What is a Green Tea Shot?
Say hello to the Green Tea Shot—a 1980s gem born in the bustling bars of New York City. The story behind this mesmerizing concoction is a blend of inventive bartending and a quest for sensory delight. It is made by combining equal parts of two main ingredients: Jameson Irish Whiskey and peach schnapps. The shot is then topped off with a splash of sour mix and a dash of Sprite or lemon-lime soda. The name “Green Tea” comes from the color of the drink, which is often a light greenish-yellow hue, similar to the color of brewed green tea. The Green Tea Shot is a sweet, tangy, and peachy shooter. It's smooth, fruity, and refreshing, making it all too easy to drink.
Some say the drink was invented by Jameson Whiskey company, while others say it was created by bartenders in New York City. While the exact creator's identity might be shrouded in mystery, it's widely agreed that the drink's inception was a response to the era's burgeoning cocktail culture. Bartenders were on a mission to transcend the norm, mixing up flavors and aesthetics in ways that would excite and captivate patrons.
Truth be told, I had never heard of a Green Tea shot until I saw it on Michelle Charlotte Bar Tender from Tiktok. And I’m told, the drink became increasingly popular throughout the mid-2010s and 2020s among college students, particularly because of social media. To determine if I had been living under a rock, I asked my coworkers if they knew what the drink was at a recent work event. And of course, I was living under a rock and they had all tried it before and proceeded to order some. They did indeed look like little shot glasses of a light green tea color.
Michelle also shares that you can order it as a drink either in a tall glass with more soda or in a short glass with less soda. But she doesn’t tell you how you can order this as a non-alcoholic drink at a restaurant or how to make it non-alcoholic at home. So that’s what we’re going to do today!
Who would like a Green Tea shot as a drink?
- If you have friends who aren’t fond of the taste of alcohol but don’t want another boring sugary soda, then they might want to try this.
- If your go to drink is something fruity
- If you like whiskey based drinks
How to order it non-alcoholic at a bar or restaurant
When you get to the bar, you can say the following:
I’d like a non-alcoholic green tea shot as a drink in a short glass.
And if they aren't sure how to make it non-alcoholic, you can say the following or show them this article:
You can make it with: Equal parts peach iced tea or other fruity iced tea, Sour Mix, and Lime juice. Then top it off with a splash of sprite.
Now I know normally this drink does not contain iced tea, but even Olive Garden has some fruity flavored iced teas and Outback has Hi-C now. So as long as they have a full bar, you can get creative with the peach substitute.
If you’re somewhere fancier and they don't have a full bar, they may only have your standard sodas and you may not be able to order this drink.
How to make a Green Tea Shot with Nonalcoholic Spirits
If you're making a green tea version, a shot is likely not the format you want to drink it in. The proportions below are for two shots, so you can double it for a rocks glass with ice.
- 1 oz Wildwonder peach or Tomomasu Peach Cider
- 1 oz NA Whiskey or Rum, like Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey or Kentucky 74
- 1 oz Sweet & Sour mix
- Splash of Lemon Lime Soda, like Sprite.
For a drink in a pint glass, triple the recipe and put with lots of ice in the glass and top it off with lemon lime soda.
