Irish Car Bomb

Irish car bomb cocktail
Patrick Spears/Supercall
Patrick Spears/Supercall

Pro bar tip: Never order an Irish Car Bomb while in Ireland (or from an Irish bartender). Though the shot-and-beer combo doesn’t mean to offend (it only means to get you tipsy), its name is a rather insensitive reference to a dark era in Ireland’s history. Invented in America (not Ireland) on St. Patrick’s Day in 1976 at Billy Wilson’s, a Norwalk, Connecticut, bar, the name of the drink references its Irish ingredients and the way in which the cocktail is consumed: You drop a shot glass filled with Irish cream (usually Baileys) and Irish whiskey (usually Jameson) into a pint of Guinness (creating a type of liquid “explosion”) and chug. It’s a good, fun drink—it just happens to have a terrible name. So, if you’re craving the sweet, malty party drink, try making your own at home. Simply mix some Irish whiskey and Irish cream in a shot glass, drop it into a half pint of Guinness Stout and chug away. Then do everyone a favor and try and come up with a better name for the drink—one that doesn’t make any mention of violence or terrorism.

Irish Car Bomb

FLAVOR PROFILE
Sweet
STRENGTH
DIFFICULTY
easy

INGREDIENTS

  • .5 oz Irish Whiskey
  • .5 oz Irish Cream
  • .5 pint Guinness

INSTRUCTIONS

Step one

Combine the whiskey and Irish cream in a shot glass.

Step two

Drop the shot into a pint glass filled with Guinness.

Step three

Drink.

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Mix It Up!

If you want to take the Depth Charge variation to the next level, opt for an out-of-the-box Irish whiskey and make your own Irish cream at home—it is extremely easy as long as you have a blender.