B-54 Shot
Coffee liqueur, Irish cream, and amaretto — the B-52's orange liqueur replaced by amaretto's almond sweetness, served in the same layered 1980s shooter format.
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The B-54 is part of an aviation-themed family of layered shooters that grew out of the iconic B-52 shot, which became a bar phenomenon in the early 1980s. The original B-52 — named for the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress long-range bomber — established the template of layered coffee liqueur, Irish cream, and orange liqueur. The family expanded to include variations with sequential numerical designations. The B-54 incorporates amaretto as an additional or substituted layer, adding a sweet almond note that plays against the coffee and cream of its siblings. Like all members of the B-52 family, the B-54 is typically presented as a layered shot, its components carefully poured over the back of a spoon to keep them visually distinct. The theatrical flaming version, set alight briefly before serving, became a staple of high-energy bars and nightclubs throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
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