At my 21st birthday party, I stood on top of a bar and consumed the infamous University College Utrecht (UCU) “birthday shot.”
Watching several of my friends turn 21 during the fall semester of my junior year, I couldn’t wait for it to be my turn. As each birthday party passed and IDs flipped from vertical to horizontal, I dreamed about my 21st birthday celebration.
Because I studied abroad during the spring semester, I turned 21 in the Netherlands. Though there was less excitement about the ability to drink legally—the drinking age in the Netherlands is 18 years old—I was still pumped to celebrate my birthday with all of my abroad friends.
At UCU, my abroad host university, there was a birthday tradition called the “birthday shot.” Whenever it was someone’s birthday, all of their friends would show up at the on-campus bar and purchase them a “birthday shot.”
To the unassuming person, a “birthday shot” sounds like a fun birthday tradition, especially for someone turning 21. I quickly discovered that a “birthday shot” was actually a gnarly mixture of various liquors that I’d have to consume while standing on top of the bar as my friends cheered me on.
I do not recommend that anyone ever try to recreate the UCU version of the “birthday shot.” But in honor of my 22nd birthday on Friday, I wanted to create a personal twist on the “birthday shot” that might better suit Boston College birthday celebrations.
My version only has three types of liquor—rum, vodka, and Passoã passion fruit liqueur. Rather than serving the cocktail in a plastic cup, my “birthday shot” is served over ice to pleasantly sip on rather than anxiously chug.
Whether your special day is coming up (happy Pisces season) or you are celebrating alongside your friends, this drink guarantees the happiest of birthdays.
DRINK: The Birthday Shot
INGREDIENTS:
For one serving
1.5 oz vodka (I used Tito’s)
1.5 oz rum (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
2 oz Passoã passion fruit liqueur
8 oz orange juice
INSTRUCTIONS:
Add vodka, rum, and Passoã to a shaker with ice.
Shake until the outside of the shaker is cold to the touch—about 5 to 10 seconds.
Strain over ice into a highball glass.
Top with orange juice, stir, and enjoy.
