Beer-tails: Mixing up Beer

August 05, 2016

Beer-tails: Mixing up Beer


You’ve probably read our article about what crazy things people are currently putting into their beers. Around the world, for years and years, people and bartenders have been adding beer to a myriad of ingredients to make cocktails; or beer-tails as we like to call them. Such mixed drinks rarely call for a craft brew -after all craft beer has already had its flavour perfected- and these beer-tails usually, call for the addition of almost flavourless mass produced beers.

Now if you have -and we have before- ever found yourself at a party in a friend’s or relative’s house then you may know the disappointing feeling you get when looking at a beer selection and finding nothing that resembles anything with a flavour profile. Well in such cases, instead of sucking it up and just drinking the water on offer, we've found that it is much more fun to mix such beers with other things found in the house or on the table. On the back of this, we’ve decided to create this article about some of the better beer cocktails we’ve seen out there over the years.

 

Michelada

This Mexican concoction spices up that flavourless beer and is very easy to make with things found around the kitchen. It can be made using anything from the lightest of larger to an easy drinking, neutrally flavoured pale ale. Here’s a list of what you’ll need:

- Beer of choice

- 1 oz Lime juice

- A few dashes of hot sauce (tabasco is best)

- A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce

- Powdered chilli

- Salt

-  2oz Clamato or tomato juice (optional)

Mix the salt and some of the chilli powder, rim your glass with lime and then coat the rim with the chilli salt mix. Next, mix 1oz lime juice with hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, half a teaspoon of powdered chilli and two ounces of tomato juice. Pour this into your glass and then top with beer. In Mexico this concoction is also known to be a hangover cure.

 

Coupe de Ville Margarita

This is the margarita of all margaritas! It may not be in the same league as the expensive Cadillac Margarita, but it will sure help tart up that beer! Plus most of these ingredients are more than likely available on the ladies end of the drinks table so you won’t have to search far.

- 1oz Añejo tequila (although other types can substitute)

- 1/2 oz Orange liquor

- 1oz lime juice

- 1oz Orange juice (optional)

- 1 bottle light beer

Mix all the ingredients, except the beer, in a glass with ice and stir well, then top with beer for a floating effect. Stir again before drinking or you'll get beer followed by margarita!

Another, more expressive way of making this drink is to mix the margarita, leaving around one third to a half of the glass empty, before upending your beer bottle into it and serving! This version, called a bulldog, allows the drinker to top up their drink with the beer, and makes for one hell of a party piece to walk around with.

 

Captain’s Keg

Some say this harks back to when seventeenth-century sailors had discovered rum in the Caribbean and were trying to find something to mix it with to make it go that little bit further. Whilst we think they may not have included the beer, it sure is a welcome addition!

- 2oz spiced or dark rum

- 2oz guava nectar (Orange juice or another tropical fruit juice can be substituted)

- 2oz grapefruit juice

- 8oz Light beer

Pour the first three ingredients over ice then top with beer and stir. This one is excellent for a barbecue or garden party situation where the sun is beating down hard.

 

Snakebite

Now this one is not really recommended unless the party you are attending is more of a "for fun" party than "for the occasion" party; the reason being that these can hit you pretty quickly once you get going. That said, they are the simplest on the list.

- Beer

- Cider

- Blackcurrant Cordial (Optional)

If you’re using the blackcurrant cordial put this in first, then fill half your glass with cider and then top off the other half with beer. Voila!

 

Beer Sunrise

Just a tequila sunrise with beer. If your not a fan of sweet cocktails then the beer is an addition you will appreciate as it reduces that sweetness usually associated with such a fruity cocktail.

- 1.5oz Silver Tequila

- 0.75oz Grenadine

- 2oz Orange Juice

- Light beer

- Ice (optional)

Pour tequila and orange juice (over ice if you want ice) into a glass, add ice and then pour the grenadine over the top. Fill to the brim with your chosen beer and you’re all set for some fun in the sun!

Nothing beats a really good craft brew -we’ll certainly agree with that- but this may not always be available at all parties. This list gives you an easy way to turn those flavourless mass produced beer into something inventive and flavourful. Many of these are just beer twists on classic and popular cocktails so even if you forget how it’s done working it out on the spot won’t be too difficult. Have any favourites that we haven’t included here? Post them in the comments section below and we’ll add them to the list!