5th Week is marked by the collective slumping of shoulders in libraries all across Oxford, yet this Dr Pepper is not that of the essay crisis energy drink diabetes-causing variety. The Flaming Doctor Pepper is a fiery concoction — literally — and is said by many to taste like its namesake, when made properly.
Sadly I cannot verify this fact myself, as the Flaming Doctor Pepper contains the one ingredient that I am loath to try, even more so to mix in a cocktail: beer. Nevertheless, the world of cocktail enthusiasts is a broad church and we sometimes let the weirdos with the beer in.
Beer makes up the majority of this cocktail recipe. Yet even though your choice of beer might not be particularly strong, the drink’s flame is produced by setting on fire a highly alcoholic spirit, in this case Bacardi 151. This is not your average rum-and-coke ingredient, and at around 75.5% it packs a punch and is of course, extremely flammable, so I would definitely recommend only doing this stunt stone-cold sober and not doing it if you are particularly fond of your eyebrows. I’m all for ‘Burning Down the House’ at the chronically sweaty Cellar but keep away from library books, wood-panelled rooms, petrol stations, and, of course, Cherwell, and you’ll probably avoid any risk of burning down the house in a more literal sense.
Pour yourself half a large shot of Amaretto, topped up with the noxious Bacardi 151, and set on fire. Cue oohs and ahhs, and no doubt some whimpers from the negative Nancy in the corner. Ignore that Nancy. They may get a First from the University of Oxford but will they get a First from the University of Life? Proceed to drop the shot into your pint of beer and drink up fast. Make sure you don’t have too many because you will most certainly feel it in the morning.
Half a measure Bacardi 151
Half a measure Amaretto
Pint of beer
