How Word Of Mouth Kept The Death Flip Cocktail Alive

When the Death Flip was first listed on the menu at Melbourne's Black Pearl, the ingredients were intentionally left out. "A lot of your guests tell you they don't like cocktails with tequila, Jägermeister, or chartreuse in them. That can be frustrating. So you decide to make a cocktail with tequila, Jägermeister, and chartreuse in it," the drink's creator Chris Hysted-Adams explained to Bartender.

Slurrp admits the alcohol required to make a Death Flip cocktail looks pretty intimidating — a roster that might require a dare to drink. Quite unexpectedly, however, this cocktail isn't nearly as deathly as it sounds; in fact, the recipe is silky and rich, like a boozy eggnog you'd serve to adults at a dinner party.

The flip's original description — "You don't want to meet this cocktail in a dark alley" — could have contributed to its rise to a modern-day classic, notes Punch, but thanks to certain circles, an ingredient list wasn't needed to push this drink into cocktail fame.

American bartender Erick Castro came across the Death Flip during travels in Europe and noticed something in particular about the way it grew in popularity, Punch explains. "Loads and loads of bartenders seemed to be enamored with the recipe, but ironically it remained largely a mystery stateside," Castro recalled to Punch. After trying the drink for himself, he too was captivated and began advocating for the drink's success. 

Steve the Bartender explains the unlikely roster of booze would scare off many bar-goers, but word of mouth always prevails. Difford's Guide describes the Death Flip as complex and endearing, largely due its place within the "flip" category of drinks, a group of cocktails that contain egg, sugar, and some spirit or fortified wine. 

Sip carefully, warns Steve the Bartender, as the sweet, creamy drink doesn't taste like it packs in tequila, chartreuse, and Jägermeister. Thanks to that dash of simple syrup, the velvety texture from the egg, and a light sprinkle of ground nutmeg, it's easy to see how revelers might be lulled into a false sense of imbibing security.