Many a mixologist has discovered the versatility of beer as a mixer by enhancing different styles of beer with spices, condiments, fruits and other liquors. The well-known shandy—also known as a radler—mixes equal parts lager and lemonade, which tones down the alcohol and allows for the intake of more thirst-quenching coolant in the hotter seasons. Or the black and tan mixes two beers, literally layering a pale ale on top of a dark stout. Or use that dark stout with equal parts cola to rev up the fizz. Called a Trojan Horse, the cola lies unseen inside the dark stout and hits the drinker with a jolt of sweet amid the harsher brew. But if you’re looking for more complex flavorings of beer cocktails, try a few of these for your next tailgate or backyard barbecue.
Champagne & Ginger Beer Punch
"Though it started several centuries ago as a true beer, most ginger beers now carry only the name and serve more as a soft drink. So for those tailgaters who rebel against a malty, hoppy cocktail of real beer, here’s an option using this fizzy, delightful namesake instead."
2 cups pomegranate juice
1.5 cups cranberry juice
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup peach vodka
1 bottle (750 ml) champagne
12 ounces Brooklyn Crafted Ginger Beer Mini, Traditional
Mix the fruit juices in a pitcher or small punch bowl. Add in the ginger beer and finally the champagne. Keep cool with an ice ring made of fruit juice or serve over ice. Garnish with sprig of mint.
Beergarita
"Can’t decide between a salty, citrus margarita or a beer? No need to choose. A beergarita mixes all the tastes you love from both concoctions into one refreshing drink. For a little zip, rub the rim with a flavored salt."
1½ ounces tequila
1½ ounces lime juice
3/4 ounce triple sec
6 ounces beer (Corona or Pacifico work best)
3 ounces 7UP
1/2 cup crushed ice
lime wedge for garnish
In a shaker, mix tequila, lime juice, triple sec and crushed ice. Shake it til you make it! Pour into a cold beer mug rimmed with salt if, you desire. Add beer and 7UP and stir. Garnish with a lime wedge.
The Michelada Mexican Beer Cocktail
"All those spicy, hot sauces so beloved on your favorite foods are swirled together with a dark Mexican lager. Sprinkle with black pepper, a crushed chicken bouillon cube, or any meat seasoning for a new twist."
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
1–2 dashes bottled hot sauce, like Tabasco or Cholula
1–2 dashes soy sauce
1–2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 bottle cold beer, preferably a dark Mexican beer
Salt the rim, if desired. Fill the glass about halfway with ice, cubed or crushed. Add the lime juice, chili sauce, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Stir. Slowly pour the beer into the mixture. Garnish with lime wedge and serve immediately.
White Wine & Ginger Beer Spritz
"All those spicy, hot sauces so beloved on your favorite foods are swirled together with a dark Mexican lager. Sprinkle with black pepper, a crushed chicken bouillon cube, or any meat seasoning for a new twist."
4–5 ounces chilled, dry white wine
2–3 ounces chilled, Brooklyn Crafted Ginger Beer Mini, Traditional
½ lime, juiced
Garnish with fresh or candied ginger
Mix ingredients and pour into tumbler half filled with cubes. Garnish with fresh or candied ginger or a slice of lime and lemon.
The Beer, Bourbon and Barbecue Cocktail
"Beer, Bourbon and BBQ are three American favorites that you may have consumed all in the same weekend, but how about in one delicious and hearty drink?"
For the cocktail:
1 1/2 ounces bourbon whiskey
1 ounce honey whiskey liqueur
1 ounce BBQ water
3/4 ounce orange juice, from 1/4 orange
3 ounces hefeweizen beer
For barbecue water:
1 (19-ounce) bottle barbecue sauce
19 ounces hot water, about 2 1/3 cups
You don’t have to mix almost 5 cups of the barbecue water at a time. Just be sure to mix equal parts hot water and sauce (the creators recommend Jack Daniel’s Honey Smokehouse) and whisk until its fully combined. Then let it cool or put it in the fridge.
For the cocktail, be patient, because like a long cook on your favorite smoker, there’s a few steps to it and the last one’s a surprise. First, add the bourbon, barbecue water, and honey liqueur to a shaker jammed with ice and shake until it’s nice and chilly. Pour that into your glass of choice.
Pour about ¼ of the beer into a shaker. Now hold on tight because your goal is to create a load of foam—without wreaking havoc. Once you’ve got a nice head, spoon that airy goodness on top, like a heady garnish.
Manly Deeds Womanly Words
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"A wonderful balance of masculine and feminine flavors, and it’s also the Maryland State motto dating back to 1874. This cocktail packs a manly sucker punch that’s sneaky—hidden by all those pretty floral and herbal tones."
¾ ounce Smith and Cross Rum
¾ ounce Buffalo Trace Bourbon
½ ounce lemon juice
½ ounce Amaro Montenegro
½ ounce honey syrup (recipe below)
dash Post Prohibition Pick Me Up Bitters
dash Angostura bitters
2 ounces Green Flash West Coast IPA
For the honey syrup:
2 cups water
2 cups honey
1½ teaspoons cloves
1½ teaspoons black peppercorns
1½ tablespoons chamomile flowers
For the cocktail: Add all the ingredients to a shaker tin, except the India pale ale (IPA). Shake with ice and strain into a 10-ounce snifter or tulip glass. Top with the IPA. Garnish with a thyme sprig.
For the honey syrup: Cook the cloves and black peppercorns on medium-low heat in the honey and water for 15 minutes. Add the chamomile and cook for 5 minutes. Strain and let cool. Bottle in a sterilized bottle.