The Alaskan Duck Fart Shot Has A Layered Backstory

The Alaskan Duck Fart is a gross-sounding shot, and — depending on your taste for strong liquors — you may find the flavors a bit much, too. That's true for many shots, but this one has three ingredients, making it a complex shooter to throw back. Indeed, this concoction is layered, but the recipe isn't the only thing multifaceted; its backstory is, too.

The exact reasoning behind the "duck fart" part of the Alaskan shot's name is nebulous, but it's clear where the drink came from: Peanut Farm, which is The Last Frontier's largest sports bar. In December 1987, an old patron of the establishment ordered a variety of alcohols. In addition to a creamy Grasshopper cocktail and straight tequila shot, she also ordered a B-52 (which is Baileys Irish cream, coffee liqueur, and Grand Marnier). This inspired Dave Schmidt, the elderly woman's server, to play around with some other layered mixtures.

The most famous result, the Alaskan Duck Fart, is a lot like a B-52. Kahlúa coffee liqueur goes on the bottom, Baileys in the middle, and — per the senior citizen's own request — Crown Royal (rather than Grand Marnier) on top. The only real difference, monikers aside, is the whisky instead of that cognac and bitter orange liqueur. But why name this new creation after such a foul flatulence?

The origin story gets less definite at this point. One ending says Dave Schmidt drew on his connection to The Beaver State to name his creation; after all, ducks are common in Oregon, and there's a famous college football team named after them there. An alternative version claims Schmidt's inebriated muse was sporting a duck bill (presumably, the hat kind), and the inventors simply called out what was in front of them.

There's also the idea this inspirational customer made a noise similar to a... well, you know... after taking the shot. And do we really even need to point it out? Just look at the pictures of the Alaskan Duck Fart.

Despite its potentially icky namesake — or perhaps because of it — the Alaskan Duck Fart shot is now (in)famous throughout The Land of the Midnight Sun. Clearly, the recipe has fans. After all, it's traveled from Anchorage's Peanut Farm to other watering holes, like Ernie's Old Time Saloon in the relatively far-off island city of Sitka, Alaska. There's even a "Duck Fart" shooter with Irish cream, Kahlúa, and Pendelton whisky at Rennie's Landing, a favorite college bar in Oregon. Nevertheless, we'd still consider the drink itself to be one of the most embarrassing whisk(e)y-based drinks you can order.

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