Where The Whiskey Drowns and The Beer Chases

At one time or another you've probably heard somebody order an alcoholic beverage with a "back" or "chaser". What does this mean? Nobody says it better than Mickey Rourke in Sin City, "A shot and brew, Shellie, and keep it coming". Basically a "back" is any beverage for drinking along with or immediately following the consumption of something else. In Sin City, Mickey Rourke wanted a shot (of anything, probably bourbon) and a beer to back, or chase. While there are no rules to this type of drinking, the basic principle is that the chaser compliments the whiskey or takes the edge off of the alcohol burn.

While I try to avoid asking for a Sprite or Coke chaser with my shot of liquor at a party, I do like ordering a beer back with a shot of Irish whiskey or bourbon when I'm trying to get a quick buzz or trying to look tough, a la Mickey Rourke as Marv. Yes, there are occasions when looking tough is a good call and no, it doesn't have to mean that you're ridden with insecurities. When am I trying to get a quick buzz? How about at the airport immediately prior to boarding a flight. This is a picture of a shot of Jameson Irish Whiskey and a Sam Adams Octoberfest. If you thought that the shot looked a little low, you're correct, I took a sip.

Normally I would order this by asking for "a shot of Jameson and an Octoberfest to back" if I was confident that the bartender would understand what I was talking about. Sometimes the bartender will bring you a half pint or less of the beer as the back, from my experience it just depends on the bartender. So, if you want the full pint, you're probably safer just saying, "I'll have a shot of Jameson and a pint of Octoberfest".

I have also heard a talented bartender order "a Laphroaig with a dark beer back", this is also correct (in this case he wasn't sure what beer they had on draft, so he left it up to the bartender). As far as pairing beer and whiskey, there may be a science to it, but as a general rule I say order a liquor you enjoy and a beer you also enjoy.