Boilermaker (beer cocktail)

The ingredients of the American version of a boilermaker.

A boilermaker can refer to two types of beer cocktail. In American terminology, the drink consists of a glass of beer and a shot of whiskey.^[1] The beer is either served as a chaser or mixed with the whiskey. When the beer is served as a chaser, the drink is often called simply a shot and a beer. In Philadelphia, it is commonly referred to as a Citywide Special, often combining Pabst Blue Ribbon or a similar inexpensive beer, with Old Crow Bourbon or another inexpensive whiskey.

In the United Kingdom, the term boilermaker refers to a half pint of draught mild mixed with a half pint of bottled brown ale.^[2] The use of the term in British pubs can be traced back to about 1920.^[3]

Drinking

There are a number of ways to drink an American boilermaker:

• Traditionally, the liquor is drunk in a single gulp and is then "chased" by the beer, which is sipped.^[4][5]

• The liquor and beer may be mixed by pouring or dropping the shot into the beer. The mixture may be stirred, if desired.^[4] If the full shot glass is dropped into the beer glass, the drink is known as a depth charge.
• The liquor may be poured directly into an open beer bottle or can after removing some of the beer.

Similar drinks

Other pairings of a shot and a beer are possible; traditional pairings include:

• Kopstootje (little headbutt), Dutch pairing of Jenever (Dutch gin) and beer,^[6] term attested 1943.^[7]

See also

• Bomb shot
• Yorsh

References

1. Walkart, C.G. (2002). National Bartending Center Instruction Manual. Oceanside, California: Bartenders America, Inc. p. 123.  ASIN: B000F1U6HG. “Serve whiskey in a shot glass with a glass of beer on the side as a chaser.”
2. "Collins English Dictionary". Retrieved 7 August 2013.
3. Partridge, Eric (1937). A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, Edition 8, 2002. Routledge. p. 111. ISBN 978-0415291897.
4. Hellmich, Mittie (2006). The Ultimate Bar Book: The Comprehensive Guide to Over 1,000 Cocktails. Chronicle Books. pp. 93–94. ISBN 0-8118-4351-3.
5. Regan, Gary (2003). The Joy of Mixology (first ed.). New York: Clarkson Potter. p. 226. ISBN 0-609-60884-3.
6. Kopstootje: A Little Head Butt from Stillwater Artisanal Ales and Bols Genever, Jonathan Moxey
7. De pers in Nederland, H. A. Goedhart N.v. Nederlandsche uitgeverij "Opbouw,", 1943, [https://books.google.com/books?id=fCw0AAAAIAAJ&q=Kopstootje p. 162]