IRISH CAR BOMBS

Last Saturday was, of course, St. Patrick’s Day. Liz and I were in Yosemite for the National Association of Interpretation (park rangers, naturalists and the like) Region 9 Workshop. After a busy day of networking, amazing scenery, fluffy, fluffy snow and concurrent sessions, Liz and I teamed up for a kick-ass presentation on working with preschoolers. Then there was dinner, John Muir and a lively auction. Liz got a really cool beret and a six-pack of my beer went for $100. Thanks Mike!

Anyway, the evening was far from over. We retired across the way to Camp Curry’s rustic lodge. In the back room we gathered around a long table. We were well supplied with lots of Guinness Stout, Jameson’s Whiskey and Baleys Irish Cream. We had all the makings of the fabled and famous Irish Car Bomb.

Since this is the HEAD Society’s blog, I thought I’d touch on a little history. The Irish Car Bomb is a variation of the classic Boiler Maker. Let me take you back to St. Patrick’s Day 1981. We’re in Wilson’s Saloon, a Norwich, Connecticut, institution. The bartender, Charles Burke Cronin Oat was serving up a drink he called “the IRA”. A pint of stout with a depth charge of Baileys and Kahlua. Oat and his buddies, in the spirit of the holiday, replaced the Kahlua with Jameson’s Irish whiskey. The Irish Car Bomb was born!

It was an immediate hit. The first sip is all stout but it quickly goes milkshake in your mouth. Through the magic of science, the Jameson’s curdles the cream in the Baileys. So, stout, milkshake and to finish it off, a kiss of chocolate. It’s not a sipping drink. The whiskey-cream curdle thing means you’ve got to drink it right down. I refrain from using “chug” since that has the whole frat boy cogitation and we’re much more sophisticated .

The Car Bomb remained a local favorite until it was featured in the 2004 movie “Ladder 49”. John Travolta, Joaquin Phoenix and a handsome band of manly firefighters downing car bombs rocketed the drink into the status of cocktail legend.

So back to Yosemite. I watched Liz down her second and third car bombs. I followed and I swear I heard Irish singing. Thanks to Kelli and Kevin a new Bletz St. Patrick’s Day tradition is born!