What Kind Of Alcohol Is In A Bear Fight?

Alcoholic beverages often have very colorful names, sometimes as colorful as the liquors and liqueurs that go into them. For instance, Insider lists a few famous concoctions and their naming origins, such as the Margarita. One legend has it that it was supposedly named after a highly allergic woman named Marjorie King, who apparently could only tolerate tequila in her drinks. As for the Old Fashioned, its name apparently arose from the tradition of requesting drinks "the old-fashioned way," which was popular during the latter period of the 1800s.

Although the naming process for many cocktails seems relatively straightforward, if not debated, other drink names can really leave you scratching your head. Take the Bear Fight, for example. While not as widely known as established cocktails, those who've tried the Bear Fight and lived to tell the tale won't soon forget it. Additionally, the name offers a pretty accurate view of what one can expect when they face down this beast of an alcoholic beverage.

Like many famous alcoholic concoctions, it's hard to pin down the exact origin of the Bear Fight. The Toledo Local Wiki claims the drink originated in the Ohio city in 2010 at a now-defunct pub called Mickey Finn's. As the story goes, a woman from Georgia challenged bar patrons to a drinking battle, claiming the Bear Fight was a staple of Georgia watering holes. She insisted her friends have one "to prove their alcoholic prowess." Only after the deed was done did the woman admit that she made the whole thing up.

Pilgrim Palavar reluctantly names a Penn State student, Christ Stewart, the creator of the Bear Fight. The Pint Glass states that it was three college friends (perhaps one was Stewart), who were bored with their usual drinks. Chances are, we'll never uncover the truth.

So, why was the Bear Fight considered to be such a test of wills? One glance at the recipe featured on Love to Know and it's easy to see why the drink would be so intimidating. The recipe includes a stout, Irish whiskey, Jägermeister, Irish cream, and Red Bull. Irish whiskey and Irish cream are combined in a shot glass and added to the half pint of stout, which is downed immediately. A second pint glass is filled with 6 ounces of Red Bull, into which the Jägermeister shot is dropped and subsequently drunk. The recipe is actually based on two existing and beloved drinks.

You can infer a lot about a person based on their favorite alcoholic beverage. Beer drinkers are thought to be affable and laid back, while wine lovers supposedly have a taste for the finer things. When it comes to cocktail enthusiasts, you can expect them to have a sophisticated palate and a taste for surprising flavor combinations. Then there are the shot drinkers, who are a different breed altogether. But of course, this is just speculation.

Regardless of their composition, shots are intended to be drunk in a single gulp. As explained by Advanced Mixology, they usually consist of between 1.25 and 2 ounces, depending on the size of the glass, local guidelines, and the generosity of the bartender. And while shots often consist of one type of liquor, some include multiple ingredients. This is true of the Bear Fight's predecessors, the Irish Shot and the Jäger Bomb. Originating in Ireland in 1979, the Irish Shot covers the first leg of the Bear Fight, meaning the Irish whiskey and Irish cream combo that goes into the pint of stout. As for the Jäger Bomb, it covers the second leg, which is the Red Bull and Jägermeister pairing. Both drinks are considered Boilermakers, wherein a traditional shot is dropped into another beverage, typically a beer.