Gladiator Drop Shot Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 01/18/23
A rocks glass of orange juice and 7-Up and a shot glass of amaretto and Southern Comfort

The Spruce Eats / Isabella DiRenzo

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 shot

The gladiator cocktail is a drop shot like the Irish slammer. You pour the liqueurs into a shot glass, drop that glass into a larger glass filled with the mixers and "shoot" the entire drink. In this case, the liqueurs are amaretto and Southern Comfort (SoCo), and you may hear it called a SoCo drop shot.

You will want to be careful, though, because the loose shot glass has been known to chip a few teeth over the years. Consider yourself warned. Of course, you can skip that and simply down the shot and chase it with the sparkling orange juice. Either way, it's a fun drink that is actually quite good.

Be aware that this is going to be a messy drink. Spilled and splashed orange juice is going to need to be wiped up, and you'll probably have to get some orange juice stains out of your clothes as well. If you are drinking these at home, put down a spill-friendly plastic tablecloth and try to keep your guests constrained to where they won't be spilling on the carpet.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 ounce amaretto liqueur

  • 1/2 ounce Southern Comfort

  • 2 ounces 7-Up

  • 2 ounces orange juice

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make a gladiator drop shot cocktail

    The Spruce Eats / Isabella DiRenzo

  2. Pour the amaretto and Southern Comfort into a shot glass.

    A shot glass with Southern Comfort and amaretto

    The Spruce Eats / Isabella DiRenzo

  3. Pour the soda and juice into a double old-fashioned glass.

    An old-fashioned glass with orange juice and 7-Up

    The Spruce Eats / Isabella DiRenzo

  4. Drop the shot glass into the other glass and down the drink. Enjoy.

    A hand dropping a shot glass into an old-fashioned glass with orange juice and 7-Up

    The Spruce Eats / Isabella DiRenzo

How Strong Is the Gladiator Shot?

In reality, the gladiator may be one of the weakest shooters you will drink. It may surprise you to know that this shot can be as low as 5 percent ABV (10 proof) if made with 70-proof Southern Comfort, 21-proof amaretto, and a 4-ounce chaser. Of course, your choice in liqueurs and how much juice and soda you pour will affect this, but the fact is that it can be a mild drink.

Making the Best Gladiator SoCo Drop Shot

Quality may not be what you are after when you have fun with drop shots, but why not make it the best? Fresh-squeezed orange juice will taste the best. A medium orange will give you the 2 ounces of fresh juice for this cocktail.

While you could use a different whiskey, Southern Comfort is crafted to be a smooth-drinking whiskey that, along with the amaretto, makes this an easy-drinking shot. It has fruit and spice accents that go well with the orange juice.

For the amaretto, you could choose a premium brand such as Disaronno Originale, which proudly states it began producing this almond-flavored liqueur in 1525. The mythology is that it hearkens back to a Renaissance painter whose model for a painting of the Madonna gave him apricot kernels soaked in brandy. Even today, the flavor most detect as almond-like in the liqueur usually comes from apricot pits.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
249 Calories
1g Fat
51g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 249
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 6mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 51g 18%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 42g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 217mg 1,085%
Calcium 48mg 4%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 873mg 19%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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