12 Shots of Christmas: No. 7

The Challenge: Two people, six bars, 12 shots -- now we're on the back end.

The Players: Kerry Leonard, Metromix producer and Thomas Hardwicke, Metromix photographer and contributor.

Shot No. 7: The Carrot Cake shot at Trolley’s, concocted by Austin and swilled with reckless abandon by Kerry

Ingredients: Jägermeister, Goldschlager, Butterschnapps, a splash of cream and cinnamon

Price: about $5

What does it taste like: Well, I can tell you what it doesn’t taste like: booze. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a shot quite so chock-full of mind melting liquors that doesn’t have a trace of an alcoholic taste. Not a trace. When Austin presented the shot (replete with, as my shot buddy Thomas called it, “a whip cream bow tie”) he plunked it in front of me and said with an apprehensive chuckle, “That one is strong as s---.” Duly noted, Austin. I had spotted him hoisting the Jäger, firewater of the drunkenly damned, and thought, “Oh, crap. This is not going to end well.”

Austin, being a shrewd professional, kept the shot a modest size. He understood both our challenge and the potency of his concoction. And what a concoction it was. Creamy, sweet, spicy and rich, it tasted remarkably similar to carrot cake. Something about the combination of the Butterschnapps and the cream together was eerily reminiscent of cream cheese frosting, which mellowed the tenacious Jägermeister to a whispering anise backdrop.

It was most definitely a sipper, but this little dude was small and strong enough to be fired back with the expected results. Interestingly enough, the whip cream bow tie acted as this sort of saccharine hourglass sand, slipping slowly to the bottom of the shot as I sipped away. The moment it reached the empty glass floor, I knew it was time to go.  Don't worry all, it ended well.