Danger Zone

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Cocktail History

The Danger Zone is a modern cocktail that was created by Alla Lapushchik at Off Track Betting in New York City, New York and was first published in the book Winter Drinks: 70 Essential Cold-Weather Cocktails by the editors of PUNCH. The bartender described the recipe as a boozy cross between thick eggnog and a sweet Orange Julius drink, and it’s made by shaking a spiced rum base with both orange and lemon juice, hazelnut, egg, soda water, and aromatic bitters.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Dark Rum: This is a type of rum made with sugarcane, spices, and water that has been barrel aged for a long period of time. I used Appleton Estate Special Gold Rum.

Hazelnut Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with toasted hazelnuts, vanilla, baking spices, sugar, and alcohol. I used Frangelico.

Orange Juice: This is the liquid juice of an orange. I used freshly squeezed orange juice.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. I used freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. I made mine using this stovetop recipe.

Egg White & Yolk: This is both the clear liquid and yellow portion in an egg. I used fresh egg white and yolk.

Soda Water: This is a type of water that has been infused with carbon dioxide gas under pressure. I used Topo Chico Sparkling Mineral Water.

Aromatic Bitters: This is a food product made with botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I used Angostura Aromatic Bitters.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

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Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Light yellow color

• Aroma: Allspice and citrus

• Taste: Creamsicle-like taste with funky rum and fruit notes

• Finish: More sweetness with a hit of dry nuttiness

Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Kendall’s Take: “The book described this recipe as similar to the flavor of an orange creamsicle, and I could certainly taste the resemblance. This frothy rum, egg, and citrus drink is oddly sweet but in a good way. I could see the Danger Zone being a hit at a poolside bar during summertime, but I suppose it works during the winter too. It could almost replace the ice cream truck delight.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from Winter Drinks: 70 Essential Cold-Weather Cocktails by the editors of PUNCH.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2025-01-22.