Beer Cocktails

The term beer cocktail is little used, but in many parts of the world, beer cocktails are indeed very common. The most common forms of this drink in the United States are the "Black & Tan", and "Irish Car Bomb". The "Black & Tan" is usually a mix of an amber or pale ale and a stout or porter, creating a dual layered beer combining the flavors of both, while the "Irish Car Bomb" is a drink that is more of a cocktail in the traditional sense, as spirits are involved. Usually such a drink is taken as a shot, a single or double shot of non-perishable cream (i.e. Bailey's) and/or Irish Whisky is dropped, shot glass and all, into a pint of stout. While these drinks are common in the United States, there are more beer cocktails to be found in both Ireland and in Mexico.

I was traveling through county Lietrum, in the so-called heart of Ireland, when I discovered a unique beer cocktail that I had never heard of before. While the session music was playing, I noticed a smartly dressed an elderly gentleman who was tapping large silver coins on the back of his stool, and drinking Guinness. At the end of the night, he had gone, but he had forgotten to drink his last pint, which sat on the bar. The barkeep offered up the untouched pint, and I accepted to be greeted with a sweet surprise - the fellow had ordered a shot of blackberry liqueur in his pint of stout! It was a strange surprise, too be sure, and a little sweet for my taste, but an interesting new beer cocktail for my bar keeping menu. I believe it was called simply the "Blackberry".

Ireland is not the only place where Blackberry is used in a beer cocktail. In the state of Vera Cruz, along the gulf coast of Mexico, there is a local liqueur called Mora, which is made from a combination of Blackberry wine and Cana, an alcoholic drink distilled from sugar cane. This drink is sometimes mixed with beer to make a potent kind of wine cooler. Some locals call this drink a "Bomb", because of the highly inebriating effect of the drink. I found the drink to be pleasant when it was gifted to me in the street during the festival of Santa Maria Magdalena in July of 2006 by generous Mexicanos.

In Mexico there are not many varieties of beer - the standard is the straw colored cerveca pitched under differing brand names such as Sol, Victoria, Superior, Modela, and, of course, Corona. While it is commonly known that such beers are best had with lime, there are two kinds of beer cocktail which extend interest in these beers. One variety is known as Cerveca Chelada - the beer is served with a substantial shot of lime juice, and salt along the rim of the glass, as is the style of the margarita. The more daring version is known as Cerveca Michelada. To the mixture is added a goodly pinch of chili powder, greatly enhancing the excitement of the drink. This is about as close as you can get to a Bloody Mary in terms of the beer cocktail.

One unique new form of beer cocktail is the ice cream and beer float. Usually mixed with a stout or porter, and sometimes with a sweet amber ale, the goal is to re-create the childhood enjoyment of the legendary root beer float along with an inebriating buzz. I find this fad to be mostly enjoyed as a one-time, or seldom enjoyed treat among my friends, as the sweetness of the ice cream seems to contrast with the bitterness of hops in beer to an unsatisfactory end. I would recommend both beer and ice cream to be ice cold and small portions of this beer cocktail served to enhance the enjoyment. While Guinness is commonly used in the mixture with vanilla ice cream, I recommend an equally creamy but less bitter beer, such as a nice malty porter. A chocolate stout or chocolate porter are also recommended, preferably made with real cacao beans, not cocoa powder - here is an interesting endeavor for the home brewer.