Flaming Shots: 10 Recipes, Why They Light, and How Not to Get Burned

A 40% ABV spirit at room temperature is, for practical purposes, not flammable in a shot glass. Most people learn this the first time they hold a lighter over a glass of vodka and nothing happens. The flash point of an ethanol-water mixture, meaning the lowest temperature at which it releases enough vapor to catch, sits around 26°C (79°F) at 40% ABV and falls as the share of alcohol rises, reaching roughly 13°C (55°F) for pure ethanol. A normal room sits between those two numbers. That is why nearly every shot below leans on a float of overproof rum, a high-proof liqueur, or a spirit that has been warmed first.

Why the fire needs overproof

Ignition happens in the vapor above the liquid, so what matters is how much ethanol sits at the surface. A thin layer of 151-proof (75.5% ABV) rum poured over the back of a spoon puts the most volatile liquid exactly where the flame will be. A match catches it at once, while the denser liqueurs underneath barely take part. Warming the spirit attacks the problem from the other side, lifting the liquid above its flash point.

Bacardi 151, the rum most of these recipes name, was discontinued in 2016. Any other 75.5% rum, such as Lemon Hart 151 or Don Q 151, behaves identically in the glass. How far up the proof scale bartenders have pushed things is covered in our tour of the strongest cocktails in the world.

The flame burns blue and faint, because ethanol combusts cleanly, leaving too little soot for the yellow glow of a candle. What color there is comes from short-lived carbon radicals that emit weakly in the blue. Under daylight the flame can be close to invisible, and that is where most flaming-shot injuries begin.

The recipes

Flaming Lamborghini

The one people search for, and the most theatrical. The Flaming Lamborghini calls for coffee liqueur, sambuca, blue curaçao and Irish cream: coffee liqueur goes into a warmed cocktail glass, sambuca is layered over it and lit, and the Irish cream and curaçao wait in two shot glasses beside it. Because sambuca sits around 40% ABV, it lights far more willingly when warmed first.

A busier version, the Flaming Lamborghini #2, uses white sambuca, green Chartreuse, Irish cream, Galliano and blue curaçao, and since green Chartreuse is bottled at 55% ABV, this one catches much more readily.

Flaming B-52

Coffee liqueur, Irish cream and Grand Marnier in the classic three layers, with 151 rum floated on top as a fourth. The Flaming B-52 only works if the layers hold, so the B-52 shot guide and our broader notes on layered shots are worth a read before attempting it.

Flaming Dr. Pepper

Amaretto and 151 rum go into a shot glass, and the glass is lit and dropped into half a pint of beer. The beer puts out the flame on contact. The Flaming Dr. Pepper contains no soda at all, yet the almond and caramelized notes against the beer land surprisingly close to the soft drink.

Flaming Blue Jesus

The Flaming Blue Jesus stacks Southern Comfort, peppermint schnapps and tequila, then finishes with a float of 151 that is set alight.

Flaming Sambuca

Black sambuca and coffee: the sambuca is warmed, lit briefly and snuffed before drinking. The Flaming Sambuca is the gentlest of the group, and the sambuca cocktails roundup explains why that spirit turns cloudy.

Flaming Dragon and Flaming Tree

Two builds on the same idea, both pairing green Chartreuse with overproof rum. The Flaming Dragon specifies 151 rum, while the Flaming Tree leaves the choice of overproof open. Both are herbal, hot and very strong.

Flaming Hot Chocolate

Dark crème de cacao under a float of 151. The Flaming Hot Chocolate tastes of toasted cocoa once the flame is out.

Flaming Rasta

Grenadine on the bottom, amaretto in the middle and 151 on top, giving three bands of color before the flame goes on. The Flaming Rasta is the easiest of these to layer, because grenadine is dense enough to stay put under almost anything.

If the only bottle of overproof in the house is looking for a purpose beyond these, the ingredient-based cocktail finder will match it against whatever else is on the shelf.

Questions people ask

How do you drink a Flaming Lamborghini?

Traditionally through a straw while the glass is still burning, with a second person pouring the Irish cream and curaçao in as the drinker sips. The safer order is to put the flame out first, then pour in the two cold liqueurs, then add the straw and drink it in one go.

What is the shot with fire on top called?

Any of the above, though the Flaming B-52 and Flaming Sambuca are the two most bars recognize.

Safety, stated plainly

• Blow the flame out, or cover the glass with a saucer, before anyone drinks. A flame that cannot be seen is still burning.
• Never pour more spirit onto a drink that is alight; the flame can travel up the stream into the bottle.
• No straws in a lit glass, and no lifting or carrying a glass while it burns.
• Tie back long hair and keep sleeves clear of the bar.
• Keep the overproof bottle capped and out of reach of the flame, and let the glass cool before touching the rim, which heats up quickly.

Last modified on September 27, 2026