Willy Wonka Oompa Loompa Cocktail
With the release of the 2023 Wonka, I’ve created 4 Willy Wonka Movie themed cocktails for you. This one is the orange and green layered Oompa Loompa inspired drink.
Willy Wonka might be all about chocolate and candy. But at the heart of it all is magic and pure imagination. (mind the pun) So instead of eating your Wonka themed confections, why not drink them?
It all started with Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory, starring Gene Wilder who in my opinion was the best Wonka to date, was released in the early 70s. 1971 to be exact. The first remake of the movie, Charlie and the chocolate factory starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka was released in 2005.
As a side note, I really couldn’t take that movie serious. Johnny Depp is a fantastic actor but that character was just too weird.
What I’m trying to say is that it makes sense that a lot of adults will be excited for this third movie - Wonka.
And yes, us adults love chocolate. But we also love cocktails.
Home Movie Release
Let’s be honest with ourselves, yes a trip out to the Cinema is great, but there’s a cost of living crisis meaning most of us will just be waiting for the 2023 Wonka to be released on streaming platforms. I’m looking at your Amazon Prime and Disney+.
That does not mean we have to have a lesser experience. In-fact, we can make the whole thing more of an experience! We can dress up head to toe in purple without feeling embarrassed and pause to pee if we so wish. Even more importantly, we can make Wonka themed cocktails and magically drinks from the comfort of our own homes.
In which case you’re in the right place. I’ve covered movie cocktails before, check out these 7 movie inspired drinks to learn more. But today it’s all about Wonka.
How the Oompa Loompa Cocktail was inspired by Wonka
This Oompa Loompa cocktail was actually the first idea I had which sparked this whole menu of Wonka themed cocktails for you to choose from.
When you think Wonka, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, usually, you think of the main man himself. Mr Willy Wonka. Which inspired this Wonka cocktail.
But you can’t have Wonka without having an Oompa Loompa. Catchy songs and quirky dances, the movie just wouldn’t be the same without them. And I personally am thrilled that they’ve kept the 2023 Wonka release true to the original in terms of the Oompa Loompas. Honestly, those 2005 versions were awful.
That being said Hugh Grant playing an Oompa Loompa… Not sure how I feel about that.
Though I am writing this BEFORE the movie release so who knows, maybe he’ll be fantastic! It sure looks like it from the trailer.
Speaking of the Wonka Trailer
In the Wonka trailer we see the Oompa Loompa with a little fold out cocktail cabinet.
Now I’m the drinks guy so of course this perked my attention. It got me thinking what cocktail an Oompa Loompa would have. And if I were to make a Wonka themed cocktail, A) How wonderful that would be to drink whilst watching the movie, and B) What would that look like.
It’s safe to say things got out of control as this is 1 of 4 Wonka inspired cocktails I’ve made. But this was the first one.
Basically I just wanted it to look as much like an Oompa Loompa as possible. Meaning an orange drink with a green top. Which is where layering came into play.
How To Layer Cocktails
The key is for the liquid you’re layering to be added lightly and as spread out as you can. To do this, take a spoon and put it just above the liquid you’re layering on.
Top tip: having the spoon backwards (so the inside of the spoon is facing down) helps a lot.
Then slowly pour your layering liquid on top. What will happen is it will run over the back of the spoon and spread over the full surface area instead of just being poured in one spot which can be quite heavy.
It also helps if you have a bar spoon like this. The flat end can be used for layering. If you’re shopping from the USA, this is the spoon you want.
It also helps if you have a speed pourer so you can pour slowly. Speed pourers are very cheap so its worth picking a few up. Don’t bother spending a lot of money of speed pourers, they serve one job, you don’t need it to be fancy. Just get these ones from amazon if you’re UK based, or for you USA based folk, get these ones.
How to layer ANY liquid
For layering any liquid, the key is density. The more lighter a liquid is, the more likely it is to float. Trying to float 2 liquids with the same density (such as water) would be impossible. They’d just mix together, you can’t stop that. But if one of the liquids is more dense, a slow pour will layer on top.
The bigger the differences in density the crisper the layer.
And what makes the biggest difference in the density of liquid? Sugar.
The more sugar in a liquid the heavier it is. So all you really have to do is put the liquid with the most sugar at the bottom, and the liquid with the least sugar at the top.
I have a chart to help with this. Click here, it’ll take you to my alcohol density chart which lists the most popular types of alcohol from the least dense to the most. It’ll also explain more about density in liquids. I just picked an orange liquid from the bottom of the chart and a green one from above.
To use it for making your own layered drinks. Just make sure whatever is being layered on top is further up on the chart then the one below.
Alcohol Density Chart
Once you’ve perfected your layered drinks, check out these recipes;
Flag shots. Here are my 5 layered flag shots.
As for the cocktails, start by checking out my layered Ukraine flag cocktail here.
Baby Guinness
Don’t forget to check out the B52’s older and more popular brother, the Baby Guinness.
B52 Shot
Finally, a must tried layered drink is the ever so popular B52 Shot.
Ingredients and Tools
For the Oompa Loompa Cocktail
#1 Lime Juice
Citrus is important for the majority of cocktails and this is no exception. So pick up some fresh limes ready for squeezing.
#2 Orange Juice
This will give us that orange look and flavor we’re after. However, if you look at an Oompa Loompa for long enough, you’ll see that they’re much darker orange, more like a red orange, like a bad spray tan. So we’ll get closer to that look when we add our sweet component…
#3 Passionfruit Syrup
Speaking of, this is it. Orange and passionfruit is a great combination which works perfect for this Wonka themed Oompa Loompa cocktail as the combination of both of these with lime juice creates the perfect color. It also creates a perfect sweetness for our bottom layer.
#4 Vodka
This is a Vodka based Wonka cocktail. Why? Because we want a clean base. we’re wanting to be tasting passionfruit, lime and orange. So vodka works great for just adding some balance, cutting through that sourness and upping the ABV a little bit.
You can use any Vodka you want. I’d suggest something middle shelf such as Absolut or Stoli. It’s also going to bring down the density of our second layer so we get that orange on the bottom, green on the top look. Like an Oompa Loompa.
However, vodka is not green. So we need another ingredient.
#5 Melon Liqueur
Melon liqueur will pair beautifully with our orange and passionfruit as well as turning that second layer green. So just make sure you get a green liqueur like Midori.
For the Serve and Garnishing
That about covers the ingredients for this Oompa Loompa cocktail inspired by Willy Wonka, but let’s cover some other basics to get you started:
#1 Short Glass
Your also going to need some glassware. I’d recommend a short glass for this cocktail which is clear (nothing crystal) so you can really see those layers.
As for why a short glass, well, Oompa Loompas are short…
The Exact Glass I Used
#2 Cocktail Shaker Set
Next, you’re going to need a cocktail shaker as this is a shaken cocktail. If you don’t already own a cocktail shaker, I’d recommend picking up a Boston shaker, which is a tin on tin styled shaker. That being said read this article about the 4 different styles of cocktail shakers so you can better decide which shaker will suit you.
And if this is your first shaker, get a set so you have everything you need and can upgrade each piece to suit yourself.
My Recommendation
If you’re not ready to make the plunge into buying a cocktail shaker, then use a jar with a tight fitting lid, or any similar container with a tight fitting lid that you can fill with ice and liquid and shake without it coming loose.
#3 Cocktail Spoon
Finally, you’ll need a bar spoon for the second layer. If you’ve read the article on layering drinks and cocktails, you’ll understand why this is important. It’s built for layering.
You can get away with a regular spoon, especially for this cocktail as it is served short. But I always recommend having a bar spoon regardless. Just a basic one will work perfect.
Basic Bar Spoon
Variations
Green Candy Floss
This is actually a suggestion if you’re not confident with the layering. Though I do think you should give it a go! For this, get rid of the green layer entirely and add the vodka with the main cocktail, shake it all together, then top your drink with green candy floss like I did in my cocktail course with the Spray Tan cocktail.
For that I didn’t use green candy floss, but it gives you can idea of what you can do. A lot of apple candy floss will be green if you can find it.
The spirit base
Another way to switch this up and add some extra flavor is to swap out the vodka base. Tequila would make an interesting variation as would gin.
Feel free to get creative and mess around with your favorite spirits to see what works best for you.
Tips and Tricks
Pre-batching - Make in advance
If you love this recipe and plan on having a few, or you’re hosting a Wonka watching party and don’t want to be pausing constantly to mix up cocktails, then I’d suggest pre-batching.
To do this, multiple all the ingredients by as many cocktails as you plan on making. Then store it in 2 bottles with closed caps (one orange layer pre batch, one green layer pre batch) and keep refrigerated. This can be done the night before.
When it comes to serving, simply pour out the required amount, shake, strain, and layer.
More Willy Wonka Inspired Cocktails
As mentioned, this is just 1 of many Willy Wonka inspired cocktails I’ll be sharing with you.
For something chocolatey and purple - check out the Wonka cocktail.
For something sweet and sour that tastes like candy - check out the Candy Cocktail
For something Fizzy and fun - check out the Fizzy Lifting Cocktail.
If you just want to scan through all the cocktails with advance for hosting your own Wonka watching party, then check out the full list of Wonka inspired cocktails here.
More Movie Inspired Cocktails
At this point I think I’m slowly becoming the movie cocktail guy. I’ve been creating movie inspired cocktails for as long as this website has been a thing. I cover quite a lot of these on this article here about all the popular movie themed and inspired cocktails you can make.
But every now and again I like to really dedicate some time to certain movies and shows. Such as these Charlie and the Chocolate Factory/Willy Wonka themed drink recipes.
I’ve done everything from the Baby Yoda cocktail to the Cruella De Vil Cocktail. Check out the recipes below for the full range.
The Oompa Loompa Cocktail Recipe
Oompa Loompa Cocktail
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients for the bottom layer in a cocktail shaker and shake well with ice.
- Strain the mix in a short rocks glass filled to the top with ice.
- For the second layer, mix the vodka and melon liqueur in a glass or jug then slowly pour the mix over the back of a bar spoon on top of your orange layer.
Notes
If you're struggling with the layers, check out this free guide on how to understand and layer any liquid.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
316.84Fat
6.76 gSat. Fat
4.11 gCarbs
31.22 gFiber
0.93 gNet carbs
30.3 gSugar
28.42 gProtein
1.76 gSodium
21.83 mgCholesterol
4.25 mgThe nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
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Hi, I’m Cameron, guv’nor of Smartblend. If you liked this then you’re in luck, I have a bunch more recipes like it. I share only vegetarian and pescatarian food recipes, cocktails, and drink guides with a sprinkling of wellness and mindful drinking. If that sounds like you, then stick around!
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