Boilermaker

I was wracking my brain trying to think of a classic cocktail that would be good for the Superbowl, but the only thing people seem to drink during the big game is beer. So then I started to wonder if there was such a cocktail. I mean, I’ve already done the Black & Tan and the Black Velvet doesn’t really seem like something you’re going to want to pound while screaming at the television. But then I looked a little further and found the perfect cocktail – the Boilermaker.

Why is it the perfect football party cocktail? Because it’s absolutely something you can (and should) drink between plays. This is not a sipping cocktail like the martini or champagne cocktail. This is something you pound during a scoring drive. Although it may have you spinning once you’ve downed it, that may be a good thing, especially if your team has just fumbled the ball for the fourteenth time (not that I’m speaking from experience or anything).

And if you’re worried it’s a tough drink to mix up, don’t. It’s so easy in fact, you won’t even have to play bartender. Just leave out the shot glasses, mugs, whiskey and beer and let your guests do all the pouring. They can either shoot the whiskey and then drink the beer or combine the two and chug them both together. Either way, by the time they’ve downed their cocktail, they won’t care what the score is.

If you’re curious as to how or why this is a classic, look no further than Pittsburgh in the 1800’s. It was the height of the Industrial Revolution and plenty of steel workers would hit the bars after a long day at the mills. Their drink(s) of choice? A shot and a beer, also known as a one-and-one. Why? Because their time was short and this drink got the job (of getting toasted) done quickly. Although it’s unclear how the term “boilermaker” came to be associated with this drink, one popular theory swirls around an English blacksmith by the name Richard Trevithick. It’s said that Trevithick decided to test out his new steam-powered vehicle one Christmas night. Of course it was a success and of course a celebration ensued at the local pub. But in all his excitement and drunken frivolity Trevithick and his friends forgot to douse the fire in the boiler. When they returned they found the vehicle to be no more than a pile of twisted rubble.

In order to assure you don’t end up with your own pile of twisted rubble, make sure you have this drink before half time or designate a driver. Then drop your shot, pound your drink and score!

Boilermaker

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. beer
• 2 oz. whiskey

Directions:

1. Fill a shot glass with your favorite whiskey. Fill a mug with your favorite beer.
2. Drop the whiskey shot into the mug of beer and drink immediately.