Boilermaker Drink

By Steve Kilcullen Jump to Recipe

The classic, blue-collar combo of a shot and a beer helps to melt away the stress after a hard day of work.

Some summers, when I was wee, we’d spend some time in a cute, seaside community on Long Island, New York. We had family friends who lived there in a house that was right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. So close we were, that us kids even called them Grandma and Grandpa. When we got older and found out they weren’t actually related to us, I was crushed.

Remember the town of Amity in the movie Jaws? That’s what their neighborhood looked like. Right by the beach, too. It was heavenly. A movie theater with a giant Mr. Spock painted on the front was always fun to see. I would stay in my “uncle’s” old bedroom, which was adorned with model airplanes and other toys he had as a kid. It felt less like a museum and more like legitimate time travel being in that home.

One rainy afternoon, I was sitting on the floor, watching Popeye cartoons and also listening to Grandpa (no relation) entertain a buddy of his who was over. Grandpa was a retired mailman, and was always friendly and open. That day I heard him talk about how great a Boilermaker was at the end of a long day, and his friend concurred. After lamenting that nowadays the cheapest Boilermaker you can get at the bar is for “a buck and a quarter” – which I still think is a great deal – they both decided to throw down on their own, right then and there.

I turned to see exactly what a Boilermaker was. I imagined some weird, misty-looking potion served in an old-timey iron goblet or something, maybe even a miniature diving helmet. What I saw was a shot of whiskey and a glass of beer. “Oh”, I thought. Grandpa smirked, winked, and slammed his shot before taking a generous pull from his oat soda.

Such a simple combination with an interesting and evocative name. It’s weird all the things that can pop up in the old noodle when you come across the word Boilermaker. As I got older, I learned that the classic pairing of “a shot and a beer” was named that in the 1930s, as a salute to the ironworkers who crafted and produced the giant boilers for locomotive trains.

So let’s have a shot and a beer right now, a classic Boilermaker. We’ll toast to the ironworkers and a friendly old salt we called Grandpa.

What is the Best Alcohol to Use for a Boilermaker Drink?

Everybody has their favorite beer, ale or lager. For this drink, pick your preferred bottle of brew. I love a pale ale or a citrus-infused wheat beer. For the shot, our recipe suggests either a rye whiskey or a bourbon. A rye will be spicy, and some will have peppery notes of cinnamon, while bourbon will be sweeter and more robust because of the aged oak flavors, coupled with hints of vanilla and caramel.

What glassware and garnish to use?

For the Boilermaker, you’ll need a standard-sized shot glass for the whiskey and a pint glass for the beer.

Is it necessary to drop the shot into the beer itself?

There are some “shot-and-a-beer” recipes that do call for the shooter part to be submerged into the suds, but for the Boilermaker it’s totally up to you.

Boilermaker Drink Variations

Need your drinks to be uncomplicated? Does the idea of a third ingredient make you anxious? Can’t decide between shaking or stirring? Is the Boilermaker the kind of “cocktail” you like? Then you’ll definitely want to try out some of these other simple and satisfying two-part beverages.

• Black and Tan – Do you like a beer that also includes another beer? Pale ale and dark stout make up this delicious tipple.
• Irish Car Bomb – Baileys and Guinness combine in this deadly drink with a controversial name.
• Tequila and Beer – This refreshing treat has, you guessed it, tequila and beer along with triple sec and lime juice.
• Corona Sunrise – A bubbly brew version of a Tequila Sunrise.