Because it amuses us, we're going to let the Examiner's Mixologist column pinch-hit on this week's cocktail, entirely because they traveled into the Gold Dust Lounge, which despite Prohibition (see Footnote) has been a continually operating Union Square watering hole since about 1906. The current marquis dates to 1933 (just as soon as Prohibition ended), and, randomly, Bing Crosby owned a piece of the action in the 50s.

The drink of this week is the easiest one we've ever posted, so we expect all of you to run to the store and get yourself the ingredients this instant. As Gold Dust Lounge barkeep Casey Lippi explains, "The original boilermaker is a shot of whiskey and a beer. You can drop the shot into the beer, or just down the shot and then drink the beer. With the Italian boilermaker, I recommend sipping the Fernet and alternating that with the Peroni, which is a good Italian lager that cuts the bitterness of the liqueur." But you could also get yourself a big mug and a small shot glass and chug this the real way.

Sidenote: New Mission hang Hog & Rocks offers several boilermaker variations, with various whiskey and beers to mix and match.

The Italian Boilermaker

1½ oz. of Fernet-Branca
1 bottle of Peroni

Serve the Fernet at room temperature in a rocks glass, with the ice-cold Peroni on the side.

Footnote: Part of how the Gold Dust's predecessor may have stayed in business during the 1920s, we surmise, was as one of the local institutions that served the legal, medicinal potion that Fernet-Branca was marketed as in S.F. back then. Please see the Weekly's handy history of the beverage.