Irish Car Bomb, The Most Controversial Whiskey Cocktail
Image Credit: Irish Slammer Cocktail, Eater.com

At regular intervals, a few alcoholic drinks are produced that cause massive uproars and debates in the realm of alcoholic libations. Whiskey, which has been distilled for hundreds of years, is a popular choice among bartenders. But this boozy beverage is not without its critics. The Irish Car Bomb is a drink that has provoked much controversy for whiskey. As may be seen, the name alludes to a contentious event. Many bartenders consider this a "drink they'd rather not make." Let's learn how this cocktail came into existence, its debated tales and many shocking facts.

Various identities

There are a variety of aliases for an Irish car bomb. Irish Slammer, Irish Bomb Shot, and Dublin Drop are just a few of the names for this drink. A bomb shot of Irish cream and whiskey is dropped into a glass of Irish stout to create this drink, similar to a boilermaker.

Decoding the name: Links to bombing

The drink gets its "Irish" moniker since it is generally made with Irish liquors, including Guinness stout, Jameson Irish Whiskey and Baileys Irish Cream. The phrase "car bomb" alludes both to the bomb shot technique used to create it and to the notorious car bombings that occurred during Ireland's Troubles. Several bartenders refuse to serve it because they find the name insulting.

Alcoholic beverages that make Irish Car Bomb cocktail, Image Source: attemptsindomesticity

The inventor 

The Irish Car Bomb may be associated with wild St. Patrick's Day celebrations, yet it is offensive to many Irish people and Americans. Charles Burke Cronin Oat created it in Connecticut's Wilson's Saloon in 1979.  The Irish Car Bomb is a spin on Oat's Grandfather shot, which combines Bailey's Irish Cream and Kahlua. After incorporating Jameson into the shot, he rechristened it the "IRA." Dropping the IRA shot into a pint of Guinness spurred Oat to dub it the Belfast Car Bomb, also known as the Irish Car Bomb, due to the little explosion that occurred when the shot glass hit the beer. Whether it has anything to do with the car bombs that the Irish Republican Army detonated in Belfast on July 21, 1972, in an attack on Northern Ireland, remains a question!

Irish Car Bomb Recipe

Irish cream and whiskey shot dropping into beer, Image Source: Howcast@YouTube

Ingredients

  • 3/4 ounce or 22 ml Irish cream liqueur
  • 3/4 ounce or 22 ml Irish whiskey
  • 1/2 pint Guinness beer

Method

  • Slowly pour the whisky and Baileys into a shot glass to form a layered texture and form
  • Pour half a pint of Guinness into a tall pint glass and wait for the foam to settle. When it's time to indulge, simply submerge the shot glass in the Guinness and down it as quickly as possible.

Words of caution

  • Never order this drink by its original name, especially in Ireland. 
  • Don't chug it like any other cocktail. Two drinks are enough
  • Don't let the cocktail sit idle, the Irish cream tends to curdle. Drink it instantly!