What Exactly Is A Five Star General Shot?

Sometimes, beer just won't do. When you've had a particular kind of day (or, want to have a particular kind of night), you find yourself on the hunt for something a little stiffer. A spritz won't suffice, and maybe you want something more, er, efficient than a martini. A shot might be the right move, and there's one that packs a quintuple whammy of military force.

The Five Star General is a shot, meaning it's a mixed drink containing exclusively alcoholic ingredients, served in a shot glass and generally meant to be knocked back in just a gulp or two. If you've ever had a B52 or a silver bullet, it's a similar idea. But the Five Star General certainly takes rank over both of those, especially when it comes to strength. The drink consists of equal parts (about ½ oz each) of tequila, overproof rum, Jägermeister, peppermint liqueur, and cinnamon schnapps.

If you can't decide between minty, spicy, or herbal flavors, and you know you want something with a kick to it, a Five Star General combines all of the above. It's definitely not going to be everyone's favorite, but it's certainly one way to get your night going.

Fittingly, the Five Star General calls for five ingredients, and unless you have some bartending experience (home bartending counts!), you may not be familiar with all of them. (It doesn't seem as though there's an official order of ingredients — different recipes list the ingredients in various orders.)

There's tequila, that agave-based spirit with which you're sure to be familiar. None of the few published Five Star General recipes specify a type or brand of tequila, so most bartenders will just use whatever standard unaged (clear) tequila they have in stock. The other straight spirit in the cocktail is overproof rum, which is what it sounds like: Rum with a higher-than-average alcohol content, at least 50% ABV.

Moving on to the liqueurs, there's Jägermeister, an herbal liqueur probably best known as the star ingredient in Jägerbombs. It's actually a quite delicate drink to sip, flavored with a proprietary blend of spices and herbs, including star anise, ginger root, and green cardamom. The General also includes cinnamon schnapps and peppermint liqueur, both of which are sweet and powerful vehicles for two already bold flavors.

So, yeah, it's a real explosion of different tastes in your mouth, with an alcoholic burn to boot. The ingredients can be poured right into the shot glass, layering one upon the next, or they can be shaken with ice and then strained into the glass.

There's not a ton of information floating around about the Five Star General or its origins, save for some suggestions that it may have been named in honor of General Douglas MacArthur, an American military general who served in the Second World War and the Korean War. It's unknown, then, how these five unlikely ingredients came together in one little glass, particularly since it's not exactly an intuitive mix. Between the peppermint, the cinnamon, and the strong herbal flavors, there's likely to be some sting to the taste — not to mention, of course, a sharp burn from the high-proof alcohol.

Most often, the General goes ungarnished, but sometimes bartenders will add a dollop of whipped cream or top the glass with a mango slice to be used as a chaser. Because it's not the most well-known drink out there, if you try ordering it and your bartender doesn't know what you're talking about, just tell them it's equal parts of the honorable five: Tequila, overproof rum, Jäger, peppermint liqueur, and cinnamon schnapps. Or maybe just save them the effort and stick to regular old tequila shots.