South African cocktail · layered
Soweto Toilet recipe
A cheeky layered SA shooter — banana liqueur with a float of Amarula.
A Soweto Toilet is 15 ml (16.5 g) Banana Liqueur and 15 ml (15.9 g) Amarula Cream, layered and served in a shot glass. It pours to about 30 ml before ice, at roughly 18.5% ABV. Weighing the ingredients instead of measuring them is what keeps the balance identical from one round to the next.
- Glassshot glass
- Methodlayered
- Pour volume30 ml
- Strength (est.)18.5% ABV
- Time3 min
Soweto Toilet ingredients — in millilitres and grams
Grams are what the PourPilot coaster actually targets. They are not the same as the millilitres: a spirit is lighter than water, a syrup is heavier, so 30 ml of one is never 30 g. The right-hand column is the density we use, in grams per millilitre.
| Ingredient | Volume | Weight | g/ml | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banana Liqueur | 15 ml | 16.5 g | 1.10 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Amarula Cream | 15 ml | 15.9 g | 1.06 | float on top |
How to make a Soweto Toilet
- Set your shot glass on the scale (or on the PourPilot coaster) and zero it. Every measurement below is given in millilitres and in grams, so you can use either.
- Pour the Banana Liqueur into the shot glass first — this is the heavier layer, which is exactly why the weights below differ from the volumes.
- Rest a bar spoon just above the surface and pour the Amarula Cream slowly over the back of it so it floats.
- Serve immediately, before the layers bleed into each other.
Soweto Toilet: the questions people actually ask
How strong is a Soweto Toilet?
Roughly 18.5% ABV as poured, before the ice dilutes it — typically another 15–25% water by the time you finish stirring or shaking. Medium strength. About the same as a fortified wine, poured short.
What glass should a Soweto Toilet be served in?
A shot glass. Fill it with fresh ice, not the ice you mixed with.
Can I make a Soweto Toilet without a jigger?
Yes — that is what the gram column is for. Put the glass or tin on a kitchen scale, zero it, and pour to the weight. It is more accurate than a jigger because nothing is left clinging to the inside of the measure. The PourPilot coaster does the same thing without you having to watch a display: it lights up as you approach the target and tells you when to stop.
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