Irish Car Bomb
Ingredients:
Serve your car bomb in 1 Shot glass & 1 Pint glass
- 1/2 shot of Irish Cream (usually Bailey’s)
- 1/2 shot of Irish Whiskey (usually Jameson)
- Half a pint of Stout (usually Guinness)
Tools & Equipment
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How to Make
- Pour the Irish cream into a shot glass.
- Layer the Irish whiskey on top.
- Pour the half pint of stout into a pint glass.
- Instruct the drinker to drop (i.e. bomb) the shot glass into the half pint of stout and chug.
- Drink it as fast as you can!
About
It’s no secret that the Irish know how to drink so it might come as no surprise that such an alcohol heavy concoction should be named after them. But despite its name, the Irish car bomb was actually created in the United States by bartender Charles Oat in the late 1970’s.
It’s called an Irish Car Bomb because it uses all Irish ingredients – Irish cream, Irish whiskey and Guinness stout.
The Irish Car Bomb is meant to be chugged fast. The longer it sits there after it’s been ‘bombed,’ the worse it gets because the Bailey’s starts to curdle as soon as it hits the Guinness. It’s the acidic nature of the stout that causes this reaction, similar to the effect you see with the Brain Damage Shot and the cement mixer shooter.
If you want the drinker to suffer, mention nothing! But if you’d prefer to be nice, instruct the drinker to skull it fast as they can before the reaction has too long to take its place.
Irish Car Bomb Drink Controversy
It’s also worth noting that the Irish car bomb drink has some controversy attached to it. In fact, when thinking about the Irish car bomb history, the term ‘car bomb’ references both the style of shooter as well as the car bombings that took place during Northern Ireland’s troubles.
For that reason, some people find its name offensive and some bartenders have refused to serve it. Diageo Spirits company (they own both Bailey’s and Guinness) have publicly stated they don’t wish to associate themselves with Irish Car Bombs to avoid bad press.
It’s sometimes called an ‘Irish Slammer’, ‘Irish Bomb Shot’ or simply ‘Irish Bomb’ to avoid any controversy with the name of the Irish car bomb drink.
Irish Car Bomb Drink Variations
For the adventurous (and perhaps, the alcoholics), shoot an extra shot of Irish Whiskey before you drop the Irish Cream into the stout. Stick to the core Irish car bomb ingredients for the most authentic version of this popular shot.
