Flaming Moe or Homer Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 07/22/21
Flaming Moe (or Homer) Mixed Drink From The Simpsons

The Spruce / S&C Design Studios
Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
442 Calories
0g Fat
49g Carbs
0g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 442
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 146mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 49g 18%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 47g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 60mg 301%
Calcium 7mg 1%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 292mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

The Flaming Moe debuted on "The Simpsons" in 1991 and it has been a drink that many people have since tried to recreate. There really is no "real" recipe for it, but there are a few common mixes and this recipe is one of the better tasting options.

The "Flaming Moe's" episode (Season 3, Episode 10, 1991) is one of the most popular and talked about in the long life of the TV show. In the episode, Homer created the drink and called it the Flaming Homer. Moe stole the recipe, renamed it the Flaming Moe, and it became a hit in his bar. The drink has been a phenomenon ever since. If you're going to try it, it should go without saying that high-proof rum is preferred over the cartoon's cough syrup!

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Pour all ingredients except the rum in a highball glass.

  3. Stir.

  4. Float the rum on the top.

  5. Ignite with a match and extinguish before drinking. Serve and enjoy.

The Creation of the Flaming Homer

What is actually in "The Simpsons'" original Flaming Moe (or Homer)? The show doesn't say. In the Flaming Moe episode, Homer describes it in a flashback: "I decided to mix the little bits that were left in every liquor bottle. In my haste, I had grabbed a bottle of the kids' cough syrup. It passed the first test—I didn't go blind. I don't know the scientific explanation, but fire made it good."

The astute viewer—with easy access to the pause and rewind controls—will notice a few of the ingredients: tequila, green creme de menthe, schnapps (assumed to be peppermint), two unknown miniature bottles (one simply says "In-Flight"), an unlabeled purple bottle, and Krusty's Non-Narkotik Kough Syrup for Kids.

In true Homer Simpson fashion, you really should be making this drink out of the droppings left in your liquor cabinet.

Tip

You can order a Flaming Moe at Moe's Tavern inside the Universal Studios Florida theme park. However, you will actually get an orange soda-like drink served over dry ice for a smoky, bubbling effect. Fun, but no booze...sorry, it's kid-friendly!

Can You Flame Cough Syrup?

Let's just remember that "The Simpsons" is a fictional show and it is a cartoon. As any fan knows, Krusty's products were not always the safest either.

Cough syrups in the real world do not have enough alcohol to catch on fire. NyQuil Liquid has just 10 percent alcohol and that's one of the strongest available. If you have ever made a flaming drink, then you know that a 151-proof rum is typically used to top it off. That is 75.5 percent alcohol by volume and a big difference from the likes of NyQuil.

How Strong Is a Flaming Moe?

You can certainly try to drink a Flaming Moe in one shot, but it's a very tall drink, mixing up to about 5 ounces. Plus, with all that liquor, it's very strong with an alcohol content around 27 percent ABV (54 proof). To put that in perspective, it's like drinking a B-52 shot, only a lot more to get down in one swallow!