Refreshing Green Tea Shots: Recipes, Tips, and Money Saving Ideas
The Refreshing Flavor of Green Tea Shots
Green tea is beloved around the world for its refreshing flavor and health benefits. While many people enjoy sitting down with a hot cup of green tea, shots and shooters made with green tea are also growing in popularity as a fun way to get an energizing boost.
What Are Green Tea Shots?
Green tea shots are a type of shooter - a small, concentrated alcoholic mixed drink that is consumed quickly. Unlike shooting spirits straight, shooters are flavorful cocktails that incorporate ingredients like juices, liqueurs, and syrups. Green tea shots feature green tea as the star ingredient, blended with alcohol and other mixers like citrus, herbs, or sweeteners.
These types of shooters originated as party drinks designed to deliver a sudden jolt of energy. Their small size - usually 1 to 2 ounces - makes them easy to toss back. The green tea provides some natural caffeine while the alcohol creates a buzz. You'll often see shots being done in rounds at gatherings as a way to keep the fun going late into the night.
Benefits of Green Tea Shots
Beyond being a party drink, green tea shots have some advantages over other types of shooters:
- Green tea is high in antioxidants, which can boost immunity and fight inflammation.
- The combination of green tea and citrus flavors creates a tart, refreshing taste profile.
- They have a cleaner, smoother finish than heavily sugary shooters.
- You avoid some of alcohol's unpleasant effects thanks to green tea's protective qualities.
This makes green tea shots the healthier choice for those nights when you want an extra energy kick with your drinks.
Popular Green Tea Shot Recipes
From sweet to sour versions, there's a green tea shot out there for everyone. Here are some of the most popular recipes to try:
Green Tea Lemon Drop
This green tea take on a lemon drop shot has a puckering tartness that finishes clean and refreshing. The sweet and sour balance makes it dangerously drinkable.
- 1 part vodka
- 1 part green tea liqueur
- 1 part freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 part simple syrup
Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a shot glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge.
Jade Dragon
The Jade Dragon shooter incorporates refreshing melon and ginger flavors for an extra spike of energy. It has a bright green color fitting its name.
- 1 part vodka
- 1 part melon liqueur
- 1 part green tea liqueur
- 1/2 part ginger syrup
- 1/2 part freshly squeezed lime juice
Shake and pour into a chilled shot glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Zen Garden
This green tea shot features floral notes from elderflower liqueur and fruitiness from pear vodka. It's a smooth, sweet shooter with a hint of herbal flavor.
- 1 part pear vodka
- 1 part green tea liqueur
- 1 part elderflower liqueur
- 1/2 part agave nectar
Shake with ice and strain into a frosted shot glass. Garnish with a pear slice.
Experiment with creating your own green tea shot recipes by switching up the base spirit, adding different juice flavors, or infusing simple syrups. The possibilities are nearly endless!
How to Make Green Tea Shots on a Budget
While delicious, some ingredients for fancy green tea shooters can add up cost-wise. But with a few affordable substitutions and homemade components, you can craft green tea shots for under $1.50 per serving.
Use a Bottled Ready-to-Drink Green Tea
Skip the specialized (and pricey) tea liqueurs called for in some recipes. Instead, grab a bottle of quality ready-to-drink bottled green tea from the grocery store. Brands like Ito En or Honest Tea offer unsweetened, straight green tea options perfect for shooters. And at usually $2-$3 per 16 oz bottle, using prepared green tea is an budget-friendly shortcut.
Make Your Own Sweet and Sour Mix
Many green tea shooter recipes call for sweet and sour mixer, which balances flavors while adding extra volume. Rather than buying premixed sour, whip up your own sweet and sour using basic pantry staples. Combine equal parts sugar and water to make a simple syrup, then mix with an equal amount of freshly squeezed lemon, lime, or other citrus juice. Store leftovers in the fridge for weeks of affordable sweet and sour for all your cocktail mixing needs.
Infuse Vodka with Tea
One of the best ways to save money on green tea shots is to infuse your own vodka with tea at home. Add 5-6 green tea bags (or 2 tablespoons loose leaf tea) to a 750 ml bottle of decent-quality vodka. Let it steep at room temperature for 2-3 days, shaking periodically, then strain out the tea leaves. The resulting infused vodka packs a double dose of green tea flavor into shots without requiring extra liqueurs or ingredients.
The Grand Total
Using the cost-cutting tricks above - bottled green tea, homemade sweet and sour, and infused vodka - you can make budget-friendly green tea shots for under $1.50 each!
- Green tea: $0.20 per 2 oz
- Vodka (infused): $0.50 per oz
- Homemade sweet & sour: $0.10 per oz
- Garnish & glass: $0.05
At approximately $1.45 per 1.5-2 oz shot, enjoying green tea shooters won't break the bank. Shake up a round of these affordable shots for your next gathering!