What You Get When You Ask A Philadelphia Bartender For The 'Citywide' Drink

Philadelphia may be somewhat overshadowed by its fellow tri-state area metropolis New York City. Sure, a bunch of Eagles fans once threw snowballs at Santa Claus and Bill Burr famously derided it as a "one-bridge-having city" in a stand-up set. But no one can deny that the City of Brotherly Love has a rich tradition of food and drink. There are cheesesteaks, of course, which just about everybody knows about — but there are roast pork sandwiches, there's America's oldest ice cream company, and there's even a fun little drink called the Citywide, consisting of a Pabst Blue Ribbon and a shot of Jim Beam.

It's called a Citywide, or a Citywide Special, because you can get it pretty much anywhere that serves alcohol in the city — and for cheap. As of January 2026, a Citywide will set you back only about four bucks. It's an easy way to get loaded, and it's fitting that rough-and-tumble Philly's unofficial cocktail isn't really a cocktail at all. New Orleans can keep its bartender-infuriating Ramos Gin Fizz — a Citywide will do the job just fine.

The bar that most people agree invented the Citywide Special doesn't actually call it the Citywide Special. At Bob & Barbara's Lounge, you merely order "the Special" — they won't kick you out if you ask for a Citywide, but they make their preference known. The idea for this drink duo came about from the suggestion of Rick Dobrowolski, also known as "Rick D," a mover and shaker in the Philly music scene. He told bar owner Jack Prince to help fill the bar on nights where he was performing by selling a Pabst Blue Ribbon and a shot of Jim Beam, advising him to make it a special.

The tradition has spread across the city at this point, but Bob & Barbara's still maintains an especially close association with this infamous beverage combo. In fact, they sell t-shirts with the Bob & Barbara's logo inside a blue ribbon which looks very much like Pabst's. We suppose that, when you've sold as many PBRs as they have, you can have a little fun with the logo without getting a call from Pabst's lawyers.