Four Horsemen (drink)
Encyclopedia
The Four Horsemen is a cocktail
containing four hard liquors
and named after the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
. The name of the drink is derived from the fact that the most common brand names
of each ingredient are also male given names and the drinks have a high alcohol content
(and therefore tend to have a very strong effect
on human physiology). Additionally, the four brand names usually all begin with the letter "J" (see sidebar), giving further unity to the concept of the "Four Horsemen".
Cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
containing four hard liquors
Distilled beverage
A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables...
and named after the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are described in the last book of the New Testament of the Bible, called the Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ to Saint John the Evangelist at 6:1-8. The chapter tells of a "'book'/'scroll' in God's right hand that is sealed with seven seals"...
. The name of the drink is derived from the fact that the most common brand names
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
of each ingredient are also male given names and the drinks have a high alcohol content
Proof (alcohol)
Alcohol proof is a measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage. The term was originally used in the United Kingdom and was defined as 7/4 times the alcohol by volume . The UK now uses the abv standard instead of alcohol proof. In the United States, alcoholic proof is defined...
(and therefore tend to have a very strong effect
Drunkenness
Alcohol intoxication is a physiological state that occurs when a person has a high level of ethanol in his or her blood....
on human physiology). Additionally, the four brand names usually all begin with the letter "J" (see sidebar), giving further unity to the concept of the "Four Horsemen".
Variants
- Four Horsemen and Hell Follows - Adds one part of EverclearEverclear (alcohol)Everclear is a brand of neutral grain spirit manufactured by Luxco . Everclear is relatively low in congeners and is available in concentrations of 151- and 190-proof, which are 75.5 and 95 percent alcohol, respectively...
- Four Horsemen Go Hunting - Adds one part of Wild TurkeyWild Turkey (bourbon)Wild Turkey is a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey distilled and bottled by the Austin, Nichols division of Campari Group. Its nicknames include "The Dirty Bird", "Gobble Gobble", "Bombed Tom", "Thunder Chicken", "Boat Gas", "Whiskey Tango", "The Screamin' Eagle", and "The Kickin’...
- Four Men in a Boat - Adds one part of Grand MarnierGrand MarnierGrand Marnier is a liqueur created in 1880 by Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle. It is made from a blend of true cognacs and distilled essence of bitter orange. Grand Marnier is 40% alcohol . It is produced in several varieties, most of which can be consumed "neat" as a digestif and can be used in...
- Four Horsemen Go To Hell - Do one of each liquor in short form (5 total). One shot Jack Daniels, one shot Jim Beam, one shot Johnnie Walker, one shot Jose Cuervo and the last shot is Bacardi 151 that you may/may not light up.
- Alternate version - common variant that contains GoldschlagerGoldschlägerGoldschläger is a Swiss cinnamon schnapps , a liqueur with very thin, yet visible flakes of gold leaf floating in it...
, JägermeisterJägermeisterJägermeister is a German 70-proof digestif made with 56 different herbs and spices. It is the flagship product of Mast-Jägermeister SE, headquartered in Wolfenbüttel, south of Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany.- History :...
, Rumple Minze, and Bacardi 151Bacardi 151Bacardi 151 is an over-proof rum. The 151-proof liquor has an alcohol content of 75.5%, compared to the usual 35%-40%.Due to its high proof, it is typically used as a component in cocktails...
. - Three ingredient variants - If only three of the whiskey ingredients are used, it is often referred to as Three Wise MenThree Wise Men (cocktail)The name of the Three Wise Men cocktail is derived from the recipe, which blends three types of Whiskey together. Each brand usually included is named for its maker .-Recipe:...
. Similarly themed variants as above exist for the three ingredient version as well (e.g. Three Wise Men go Hunting) - Three Hicks and a Spic - Variant that replaces Johnnie Walker with George Dickel & Jameson with Jose Cuervo.
- Flaming Four Horsemen - For this variant, each part is poured into its own shot glass in a row and then topped with an easily flammable liquor (such as Bacardi 151 or Everclear) poured across all four glasses in a line. Lighting one side should send the flames across all four glasses, which are then blown out and drunk. Usually performed by four people as a group shot.
- Four Dudes in a Tub - This variant replaces whiskey with the following malt liquors: Mickey'sMickey'sMickey's is a malt liquor made by the Miller Brewing Company. It has an alcohol content of 5.8% by volume.Mickey's is widely known for its unique beehive-shaped, wide-mouthed 12 ounce bottle, often called a "grenade" due to its circular waffle design. The original packaging included Irish...
, Olde English 800, Saint Ides, and King CobraKing CobraThe king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake, with a length up to 5.6 m . This species, which preys chiefly on other snakes, is found predominantly in forests from India through Southeast Asia to the Philippines and Indonesia...
.