Claire McCaskill Shows Us How To Shotgun A Beer

When Todd Akin won the Republican primary during the 2012 Missouri senatorial race, Claire McCaskill famously shotgunned a beer to make good on a deal she made with her daughters. McCaskill, now 62, spent months targeting Akin and eventually was reelected, beating him out for the Senate seat. Now, McCaskill is reflecting on the race, as well as the shotgunning incident, in her upcoming book Plenty Ladylike.

In the book, which is due out Aug. 11, McCaskill talks about how she had made the deal with her daughters that if Akin, a Tea Party candidate, won his party's primary, she would shotgun a beer. In an excerpt obtained by The Huffington Post, McCaskill goes into adorable detail as she teaches readers how to properly shotgun.

After hugging my husband and calling my son in St. Louis, it was time for me to keep my promise. My daughters had to show me how to shotgun a beer. You punch a hole in the side of a beer can while holding it horizontally. Then you invert the can upside down over your mouth and pull the aluminum tab. Beer gushes into your mouth and you have to swallow quickly to avoid a big mess. I did it. And we laughed until we cried.

While the description of the event may be wonderful, a lot of people were dubious. But McCaskill confronted the pic-or-it-didn't-happen allegations head on, and provided the world with these beautiful snapshots of the senator in her pajamas, shotgunning away and high-fiving her kids.

Though McCaskill looks pretty joyous in those photos, she was probably feeling a lot of relief as well. According to The Huffington Post, she spent $1.7 million on ads before the primaries highlighting Akin's flaws. He was the weakest Republican candidate running, and she hoped to go up against him. Though the race might not be well remembered outside of Missouri, Akin made national headlines with his belief that, "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."

McCaskill's book is full of more than just touching mother-daughter moments, seeks to start discussions on sexism, and inspires other women to pursue their goals. The Twitter profile for the Plenty Ladylike reads, "First there was an ambitious young woman who couldn't keep her mouth shut. Then a political career. Now, this book. Next? Hopefully more ambitious young women!" And hopefully more politicians shotgunning beer, because this should become the new political fad.