Hard boiled: why not give the working man’s pick-me-up a shot?

Boilermaker, Herrengedeck, half-and-half, Irish Handcuffs – there’s hardly a drinking culture in the world that doesn’t have its own version of a beer and a shot. It’s not just a drink, it’s a ritual – that steady to-and-fro between thirst-quenching beer and fiery liquor refreshing and relaxing in equal measure. (If you drop the shot into the beer, as some are wont to do, you miss the whole point.)

It’s often claimed that the Boilermaker was invented in America – it was what locomotive engineers, or boilermakers, kicked back with after a hard day’s work. But drinks historian David Wondrich says the Irish and Scottish were enjoying similarly boozy double-headers as early as 1605.

You don’t need fancy ingredients to make a good Boilermaker. In fact, a cheap, weak lager, served ice-cold, is often a better match for a shot of tequila or bourbon than a big-hitting craft ale. But top bartenders can’t resist having a tinker. At Katana Kitten in New York’s West Village, I discovered Boilermakers with a Japanese twist: Toki whisky with an icy Sapporo lager, or lemon sake with a citrusy IPA. And Raised by Wolves in San Diego does a menu of Boilermakers ranging from the more traditional (Fall Brewing Company Pilsner + Old Grandad bourbon) to the unusual (Lindeman’s raspberry fruit beer + blanco tequila).

The Dutch version of the Boilermaker is known as a kopstoot (“headbutt”) and involves sipping a shot of genever (a juniper- flavoured spirit that tastes like a cross between gin and unaged whisky) with your hands behind your back, before washing it down with a Pilsner. They’ve been doing it like this for centuries at Amsterdam’s wonky little Wynand Fockink bar, which has teamed up with innovative Dutch brewer Lowlander Beer to create an IPA genever specially for the purpose.

Old Duff is another new craft genever made with the Boilermaker in mind. “Genever’s base – grain and botanicals, historically including hops – is mirrored in the components of beer,” says creator Philip Duff. “What grows together goes together, after all.” He recommends it with Pilsner Urquell or the hoppy IPA Lagunitas.

At London’s oldest whisky shop, Milroy’s, they’re also fans of the half-and-half. “Compass Box’s blended whisky Delilah is great with the tangy yuzu saison from Japan’s Kiuchi brewery,” says bar manager Chris Tanner. “But it doesn’t have to be whisky. I also love Père Magloire Calvados with a Sandford Orchards cider.” 

Bethnal Green’s Sun Tavern brewed an alcoholic ginger beer to go with its long list of Irish whiskeys. When I last checked, they were serving it with the new-wave Irish blend Slane. But the fun is to mix and match. 

 @alicelascelles