American here. I don't drink—except to drink Guinness Draught, by the way, which is not too often, but on certain occasions, such as whenever the hell I feel like it. If someone were to talk about a "car bomb" in any random context, I'd assume they were talking about an explosive device hidden in an automobile. Now, if it were clear they were talking about something to consume, then I think I'd get the idea. Till this thread, I didn't even know there was such a drink, but I'm used to there being funny drink names. --- As per the thread question, I'm with the Friday crowd. Monday is too late, after the fact, as suggested upthread.
The Black and Tans were a quasi-military force, mostly British WWI veterans, that were recruited and sent to Ireland to quash the rebellion against British rule, and were so named because of the colours of their uniforms. They're notorious in Ireland for lacking discipline, looting villages, and targeting civilians for reprisal attacks. If a multinational company like Ben and Jerry's wishes to celebrate the Irish national holiday with a special flavour of ice cream, naming it the same thing as a group famous for burning down an Irish city is a bad call.
Maybe they were being ironic...or something... The drink is just called what it is because it's layered with Guinness and Bass Pale Ale...so it looks black and tan (black and brown, really, but whatever). Guinness and Blue Moon is called a Black & Blue...because it's, ya know, black and Blue Moon. Again, context is everything.
I'm sure Ben and Jerry's was fully aware of the history of the Black and Tans in Ireland and didn't just randomly arrive at that name based on the color/flavor of the ice cream (which they also chose), any more than whomever coined the term Irish Car Bombs for the drink was unaware of the use of car bombs during The Troubles. Just saying "context is everything" because it's just referencing a drink or ice cream in this case doesn't excuse the fact that they chose those names knowing full well the negative connotation they carried. We know your original intent in saying it wasn't negative because you were ignorant of the origins of the names, but don't assume that ignorance extends to everyone else, or that it's a blanket excuse for choosing a pretty offensive name, especially in the case of the Ben and Jerry's ice cream where it can be pinpointed to a major corporation which would do plenty of product research first instead of just being a name for a drink that organically grew out of bars and pubs.
I know where the name came from, and I never claimed that they chose to name the ice cream after the paramilitary force, just that they share a name. But when an Irish person hears the words "Black and Tan", the first thing that comes to mind isn't a beverage. There's also a difference between a bar in Chicago that caters to a small American audience, and a major international brand that sells its products all over the world, including in Ireland.
They almost certainly did name both the ice cream and the drink after the paramilitary force though. That would be one hell of a coincidence if they didn't.
Yeah, I suspect the drink Black and Tan is named after the paramilitary group (the others, like Black and Blue are derivatives of the drink). It's a shame that Guinness-based drinks have apparently offensive origins. I think it's possible to at least make it clear what you're talking about so you can make it clear that you're using the name without endorsing it.
My ex-wife drank a whole bottle of Bailey's from the rest stop that also features a state liquor store in NH a while back on the way to a ballgame. I spent most of the game hearing what I'd be doing when I got home.
My 3/17 was completely without Irishness or St. Patrick's Day in every way (much like my family bloodline). Didn't wear or eat anything green. I quite enjoyed it.