There is a world of… creatively-named alcoholic drinks, and the dirty bong water drink has to be somewhere near the top. However, do not let the name put you off. it does not taste as gross as it sounds.
Actually, co*cktail lovers enjoy this drink because they find its flavor quite similar to that of Long Island Iced Teas. Others even find its flavor similar to Fruit Roll-Ups.
So even though it does not have the most attractive appearance, this beverage’s tangy and refreshing taste satisfies through and through. Not to mention, it is super easy to make at home with just five basic ingredients. Follow, along with us and find out how you can make dirty bong water the star of your go-to co*cktail menu.
Origins of Dirty Bong Water
With dirty bong water, there is no guessing this drink’s origin. A dirty bong water mixed drink earned its unique name from its muddy greenish and sometimes purplish appearance, which pays homage to the water that’s left in a bong for too long.
It’s definitely not a name that attracts the masses at first glance, but it delivers supremely well on flavor. This rum based drink is guaranteed to stun with its appearance but satisfy with its surprising zest and smooth aftertaste.
What is Dirty Bong Water?
Dirty bong water is quite a world of refreshing and tangy flavors. Typically served in a high ball glass, a dirty bong water co*cktail combines rum with four flavorful liquors to create something that will get anyone pleasantly buzzed.
Here are the basic dirty bong water ingredients:
- Rum
- Chambord Raspberry Liqueur
- Blue Curacao Liqueur
- Amaretto Almond Liqueur
- Sweet and Sour Mix
It is actually quite simple to make a dirty bong water drink. First, start by filling a high ball glass with ice. Then, add an ounce of each liquor to the glass and stir to combine. You can add a straw or even garnish with a cherry.
Do You Need Special Tools to Make Dirty Bong Water?
A dirty bong water drink does not require any special equipment. All you need is a glass to serve the drink in. Most recipes suggest using a high ball glass, but any glass of a similar size will do. Now, you have a choice of using a clear or not clear glass.
Using clear glasses will show off the drink’s color. However, if you are worried about putting off anyone with the color, you can always use glasses that are not clear or have some sort of decoration on the outside. You might also need a shaker if you feel like the need to evenly mix all the liqueurs. Otherwise, simply pouring the liqueurs all in one go and stirring them together can do the trick just as well.
Overall, this is a super easy co*cktail to make that does not require any special tools or theatrics. The real magic in this drink is letting the flavors of these liqueurs marry together so well that people forget it looks a bit like swamp water.
Dirty Bong Water Recipe
Above, we laid out the most commonly used dirty bong water ingredients. However, there are some recipes out there that add a few twists to the original recipe that are definitely worth sharing. This particular recipe enhances the original ingredients by replacing the sweet and sour mix with fresh lemon and lime juice. Overall, a dirty bong water co*cktail is a pretty sweet drink.
The fresh lemon and lime juice provide a zing of citrus that rounds out the sweetness of the co*cktail. So instead of making it seem like you are sipping a super sweet and fruity piece of candy, you get something that is a little more complex.
To make this version of a dirty bong water co*cktail, you will need:
- 1 ounce of lime juice
- 1 ounce of lemon juice
- 1 ounce of amaretto
- 1 ounce of raspberry liqueur
- 1 ounce of spiced rum
- 1 ounce of Blue Curacao
To make this variation of a dirty bong water co*cktail, a shaker or mixing tin is necessary. First, fill a co*cktail shaker with ice and pour over the measured-out ingredients. Give the entire thing a good shake and pour the concoction into a highball glass filled with fresh ice.
Just like the original, this recipe does not call for any extra frills or decoration. There is no need to showboat with this drink when its color and its flavor stand out for themselves. However, that is not to say that if you do like to garnish your drinks, that you are not allowed to. You can always add a straw or even some maraschino cherries to the drink.
If you are having a Halloween party, you can dress up the dirty bong water co*cktail’s muddy ghoulish-green with cool skull shaped glasses or Halloween-themed chalices. You can even add a touch of dry ice in the drink to add some theatrics and a creepy factor to the drinks.
Although it fits perfectly with the Halloween season, you do not have to wait until Halloween to enjoy this drink. If you think about the flavors, this drink can easily be a favorite throughout the whole year. From its fruity, sweet notes that are perfect for summer to its amaretto and spiced rum flavors that are great for fall or winter, a dirty bong water drink never goes out of style.
Are There Variations of Dirty Bong Water?
Majority of recipes for dirty bong water stick to the same five ingredients: spiced rum, raspberry liqueur, Blue Curacao, amaretto, and sweet and sour mix. While this is the ride-or-die standard recipe, you can still get a little bit creative with the different brands of the dirty bong water ingredients and the addition of fresh juice.
However, before you go testing out different brand mixes, it is important to note that spiced rum is the most suggested type of rum for this drink. You are free to try out other types of rum, but it is important to understand that the flavor changes might be more drastic than you expect.
Spiced rum is preferred because it has a number of natural flavors and spices like nutmeg, lime, ginger, and vanilla that balance out the more sweet and fruity liqueurs in this drink. Spiced rum helps give this co*cktail a more rounded out seasonal flavor.
If you do decide to stick to spiced rum, there are quite a few to choose from. Two classic spiced rum brands that will not lead you astray are Captain Morgan and Sailor Jerry. However, if you are willing to explore what other distillers are doing, we have some brands that will be great for both mixing into co*cktails and for straight sipping.
Chairman’s Reserve is nice upscale spiced rum.
This particular rum pairs citrusy orange peel with a delicate mix of caramel, nutmeg and cinnamon. This particular rum might be more fit for straight sipping, but it is worth a try in a dirty bong co*cktail.
Another fairly upscale spice rum is Foursquare Spiced Rum. This spiced rum has a butterscotch flavor with cherry and almond undertones. It also has a few touches of cinnamon and ginger to enhance its fruity flavor. This particular brand is traditionally distilled, so if you are looking for a higher caliber rum, this is the one for you.
Dead Man’s Fingers is a great homage to both classic and eclectic rum that would make any pirate dizzy. This spiced rum features the flavors of cola-cubes and toffee, rounded out with the tart and spicy taste of marmalade and cloves.
Rounding out this short list, we have puss*r’s Spiced Rum. This copper-toned rum draws a happy medium between sweetness and spicy with the flavors of ginger marmalade and some heat from cinnamon and allspice. Any of these alternative spiced rums could add a nice depth and a more upscale flair to this party drink.
Some other variations on a dirty bong water co*cktail add orange juice, apple juice, cranberry juice, or pineapple juice. The fruit juices are definitely a good way to cut through the sweetness and bring more freshness. Some people have also found a way to incorporate Midori into the dirty bong water ingredients.
For this variation, follow this recipe:
- 1 ounce Malibu Rum
- 1 ounce pineapple juice
- 1 ounce of Midori
- 1 ounce apple juice
With this particular variation, the melon flavor of the Midori provides a more mellow fruit flavor than the Blue Curacao and raspberry liqueur. However, the use of Malibu Rum, which is a coconut rum, makes this version of a dirty bong water co*cktail a more tropical drink.
Dirty bong water is a straightforward co*cktail that has no extra bells and whistles to it. The original recipe and ingredients are pretty solid and guarantee a delicious drink no matter how you look at it. However, this particular drink still has room for change.
Whether you like something more candy-sweet or fruity and zesty, it is up to you to play around with the different flavors and liquors until you find the combination that is right for you.
Can You Make a Dirty Bong Water Shot?
While dirty bong water is typically taken as a co*cktail, you can get your dirty bong water fix in a shot glass. And believe it or not, this particular recipe makes dirty bong water look far better than its name suggests. This dirty bong water shot recipe makes a stunning layered shooter that entertains and tastes just as amazing as its co*cktail counterpart.
Here is what you need to make a dirty bong water shot:
- 1 part Midori or melon liqueur
- ½ part Jagermeister
- 1 part orange juice
To prepare this shot, you do not need a shaker because this shot is all about the layering. First, start by adding the Midori to the base of the shot glass. Follow the Midori with the orange juice. Top everything off with the Jagermeister.
Now, layering the liqueur is fairly straightforward and easy. However, there is a trick to ensure your liqueurs do not mix. Use the back of a spoon to help pour the liqueurs into the shot glass. This helps spread the liqueur out in an even layer rather than pour it in as a single stream.
This shot makes for a great party starter.
With a little bit of practice, you can make a show out of it for your dinner or party guests. First, they will be a bit mystified by the name of the shot, but once they get a look at the bright green of the Midori blending gently into the dark brown Jagermeister, their taste buds and curiosity will be piqued.
Now, if you are planning to make bigger batches of the dirty bong water shot for a larger crowd, you can save time and just skip over the layering process. Just throw all the ingredients into a shaker and get to pouring. You will miss out on the cool layering effect, but either way, this shot tastes great and guarantees a happy buzz to start off a good night.
More Tasty Green Drinks
Now, if you are looking for other cool and tasty drinks that are little less suspicious when it comes to the green coloring, the dirty bong water co*cktail has a few distant cousins you might like to try.
Prepare your alcoholic taste buds for this Asian inspired co*cktail. A Kanpai Mastuyama combines Momokawa Sake, Luxardo Marashino, pistachio syrup, fresh lemon juice, egg whites, peach bitters, and a hint of matcha powder for a refreshing, slightly herbal and fruity co*cktail. Not to mention, this co*cktail boasts the color of a freshly-cut lawn.
Another delicious green co*cktail to consider is a Chartreuse Swizzle. This drink mixes green chartreuse, pineapple juice, Velvet Falernum and lime juice. This one definitely has a more subtle green tone to it that pays homage to its refreshing, tropical flavors.
For something with a little more punch in its flavor, try a Mezcal Monk. This particular drink pays a lot of attention to the details. First, you mix Vida Mezcal, green chartreuse, fresh celery juice, fresh lime juice, serrano chili syrup, and a dash of orange bitters. Then, you garnish it with black pepper corn and mint. This drink has a lovely refreshing light green color to it while also giving you hits of citrus, tangy fruit and a little bit of heat to tie everything together.
For something non-alcoholic and a little more on the healthy side, you might consider making a green lemonade.
To make a green lemonade, here is what you need for this drink:
- 1 cup of lemon juice, which is about 6 lemons. Be sure to save the lemon peels.
- 2 cups of hot water
- 2 cups of cold water
- 5 pieces of kale with their ribs removed
- a handful of parsely
- a handful of mint
- 3 tbsp. Agave nectar
First, juice all the lemons. Then, take all the leftover peels and cover them with the two cups of hot water. Let them sit for about 10 minutes before straining it into a blender. Add the lemon juice, cold water, kale, parsley, mint, and agave and puree them all together.
Strain the mixture into a pitcher and let it chill until you are ready to serve it. This recipe seems really close to that of a green juice. So, if you are on the green juice train, this could be the new beverage for you. So, if you find yourself on a binge for green drinks, just know there is a vast world of them that combine flavors you never thought would work together.
Conclusion
At first glance, dirty bong water seems like the last thing you’d want. Not only does the color resemble something crawling out of the sewers, but it is the namesake of what you find after using a bong.
Despite its unpleasant name and color, a dirty bong co*cktail is an incredibly refreshing and tasty drink that leaves a pleasant buzz and the smoothest aftertaste. It is shocking in every sense, but that is why it is on many people’s favorite co*cktail list. With that said, surprise your guests with dirty bong water and watch them come back for more.
