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Shaft

Creamy (e.g. Dirty banana) · Hall of Fame and must know/try · Shot cocktails

3.8 57 ratings

Ingredients

2 oz Cold brew coffee
1 oz Vodka
1 oz Irish cream liqueur
1/2 oz Coffee liqueur

How to make

Serve in a old-fashioned glass

Prepare

  1. 1 Select and pre-chill an OLD-FASHIONED GLASS.
  2. 2 No garnish to prepare.

Method

  1. 3 SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
  2. 4 FINE STRAIN into ice-filled glass.

Garnish

  1. 5 Serve naked, without garnish.

Flavour profile

11.8% alc./vol. · 1.2 standard drinks · 220 calories

History

This Shaft variation includes Irish cream liqueur for a creamy mocha flavour; some versions use cream, others milk, combining all ingredients before pouring or floating the milk/cream (like a White Russian).

The Shaft cocktail is named after the fictional private detective John Shaft, the protagonist of the 1971 film Shaft. This movie featured a gangster hiring Shaft to rescue his daughter from the Italian mob. The theme song, "Theme From Shaft", earned an Academy Award. Mark Smith is credited with creating the Shaft cocktail around the year 2000 while working at The Living Room restaurant in Calgary, Canada. Initially, it was conceived as a built, caffeinated shot comprising espresso with a small amount of Kahlúa coffee liqueur and skimmed milk. This drink gained significant popularity in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, Canada, leading to speculation that it originated there. Sean Gordon, a Victoria resident and member of Discerning Drinker, introduced the Shaft to the author in June 2019. Gordon stated, "There is a locally invented cocktail/shot called a Shaft", adding, "some will sip it but it's most commonly downed in one. It's basically a grownup Jaeger-bomb substitute." As Gordon mentioned in 2019, "There's variation from one bar to another". Research suggests the original Shaft was likely created in Calgary. During its transition to Victoria, the drink evolved to include vodka, with Irish cream liqueur often replacing the milk. The initial espresso base is also frequently substituted with cold brew coffee.