Zipperhead

The Zipperhead is made with Chambord raspberry liqueur, vodka, and soda water, built in a whiskey sour glass over ice with a straw inserted before pouring to maintain a layered presentation. Chambord provides a rich, dark berry sweetness with blackcurrant and raspberry complexity, while vodka supplies neutral strength and soda water adds length and carbonation. The layering technique creates a gradient from the deep raspberry liqueur to the clear soda.

A Zipperhead tastes primarily of sweet berry — blackcurrant, raspberry, and dark fruit — from the Chambord, with the vodka's neutral strength providing a clean alcoholic backbone and the soda water extending the drink into a long, refreshing format. When drunk through the straw without stirring, the drinker experiences concentrated Chambord first, then a progressively lighter vodka-soda finish. Stirred, it becomes a light, berry-forward long drink.

A Zipperhead made with a modest 0.5–1 oz Chambord (approximately 16.5% ABV) and 1–1.5 oz vodka (40% ABV) topped with soda water over ice results in a finished ABV of approximately 8–14%, depending on proportions. The soda water significantly dilutes the overall strength. It is a lighter-format drink designed for casual consumption rather than high-proof impact.