But barroom banter can descend into a deep freeze when one popular St Patrick’s Day drink is called for: the Irish Car Bomb, which consists of a shot of Irish whiskey, Bailey’s Irish Cream and sometimes Kahlúa, served alongside (or dropped into) a pint of Guinness.
While the Troubles that long plagued Northern Ireland and Britain may be a distant memory to US millennials, the mere mention of the cocktail can still get some drinkers’ backs up. The drink is least popular in the UK, where many still keenly remember the violence and deaths provoked by the decades-long conflict.
Perhaps more than any other cocktail, the Irish Car Bomb is a drink with a split reputation dictated entirely by nationality. In 2014, a bar in Oxford, England, was compelled to rescind a promotion featuring the drink in the face of public outcry. In the US, meanwhile, it is consumed by feckless millions who harbor no qualms about the indelicacy of the name. (So accepted is the drink on these shores that Irish Car Bomb cupcakes are popular seasonal treats.)
From: The Irish Car Bomb: the controversial drink with a split reputation | Life and style | The Guardian
“An Irish Car Bomb” sounds like the setup for a racist joke.Report
I don’t know about the Irish Car Bomb, but I do know that my wife claimed there was a car bomb variant (uses a lot of lime I think) that was frequently deployed by waitstaff to get rid of the drunks who can’t figure out it’s closing time.
The lime would curdle the Bailey’s in your mouth, which was apparently not the best texture when you’re sober and recognize chemistry is a thing.
She said convincing the drunk and/or tipsy to try one generally led to them agreeing the night was over. (This was way back in her college days, and she was also clear that the drunk people in a chain restaurant at 1:30 in the morning aren’t going to tip anyways, so giving them a drink that makes several of them turn a funny color of green just means you close faster…)Report
The “Cement Mixer”?Report
Oh that’s it! Not a car bomb, cement mixer.Report
“I’ll have a Paul Walker.”
“What’s a Paul Walker?”
“It’s an Irish Car Bomb followed by a Fireball.”
“I’ve ne…. ohhhhhhhh!”Report