Beyond black and tan: Stout drink recipes

by Joe DiStefano (Subscribe to Joe DiStefano's posts)
Posted Mar 15th 2006 3:30PM
Filed under: Beer, Vodka, British Isles, Recipes, Champagne, Happy Hour, America, Spirits

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You won't catch me drinking green beer on St. Patrick's day. I'd much rather have a pint of the black stuff, as some like to call Guinness and other stouts. I'm a purist when it comes to my Irish nectar, but I admit I have had a few black and tans in my day, and am curious to try some of the more unusual recipes I've found.

A black and tan, is equal parts stout (Guinness or otherwise) and lighter colored ale, often a Bass Pale Ale or Harp's lager. Many an Irish barman will tell you that a layered black and tan is simply a Yank affectation and that in the homeland the two beers are simply poured together. But if you want to get all fancy, here's what you do:

Pour your pint half full of ale.
Now either slowly pour your stout in by letting it hit the side of the glass, or by letting it stream over the back of a spoon. And sure as Bob's you're uncle – a proper black and tan.

A black velvet combines equal parts of champagne and stout. You can use the same spoon trick to achieve a layered effect. Substitute cider for champagne and you've got a poor man's black velvet or a snakebite, as we like to call it here in the States.

Drop a shot of Chambord into your pint and you have a black fog, so named because of the purple splotch the raspberry liqueur leaves on top of the head. The raspberry and stout are a wonderful combo that bring to mind raspberry truffles. A purple meany is half stout, half ale (preferably the dregs of the keg) and a shot of raspberry liqueur. I think I'll hold off on trying that one.

Among the other varieties that I'm not looking forward to sampling is the miner's lung, which is made by topping off three shots of vodka with stout. I'd be more inclined to try a black death, which is stout and Trappist ale. Then again purist that I am, I'd probably drink my Chimay by itself. After all, I can always follow it up with a stout.

[image: BeerAppreciation]

Tags: black and tan, black death, black fog, black velvet, BlackAndTan, BlackDeath, BlackFog, BlackVelvet, Chambord, Guinness, miner's lung, Miner'sLung, poor man's black velvet, PoorMan'sBlackVelvet, purple meany, PurpleMeany, Saint Patrick's Day, SaintPatrick'sDay, St. Patrick's Day, stout

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

3-15-2006 @ 4:14PM

Beth said...

I've always known a black and tan to be Guinness and Bass, while a Half and Half is Guiness and Harp. Also, a snakebite in Belfast is Harp and Bulmer's (or Magner's, hard cider) with a small amount of black currant concentrate. The Black currant is also popular with just cider. I love 'em all!

3-15-2006 @ 5:07PM

jamesonandwater said...

I bartended for years at home in Dublin and can probably count on one hand the number of black and tans I served . . . . for me it's a yank affectation because the cheesier plastic paddy pubs in the US definitely push them and depend on a delighted "oooooh, it's floating" reaction in the same way tacky family restaurants push brightly coloured cocktails.

I agree with Beth, a snakebite to me has always been cider and lager - and a helluva head the next day!

When Scottish rugby fans come to Dublin, oddly enough, we serve a lot of pints of stout with shots of coffee liquer in them.

For me though, a pint should come as is - and no shamrock indented on top either!

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