10 Iconic Beer-and-Shot Combos From Across the World

Whether or not it’s a bartender’s post-shift, wind-down drink, or a dive-bar-dwellers go-to to kick-start a night, there’s a humble, “no BS” vibe to a beer and a shot that’s earned the pairing a degree of respect from drinkers of all courses and creeds.

Whereas ordering two drinks without delay generally is a one-way ticket to over-intoxication, many beer-and- shot combos are timeless staples distinctive to totally different nations world wide that normally add as much as greater than the sum of their elements. In some locations, these duos additionally perform as a method for drinkers to embrace their native ingesting tradition and exhibit regional satisfaction.

To know how conventional beer and shot combos differ from place to put, we put collectively the next checklist of regional pairings from throughout the globe, exploring their respective origin tales and explaining the way to drink them. Some are supposed to be loved aspect by aspect. Others are designed to be sipped slowly. In some circumstances, the shot drops into the beer — glassware and all — and is chugged as shortly as doable.

From Somaek and Sake Bombs to the Dutch Kopstoot and the almighty Boilermaker, listed here are 10 conventional beer-and-shot combos and the locations they hail from.

Beer-and-Shot Combos

Boilermaker

U.S. (and the remainder of the world)

Any beer and a shot of whiskey

Arguably probably the most ubiquitous — and most nebulous — beer-and-shot combo on the earth, the Boilermaker pairs any beer (normally a lager) with a shot of whiskey. Two competing theories hint the combo to 1800s steam engine employees — one within the U.Ok., the opposite within the U.S. There’s additionally a debate on how the combo must be consumed. Some down the shot and chase it with the brew. Others sip the 2 intermittently, and a few insist on dumping the shot into the beer and ingesting them collectively.

Citywide Particular

Philadelphia

A can of Pabst Blue Ribbon and a shot of Jim Beam bourbon

Usually shortened to only “the Citywide” or “the Particular,” the official beer and shot combo of the Metropolis of Brotherly Love is extensively believed to have originated at Bob & Barbara’s Lounge, a cash-only bar positioned on Philly’s South Avenue. Although the bar opened in 1969, most accounts declare that the drink deal debuted within the ‘90s when Bob & Barbara’s began promoting cans of PBR alongside photographs of Jim Beam for $3 a pop. These days, bars everywhere in the metropolis supply their very own variations of the Citywide Particular — therefore the identify — starting from Tecates and photographs of tequila to cans of Hamm’s and Kamikaze photographs. At Bob & Barbara’s, it’s nonetheless PBR and Jim Beam — simply now $5 as a substitute of $3.

Chicago Handshake

Chicago

An Outdated Fashion beer and a shot of Jeppson’s Malört

The Chicago Handshake combines two time-honored metropolis staples: the infamous Swedish-style wormwood and anise liqueur, Jeppson’s Malört, and G. Heileman Brewing Firm’s (now Pabst’s) Outdated Fashion beer. The latter beverage was really born in Wisconsin, but it surely was basically adopted by Chicago within the Nineteen Fifties after Outdated Fashion grew to become the official sponsor of the Chicago Cubs. Whereas its actual origin is unclear, the combo grew to become a acknowledged Chicago ritual within the 2000s. In 2024, White Claw and Jeppson’s Malört launched “the Chiclawgo Handshake,” which swaps the Outdated Fashion with a can of Ruby Grapefruit White Claw.

Half and Half

Scotland

A half-pint of lager and a one-ounce shot of blended Scotch

Generally known as a “Hauf an’ Hauf” in its homeland — and pronounced “hoff n’ hoff” — the Half and Half is pretty self-explanatory: a half-pint of beer and a small, one-ounce shot of Scotch. Why the shot facet is known as a “half” may appear complicated, but it surely probably stems from the Scottish time period “a wee hauf,” which equates to half of a half-gill. Earlier than the U.Ok.’s Weights and Measures Act of 1824, a gill equated to roughly 4 ounces, thus explaining the one-ish-ounce pour. Historically, a Half and Half consists of lager (usually Tennent’s) paired with a blended Scotch like Johnnie Walker, Well-known Grouse, or Cutty Sark. And in contrast to a Boilermaker, which is mostly a shortcut to inebriation, a Half and Half is designed to be loved over time — an informal beverage pairing to sip over an extended dialog on the native tavern.

Kopstoot

Netherlands

A beer or pilsner and a shot of genever

The Koopstoot (pronounced “cop-stoat”) interprets to “headbutt,” which is probably going a nod to its hard-hitting results. The order historically pairs a pint of both pilsner or mild lager with an ice-cold shot of genever, a Dutch liquor constructed from a grain-based mash (of malted barley, rye, and corn) that’s redistilled with juniper. The spirit is commonly thought of the grandfather of gin. To get pleasure from Koopstoot in conventional Dutch vogue, the genever must be served in a small tulip-shaped glass. Upon receiving the pairing, the drinker ought to place their palms behind their again and bend right down to take the primary sip of genever hands-free. Then, the drinker can alternate between sips of beer and the spirit as they please.

Lüttje Lage

Germany

A small pour of bitter wheat beer and a shot of Korn

Born within the north-central German metropolis of Hanover, the Lüttje Lage is a combo of a pale, evenly hopped, top-fermenting Weissbier and a shot of Kornbrand, a grain-based schnapps with a subtly candy, considerably impartial style. The unique beer used within the pairing was invented in 1526 by brewmaster Twine Broyhan, and is now sadly extinct. Nonetheless, comparable industrial examples nonetheless round immediately embrace Gilde Lüttje Lage, Herrenhauser, and Hanoversch — all of which are available in at roughly 2 to 4 % ABV. To correctly down a Lüttje Lage, the drinker ought to maintain each the shot and beer glasses in the identical hand and tilt them again in order that the shot steadily pours into the beer, after which into the drinker’s mouth. It takes a little bit of apply, however fortunately Lüttje Lage bibs exist for these simply getting the hold of it.

Beer and Shot Combos (Combined Collectively)

Dublin Drop

U.S.

A pint of Guinness and a shot of equal-parts Irish cream liqueur and Irish whiskey

The Dublin Drop goes by many names — some extra controversial than others — however there’s nothing really Irish concerning the blended drink aside from its components. On St. Patrick’s Day in 1977, bartender Charles Burke Cronin Oat was behind the stick at Wilson’s Saloon in Connecticut when he invented a layered shot composed of Baileys Irish Cream, Kahlúa, and Jameson Irish Whiskey that he dubbed “the IRA.” Two years later, he dropped one in every of these photographs right into a half-drank pint of Guinness, thus creating the drink we all know immediately (though most bartenders omit the Kahlúa). On condition that Irish cream liqueur curdles on contact with stout, the Dublin Drop have to be consumed shortly. Though it’s generally made with Guinness, Jameson, and Baileys, technically any combo of Irish stout, Irish whiskey, and Irish cream liqueur will suffice.

Sake Bomb

U.S.

A Japanese lager, like Sapporo, Asahi, or Kirin, and a shot of sake

One other uniquely American beer cocktail with non-American components, the Sake Bomb is a party-style combo of low-cost sake and low-cost beer. Though its origins stay unconfirmed, many sources counsel it was invented by American troopers occupying Japan within the years following World Warfare II. Immediately, the Sake Bomb persists in U.S. karaoke bars, faculty bars, and all-you-can-eat sushi spots. To make one, steadiness a small glass of sake atop two chop sticks laying parallel throughout the highest of a beer-filled pint glass. Then slam the desk, jostling the chopsticks — or sending them flying — inflicting the glass to fall into the beer. After that, it’s time to chug.

Somaek

South Korea

A pale lager and a shot of soju

The identify Somaek abbreviates two Korean phrases that additionally occur to be the drink’s components: soju and maekju (beer). Like many different beer-and-shot cocktails, the origins of the Somaek are fairly murky. Some imagine it was invented by South Korean businessmen who started mixing beer with soju as a stiff beverage to assist them wind down after an extended work week. Others say American army officers have been answerable for the combo, in search of a option to strengthen South Korea’s mild native beers. Both method, it has grow to be a well-liked beverage in each its alleged homeland and Korean eating places world wide, usually loved alongside Korean barbecue and fried, fatty dishes. There aren’t any strict guidelines dictating the way to put together a Somaek, however a three-to-seven proportion of soju to beer is often thought of the “golden ratio.”

Yorsh

Russia

A pale lager and a shot of vodka

Flavorwise, the Yorsh doesn’t supply a lot to jot down dwelling about. At its core, it’s a pint of lager bolstered by a shot of vodka, however in Russia, it’s seen as one in every of only some acceptable methods to drink the spirit aside from a neat pour. The drink’s origins and etymology are debatable. Nonetheless, it’s been stated that the combo will get its identify from “ёрш,” a small, spiky freshwater fish that supposedly pairs effectively with it. The Yorsh is supposed to be downed in a single go, however be warned: It’s not for the faint of coronary heart.

*Picture retrieved from Brent Hofacker through inventory.adobe.com