A boilermaker can refer to two types of beer cocktail. In American terminology, the drink consists of a glass of beer and a shot of whiskey. The beer is either served as a chaser or mixed with the whiskey. The combination of a shot and beer produce a faster onset of the inebriating effects of alcohol. When the beer is served as a chaser, the drink is often called simply a shot and a beer. In Philadelphia, it is commonly referred to as a Citywide Special, often combining an inexpensive beer with an inexpensive whiskey.
In the United Kingdom, the term boilermaker refers to a half pint of draught mild mixed with a half pint of bottled brown ale. The use of the term in British pubs can be traced back to about 1920.
There are a number of ways to drink an American boilermaker:
Other pairings of a shot and a beer are possible; traditional pairings include: