s assumed that European alcohol was first powerful enough to be noticeably flammable around the early 16th century. It was during that time period that any respectable bartender would have a special tool up their sleeve—the loggerhead.
This device was usually a long metal pole, heated up in a stove or fireplace and used to instantly turn a patrons’ drink into a warm, frothy cocktail. You could imagine how this might unintentionally turn hard spirits into Molotov’s when placed in the wrong hands.
Germans were likely way ahead of any other European nations in officially creating flaming beverages, most notably in a long standing traditional Christmas beverage called Feuerzangenbowle. The procedure involves soaking a piece of bread in rum, suspending it over a glass of red wine, and waiting until the sugar melts off the bread and falls into the glass before serving. However, the fiery spectacle was largely for the show instead of the spirits.
Officially, the first flaming cocktail can be attributed to Jerry Thomas, the supposed “father of American mixology.” In 1862, he published the first official mixology guide that methodically organized many famous cocktails. Up until that point, signature cocktails had only been passed down through oral tradition and word of mouth.
The book includes his signature custom drink, the Blue Blazer, which gained notoriety in San Francisco at the El Dorado gambling saloon. Simply put, it involves lighting high proof alcohol on fire and passing it back and forth between two metal cauldrons, creating a “river of fire” effect. The spectacle served two purposes when it was originally created—inducing “oohs” and “ahhs”, but also burning off any unfiltered compounds in the then unregulated spirits.
It goes without saying fiery cocktails are historically more of a spectacle than an actual drink. During prohibition, the flaming beverage Café Brulot Diabolique was a cleverly disguised coffee beverage that evaded the watchful eye of the federal government entirely.
The drink is a mixture of rum and coffee, which is lit on fire when delivered to a customer. The bartender then holds an orange peel over the flame, which subsequently changes the color of the flame and flavor of the beverage entirely.
Somehow, no one ever questioned why coffee was able to so easily light on fire, but it definitely remains a popular regional beverage in Louisiana to this day.
Modern flaming cocktails take inspiration from their historical predecessors, like the always-popular Flaming Dr. Pepper. The cocktail is credited to Dave Brinks, a bartender out of New Orleans, and involves dropping a flaming shot glass of Amaretto and Bacardi into a half full pint glass of beer. The result apparently tastes like Dr. Pepper, though it consists entirely of alcohol.
Often outlawed, flaming cocktails will continue to impress patrons that are looking for something different in their bar faring adventures. Because of the inherent danger involved in playing with fire, some drinks will sadly never receive the limelight they deserve.
However, we can still appreciate the cunning of any bartender willing to take their trade to the next fiery level.
Flaming Dr. Pepper
What you’ll need
- A fire extinguisher, please.
- Amaretto
- 80 or higher proof alcohol.
- Cheap beer
- A pint glass and shot glass
What to do
- Fill the shot glass with ¾ amaretto and ¼ high proof alcohol.
- Fill the pint glass half full with beer.
- Light the top of the shot glass on fire, turn off the lights if you want to make it a spectacle.Drop the shot glass in the pint glass and drink as fast as you can.
- Explain to everyone observing how it actually might taste like Dr. Pepper, but you’ll need to try again to be sure. Repeat until desired effect is reached.