Banana Split Shot

Banana liqueur, strawberry, and chocolate — David Strickler's 1904 Latrobe banana split (three ice cream flavors across a split banana) in a single layered shot.

The Banana Split Shot distills the American soda fountain classic into a concentrated two-sip dessert experience, capturing the sundae's four primary flavors — banana, strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla — in a single layered shooter. The original dessert was invented in 1904 by David Evans Strickler, a 23-year-old pharmacy apprentice at the Tassel Pharmacy in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, who created it by splitting a banana lengthwise in an elongated boat dish and topping three scoops of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream with corresponding sauces, whipped cream, nuts, and a maraschino cherry. Latrobe has celebrated the claim since, and the International Banana Split Festival has been held in the town annually. The shot version uses banana liqueur — most commonly a product like Bols Banana or DeKuyper Banana Schnapps — for the fruit note, Chambord black raspberry or strawberry liqueur for the berry element, and a chocolate liqueur or chocolate vodka for the third flavor layer, either shaken together or poured in layers to create visual separation in the glass. The flavor combination is familiar enough to require no description to anyone who has eaten the sundae, which is precisely the appeal of dessert-replica shots: they communicate their intent before the first sip.