Where did the drink called a boilermaker get its name?

Question

The drink is made by dropping a shot glass full of whiskey into a full mug of beer. But why is it called a boilermaker? My friend said it had something to do with Princeton, but he didn't know what. Boilermaker is also the name of the Purdue University sports teams and alumni.

Answer 1

Wow, color me surprised. I spent some time trying to find you an answer and all I've got is guesses. It appears you've unearthed one of the great riddles of society. Here's what I've found out.

The Oxford-English Dictionary first used the term "Boilermaker" in 1834 to describe the craftsmen who built steam locomotives. Although some places I've found claim the drink was already so named *before* the OED decided to add it. Maybe the metal workers and blacksmiths who would go on to be called "boilermakers" had a penchant for taking their beverages assembly line style. The plot thickens.

Enter some dude named Richard Trevithick, a Cornish blacksmith who was an early experimenter with steam-propelled vehicles. On Christmas night, 1801, in village of Cambourne, he set out to test his latest invention, a steam-propelled road vehicle.

He basically drove himself and a few others to the top of a hill, where the bar war, went inside and started drinking to celebrate his great invention. He left the fire burning in the truck's steamer. The truck ran out of water, the wooden parts caught fire, and Richard and his friends came out to learn they had party-fouled their way into drunken automobile-antic history. Maybe he liked to double-fist his drinks, or saved time by combining beer and whiskey into 1 convenient container.

Hope that helps,
Odd

Answer 2

Boilermaker Drink

Answer 3

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I think you mean a Boilermaker cocktail. A boilermaker is a beer cocktail consisting of a glass of beer and a shot of whiskey, tequila, or vodka. The beer is served either as a chaser or is mixed with the liquor. The method of drinking varies. Some shoot the whiskey straight and use the beer as a chaser. Others pour the two together and drink it. A "Depth Charge" occurs when you drop the shotglass into the beer glass and down the drink all at once. When the beer is served as a chaser, the drink is often called simply “a shot and a beer.”

Answer 4

Heard it all my life and really don't have an answer. Boiler makers here in the northeast were a shot of whisky accompanied by a beer chaser. I have seen people pour their shot into their beer too.It has always been a working man's blue collar popular drink after a very strenous physical day.

Answer 5

I agree with COACH, but I've seen the shot dropped into the beer, glass & all, & then chugged. People usually call it a Car Bomb.

I have no idea where the name(s) came from.

Answer 6

the first guy to put a shot into a beer was a boiler maker. j.b. smith Westfield, MA 1823