Give a Cheer for Beer Cocktails

When you think of your favourite cocktail recipes, how many of them include beer as an ingredient? Not many, we bet! Of course, there are drink combinations that include beers: Black Velvet, Snakebite and the traditional Shandy are all popular beer drinks that can be ordered in many typical bars. But when we think of beer cocktails, we are considering drinks that are much classier and even more delicious than these mainstream beverages. Open your minds, cocktail lovers, and see if we can tempt your taste buds with a few of these delicacies…

The New England Julep

Pick a can of your favourite lager and pour three-quarters of it into a pint glass. (The remaining alcohol can be enjoyed straight.) Add 45ml of your preferred bourbon whisky and 15ml sugar syrup. Garnish with mint and sugar for a delightfully sweet beer experience.

The Tecate Paloma

Tecate is the beer of choice for this cocktail, but you can use any lager you like. Again, only three-quarters of the can is needed, so feel free to swig the remainder. Poor the lager into a pint glass and add 45ml Tequila, along with 15ml grapefruit juice. A slice of grapefruit makes for the best garnish and this cocktail is particularly nice when enjoyed through a straw.

Melnyk Flip

Made with your choice of pale ale, this recipe calls for 60ml of beer. A cocktail shaker is used to combine 30ml each of Angostura Bitters, Sweet Vermouth, Bourbon and honey syrup with ice. Then the liquid is strained into a lowball glass and the beer is poured over the top for a gorgeously satisfying cocktail. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and drink this potent mix slowly!

Cajun Michelada

If you are looking for a beer cocktail with a bit of a buzz, this spicy concoction could well be for you! There is a little more work to this one, but once you have created this drink, it will not disappoint. After combining salt and chilli flakes to create a spicy mixture, you should moisten the rim of the glass with lime before dipping it into the chilli-salt. Then, five dashes of chipotle sauce and two dashes of Tabasco sauce are added to the glass, along with 75ml tomato juice, 15ml lime juice and 240ml of your choice of beer. Enjoy! And watch out for those chilli flakes!

Lunchbox

Despite the name of this cocktail, this is not one we would recommend drinking at lunchtime – you will be in bed by three o’clock! Combine 120ml lager with 60ml amaretto and 120ml orange juice to create this naughty drink.

Did we convince you with our cocktail choices? Beer is never considered to be a staple cocktail ingredient, but we guarantee that you will love our hoppy combinations!