How to Make a B52

You just know that a drink named after a bomber will have a bit of kapow to it!

The original B52 was a plane used by the Americans during the Vietnam war to drop incendiary bombs. The origins of the shooter named after it are a little unclear but most sources suggest it was invented in Alice's Restaurant in California in the 1970s.

Wherever it began life, it proved popular and there are a number of variations that make up the B50 series of shooters.

For the B52, what you need is:

• 1 part Coffee liqueur - such as Kahlua
• 1 part Baileys Irish Cream
• 1 part Grand Marnier

Pour the coffee liqueur into a shooter glass. Slowly pour the Irish Cream over the back of a spoon onto the surface of the coffee liqueur. Finish off with the Grand Marnier in the same way.

The order is important in layered cocktails; the one with the greatest specific gravity (or heaviest to non-scientists!) should go in first, while the lighter ones rest on top.

For a Flaming B52, substitute dark rum, with a high alcohol content, for the Grand Marnier - and use a heatproof glass!