Where The Drink’s Name Comes From, And Where It’s Going (hint: My Belly)
The Irish Car Bomb is a tried and true recipe for any unruly BarWarrior. Nowadays, you can’t call it a car bomb without someone crying, “that’s offensive.” But f’k that. We all know what it is. The damn name has been around for almost a half century. That’s right, this drink is going on 50. And check it out, we all survived hearing it called an ICB.
Irish Car Bomb Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 ounce Irish whiskey
- 1/2 ounce Baileys Irish cream
- Guinness beer
- Pint glass
- Shot glass
Steps
- Pour the Guinness into the pint glass – only 3/4 of the way. Let it settle.
- Get a shot glass and add the Baileys first, then the whiskey second.
- Do it slowly!
- Drop the shot into a pint glass.
- Drink it quick before the cream curdles.
- And be careful of flying shot glasses!
History of the Irish Car Bomb
Created by Charles Burke Cronin Oat in 1979 at Wilson’s Saloon in Connecticut, the delicious shot of choice for many a rowdy BarWarrior quickly became a St. Patrick’s Day favorite across America. Unsurprisingly, the Navy helped drive the drink’s popularity. Sailors who frequented Wilson’s Saloon popularized the drink, which gained even more traction through a Guinness marketing blitz in the ’80s and ’90s. Nowadays, Guinness’ll disown anything to do with it. Damn shame, if you ask us.
Same as a Boilermaker?
The car bomb is basically a spin on the Boilermaker combining Irish whiskey, Baileys Irish cream, and Guinness (If you didn’t know that already, welcome. You must be new here). The name stems from the visual explosion of dropping the shot into a glass, and the fast-paced, knock-it-back drinking experience. Hell yeah.
Controversy
One sailor, a great friend and original BarWarrior, ordered the shot while he was stationed in Spain. “We need Irish Car Bombs!” He yelled. The Irish bartender quickly gave him a cross look. After a friendly back-and-forth, and a quick primer on Irish history, the Irish bartender asked, “How abouts we just call it the Irish slammer?” They agreed. And that’s the reason most folks call it the Dublin Drop or the Irish Shot.
Also known as the Dublin Drop or the Irish Shot.
Drink it Quick!
While some have phased out the drink’s original name (Oat himself has publicly regretted it), the concoction remains a hit in the Ole’ US of A. But be sure to drink it quick! The Irish cream curdles if left to mix with the acidic Guinness for too long. And be careful of the flying shot glass. Chicks dig scars, but not chipped teeth.
To make a car bomb, you’ll need: Irish whiskey, Baileys Irish cream and Guinness. The whiskey and Irish cream are combined in equal portions in the same shot glass, and then dropped into a half-full glass of Guinness. It works best to add the cream to the shot glass first, and then slowly layer the whiskey on top.
