Boilermaker
ClassicA shot of whiskey and a beer to chase it — the honest workingman's classic.
Bold and bracing. The whiskey lands warm and spiced, and the cold, malty lager washes it down and softens the burn — the beer's carbonation and bitterness resetting the palate between sips. There is nothing subtle here: it is strength and comfort in two glasses, greater than the sum of its parts.
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Bourbon
- 12 oz Lager
- None · optional garnish
Method
- 1
Pour the cold lager into a pint glass.
- 2
Pour the whiskey into a separate shot glass.
- 3
Drink the whiskey, then chase it with the beer — or drop the shot glass into the beer and drink it down.
- 4
Serve ice-cold and drink it down — no fuss.
The Story
The Boilermaker is bar shorthand for the simplest of pairings: a shot of whiskey and a beer. The name points to its blue-collar roots — the boilermakers, steelworkers and miners of American and British industry who wanted a cheap, warming, no-nonsense drink at the end of a shift. There are two schools: sip the whiskey and chase it with beer, or drop the whole shot glass into the pint and drink the lot (that second, rowdier version travels under names like the Depth Charge). Utterly unpretentious, it has outlived every cocktail fashion by never pretending to be one.
Recipe card
The whole recipe in one shareable image.
