US bars slammed for serving ‘Irish car bomb’ drink

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Ingredients for an Irish car bomb

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Bars in the United States have been slammed for trivializing the suffering of hundreds of victims by serving up a cocktail called an ‘Irish car bomb.”

An IRA victim’s group, Fair, has criticized the selling of the cocktail claiming the suffering of bomb attack victims, who have been maimed or killed, should not be celebrated in such a way.

Willie Frazer, a spokesman for the group said “It is disgusting that IRA car bombs which killed and maimed so many in Northern Ireland are being trivialized or celebrated in this way.

"I would have expected Americans, of all people, to behave more sensitively and responsibly. How would they like it if we developed the Al-Qaeda car bomb, the Twin Towers cocktail, or the 9/11 ice-cream sundae?"

The group has called for authorities in the United States to clamp down on the sales of the cocktail and asked that the websites advertising the drink be shut down.

Frazer said “All those who drink this cocktail and see it as a great joke wouldn't think it funny if they were caught in a car bomb themselves.

“I'd challenge them to meet victims of bombings – people who have lost arms and legs and are scarred for life."

The cocktail made from Guinness, Bailey’s Irish cream and whiskey has become hugely popular in the United States.

An Irish poker player, visiting Las Vegas was shocked to see the drink advertised in lights outside O’Shea’s casino.

“I was stunned when I saw an 'Irish car bomb' advertised in lights at a Vegas casino. You'd never see anything like that at home,” he told the Irish Sunday Tribune.

The story goes that the drink was invented 30 years ago by Charles Burke Cronin Oat, owner and bartender at Wilson’s Saloon, Connecticut.

While experimenting with drinks he added whiskey to Bailey’s Irish cream, in a shot glass and it bubbled like an explosion. He remarked “the IRA just showed up.”

During his experimenting, adding whiskey to the Bailey's Irish cream made the shot glass bubble up like an explosion, causing Oat to remark that "the IRA just showed up".

The drink is made by dropping this shot of Bailey’s and whiskey into a pint of Guinness. If not drunk immediately the drink will curdle.

Some bars in the United States have refused to sell the cocktail as they find the name offensive. However Irish car bomb ice-cream sundaes and cupcakes are now also selling well. The drink even has its own website, www.irishcarbomb.com.

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