Hello and welcome to Conflicted, the history podcast where we talk about the struggles that

shaped us, the tough questions that they pose and why we should care about any of it.

I'm your host, Zach Cornwell.

Well, we're back after a brief holiday hiatus. There was no new episode in December, so I do

apologize for that, but I don't feel too bad about it because November's episode was a two-parter.

So you got double the value on that one.

Anyway, it's good to be back.

So without further ado, welcome to episode eight, hate thy neighbor. You know, Today's story begins in 1979 at a bar in Norwich, Connecticut, USA.

It was St. Patty's Day, and the bartender slinging drinks that night at Wilson's Saloon,

a guy named Charlie Oat, had an idea.

Bailey's Irish cream had just started distributing to the States, and he needed a way to get customers to try it.

His clientele, his regulars, big, tough, Scotch Irish guys, were not exactly lining up to try the sugary, milky lique.

So Charlie's idea was to mix it with a shot

of Jameson's Irish whiskey. He called it the grandfather, a salute to the Irish ancestors who'd

immigrated to America. It quickly caught on, and people started ordering the shot with a pint

of Guinness on the side. It's not exactly clear when or how the next part happened,

but according to the man himself, Charlie Oat,

at some point he decided to drop the shot into the Pine of Guinness

and chug it in one go.

Before he dropped the shot in, Charlie theatrically said,

bombs away.

The chemical reaction between the shot and the beer

...