What ingredients are in a Bob Marley?

1/2 oz Midori melon liqueur, 1/2 oz Jagermeister, 1/2 oz Goldschlager

What glass do you use for a Bob Marley?

A Bob Marley is traditionally served in a Shot glass.

How strong is a Bob Marley?

A Bob Marley has an estimated ABV of 25.74%.

How many calories are in a Bob Marley?

A Bob Marley contains approximately 134 calories per serving.

What are the ingredients in a Bob Marley cocktail?

The Bob Marley cocktail is a layered shot or cocktail typically made with grenadine, Midori melon liqueur (or green crème de menthe), and a rum or coconut rum float to represent the red, gold, and green of the Rastafari and Jamaican flag. Some versions use banana liqueur in place of Midori. The ingredients are carefully layered by density to create distinct coloured bands.

How are the colours layered in a Bob Marley cocktail?

The layering technique relies on the different densities of each ingredient: grenadine (heaviest) is poured first, then Midori or green liqueur is floated over the back of a spoon, and finally the rum or lightest ingredient is added on top. The drink is served without stirring so the bands remain visible. Presentation is the defining feature — the red, gold, and green layers pay direct homage to Jamaican and Rastafarian colours.

Is the Bob Marley cocktail officially associated with the reggae legend?

The Bob Marley cocktail is a tribute drink created in honour of the Jamaican reggae icon, not an officially licensed product. It uses the symbolism of Marley's Jamaican heritage — including the island's national colours and rum as a nod to Caribbean culture. Tribute cocktails named after celebrities and cultural figures are a longstanding bartending tradition, and this one reflects Marley's enduring global influence.

Sequenced from the melon-green of Midori through the dark herbal Jägermeister to the gold-flecked cinnamon of Goldschläger, the Bob Marley is a layered shot whose strata evoke the red, gold, and green palette associated with the reggae icon. At close to 26 percent ABV it is a strong shooter, combining melon sweetness, herbal bitterness, and cinnamon spice in a single glass. The visual effect of the three distinct bands is as central to its appeal as the flavors, and careful layering is required to keep the spirits separate during the pour.

Bob Marley

Glass Shot glass

Difficulty Easy

Calories ~134 kcal

ABV 25.74%

Ingredients

Instructions

Layer in a 2 oz shot glass or pony glass

Tropical Sweet

Bob Marley is a colorful layered shot that sequences the melon-green Midori, the dark herbal Jägermeister, and the gold-flecked cinnamon of Goldschläger in a layered presentation that evokes the reggae icon's red, gold, and green color palette. At 25.74% ABV, it is a strong and intensely flavored shooter with a memorable combination of melon, herbal bitterness, and cinnamon. The visual effect of the three distinct layers is central to the drink's appeal.

History & Origins

Bob Marley is a bar-culture shot created as a tribute to the legendary Jamaican reggae musician Bob Marley, with the three layers representing the colors of the Rastafarian movement and the Jamaican flag — green (Midori), gold (Goldschläger), and interpreted dark (Jägermeister). Its precise origin is disputed, though it belongs to the 1980s and 1990s trend for celebrity-tribute and color-themed layered shots. No single credited inventor has been established.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Sweet honeydew melon from the Midori, the complex herbal bitterness of Jägermeister, and warm cinnamon spice from the Goldschläger. Palate: Distinctly layered flavors — melon sweetness, then herbal-bitter complexity, then cinnamon warmth; the combination is unusual but surprisingly balanced. Finish: Warm and spicy, with lingering cinnamon and herbal notes.

melon herbal cinnamon sweet layered

Pro Tip

Pour each layer carefully over an inverted spoon in order: Midori first, then Jägermeister, then Goldschläger on top for the classic color-gradient presentation.

Data verified October 2016

Nutrition Facts →

Embed on your site — CocktailFYI

Add the widget to any webpage using a script tag.

<div data-cocktailfyi="recipe" data-slug="bob-marley"></div>
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/cocktailfyi-embed@1/dist/embed.min.js" defer></script>

Embed using a standard iframe — works in any CMS.

<iframe src="https://cocktailfyi.com/iframe/recipe/bob-marley/" width="100%" height="480" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" title="CocktailFYI recipe widget"></iframe>

Paste the URL into WordPress, Medium, or any oEmbed-aware editor.

https://cocktailfyi.com/recipes/bob-marley/

Add a badge linking back to CocktailFYI.

<a href="https://cocktailfyi.com/recipes/bob-marley/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
  <img src="https://cocktailfyi.com/badge/site.svg" alt="CocktailFYI" height="20">
</a>

Preview:

Use the CocktailFYI WordPress plugin shortcode.

[drinkfyi-recipe site="cocktailfyi" slug="bob-marley"]

Use as a native HTML custom element in modern browsers.

<cocktailfyi-recipe slug="bob-marley" theme="light"></cocktailfyi-recipe>
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/cocktailfyi-embed@1/dist/embed.min.js" defer></script>

Docs →