Chilean submarino is a beer cocktail made by sinking a small shot glass of liquor, usually pisco, vodka, or rum, into a tall glass of cold Pilsner beer. The liquor releases slowly from the bottom as you drink, so the flavor builds stronger with every sip. It is popular across Chile, Brazil, Mexico, and Spain, each country calling it something different depending on the liquor used.
The whole drink comes together in under 5 minutes with just two ingredients, making it a fast, crowd-pleasing party trick as much as a cocktail.
Nutritional Information
Each serving of submarino contains approximately 300 kcal, 30 g of carbohydrates, 0 g of fat, 2 g of protein, 0 g of fiber, 15 g of sugars, 0 mg of cholesterol, and 10 mg of sodium. (*)
(*) Values may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.
How to Make a Beer Submarino?
Submarino has several regional variations, but they all rely on the same base technique with beer, whether the liquor is tequila, mint, vodka, rum, pisco, anise, or grenadine.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 person
Ingredients
- 500 ml Pilsner beer
- 50 ml mint liqueur
- 50 ml vodka (optional)
- 50 ml tequila (optional)
- 50 ml pisco (optional)
- 50 ml rum (optional)
Instructions
- Fill a small 50 ml shot glass with mint liqueur (or vodka, tequila, pisco, or rum). Pour the beer into a large, wide beer glass, filling it to about 5 cm from the rim.
- Set the small shot glass on the surface of the beer and carefully release it into the center of the glass. Serve immediately.
Inverted Submarino Cocktail
Which Liquor Goes in the Inverted Version?
The inverted version uses a 50 ml shot of mint liqueur, vodka, pisco, or rum. The tradition of the inverted submarino comes from the mint variant, which produces the “blue submarino” or “yellow submarino” depending on the liqueur’s color.
How Do You Flip the Shot Without the Liquor Mixing Right Away?
Fill the shot glass with liquor, place a coaster on top, and flip it firmly. Slide the inverted shot through the bottom opening of the beer glass until its base rests against the inside floor. The density difference between beer and liquor keeps the liquids separated at first.
What Is the Drinking Experience Like in the Inverted Version?
As you drink, the liquor releases from the base and rises gradually through the beer. This creates a flavor progression that starts mild with the cold beer and intensifies as the liquor level climbs. It is the most visual and dramatic version of the classic submarino.
Submarino Variations
| Version | Beer | Liquor | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic | Pale Pilsner | Pisco or whisky | Balanced, easy to drink |
| Blue submarino | Pale Pilsner | Blue mint liqueur | Sweet, striking visual effect |
| Yellow submarino | Pale Pilsner | Chartreuse or limoncello | Herbal, more complex |
| Inverted submarino | Pilsner or stout | Mint or vodka | Flavor progression from base to top |
| With dark beer | Stout or porter | Aged rum | Robust, pronounced bitterness |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is a shot glass and why does its size matter so much?
A shot glass holds between 30 and 60 ml. Its size is critical here, it needs to be small enough to fit inside the beer glass, but heavy enough to sink quickly and create the gravity-driven mixing effect.
2. What makes a Pilsner style beer right for this cocktail?
It’s a pale, clear, highly carbonated lager. It’s preferred for submarino because its transparency lets you watch the liquor’s color spread, and its fizz helps carry the spirit’s aroma up to the drinker’s nose.
3. Can I make it with a dark or craft stout instead?
Yes, but the visual effect is almost completely lost. A dark beer has coffee and chocolate notes that pair very well with a mint or cream de cacao submarino, though the “magic” of watching the small glass sink will disappear behind the opaque liquid.
4. How do I keep the small glass from breaking when I drop it in?
It’s a common worry, but physics is on your side. The beer’s density and foam act as a liquid cushion. As long as you release the shot from the surface, not from high above, and the beer glass is thick glass, the impact is absorbed with no risk of breaking.
5. What is the best order to drink it in if it doesn’t mix right away?
If you use the inverted method, the liquor stays trapped at the bottom. Just drink normally, as the beer level drops, the pressure shifts and the liquor starts escaping, making the last third of the drink the most intense and sweet, closing out the experience with a punch.
Did You Know?
Pilsner style beer traces back to the mid-19th century, when in 1838 a group of Czech brewers joined forces to produce a higher quality beer, resulting in the first pale lager in history.
