The Boilermaker started out as a nothing-fancy drink consumed by blue collar workers after a factory shift some 200 years ago. It remains, at its core, a drink best drunk shoulder-to-shoulder along the bar at a local joint.
When heading down the block is out of the question, a Boilermaker is all the more necessary to remind us of those better nights amongst strangers and friends alike. And, we gotta admit, it complements the desperate mood of the hour. As far as whiskey-and-beer pairings go, here are a few recommendations, although there is quite literally no way to mess this one up.
Wild Turkey 101 rye whiskey, chased with cheap lager
Maker's Mark bourbon, chased with amber ale
Jameson Irish whiskey, chased with Belgian pale ale
Laphroaig 10 Year Old single malt scotch, chased with IPA
There are two ways to do a Boilermaker:
The first asks you to slam a shot of whiskey then drink a beer
The second has you dunking your shot of whiskey into your beer, then chugging that.
Both are efficient and neither is wrong (although for the sake of taste, you might want to keep them separate).
Then, like nicotine in your blood or a bucket of cold water to the face, you're feeling more alive than you did however long it took you to down the beer ago. The alcohol is only a part of it.
The physicality of a Boilermaker—that vigorous arm motion, the slamming of the glassware, that gasp for air afterwards—is what gets you flying.
Boilermaker Review
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