Black and Tan

[MorganGrayson]

My husband has been quite taken by my recent British food purchases and has been experimenting with British beer. He recently had Boddingtons. He mentioned "Black and Tan," something about which I had read in many a novel. He bought some yesterday. Now, admittedly, this beer was made in Minnesota, I believe, or it may have been imported by them. (I read the label after drinking the beer, which explains the confusion. I don't drink often.) I had a taste. It happily smacked the hell out of my tastebuds, which is what I like a beer to do. I despise most American beers as they are pale and rather tasteless. I like a dark beer that bites.

I *loved* this stuff!!!

I had two bottles, causing my husband to say with wide eyes "that's more beer than you drink in a year!!!!"

There's two left. He can have the amber. I'm finishing off the Black and Tan with dinner tonight.

[Trev]

Black and Tan is an Irish beer brewed by Guinness.

[Steady]

The one beer I like and it is very smooth:

Negra Modelo...A dark ale...It's a Mexican Import.

[Nickatilynx]

Sigh...we were drinking boddingtons when you came to Vancouver....


(No one let her even have the TV remote anymore please , just smile and nod at her)

[Stacey_JoinRightNow]

Black and Tan is a cocktail made from equal parts English bitter and Irish stout, with the stout most commonly being Guinness.

The name is an allusion to the Black and Tans, soldiers sent to Ireland by the British government in the early 1920s to suppress Sinn Féin revolutionaries agitating for Irish independence.

The most common Black and Tan in the United States uses Guinness Stout and Bass Ale. The Guinness (or other stout) is "layered" on top of the Bass (or other lighter-colored beer), taking advantage of their differing densities. This is accomplished by first halfway filling the glass with Bass, then adding Guinness. The Guinness is best poured slowly over an upside-down tablespoon placed over the glass; this disperses the stout beer and helps to create the desired layering effect in the finished drink.

Combining Guinness and Harp lager (instead of Bass) results in a "Half and half." A "black and white" is a stout with any lager or ale.

A similar beverage using champagne as one of the mixers is the black velvet, which consists of half champagne and half Guinness. A "poor man's black velvet" subsitutes hard apple cider for the champagne. This variation is also called a "snakebite" by some.

Despite the use of what is arguably Ireland's national beer, the drink is relatively unknown in Ireland and an attempt to order it in a pub there would likely result in either teasing for adulterating the Guinness, or hostility due to the historical relevance of the name.

[Trev]

Originally Posted by Stacey_JoinRightNow

Black and Tan is a cocktail made from equal parts English bitter and Irish stout, with the stout most commonly being Guinness.

The name is an allusion to the Black and Tans, soldiers sent to Ireland by the British government in the early 1920s to suppress Sinn Féin revolutionaries agitating for Irish independence.

The most common Black and Tan in the United States uses Guinness Stout and Bass Ale. The Guinness (or other stout) is "layered" on top of the Bass (or other lighter-colored beer), taking advantage of their differing densities. This is accomplished by first halfway filling the glass with Bass, then adding Guinness. The Guinness is best poured slowly over an upside-down tablespoon placed over the glass; this disperses the stout beer and helps to create the desired layering effect in the finished drink.

Combining Guinness and Harp lager (instead of Bass) results in a "Half and half." A "black and white" is a stout with any lager or ale.

A similar beverage using champagne as one of the mixers is the black velvet, which consists of half champagne and half Guinness. A "poor man's black velvet" subsitutes hard apple cider for the champagne. This variation is also called a "snakebite" by some.

Despite the use of what is arguably Ireland's national beer, the drink is relatively unknown in Ireland and an attempt to order it in a pub there would likely result in either teasing for adulterating the Guinness, or hostility due to the historical relevance of the name.

Firstly Bass beers aren't available in Ireland anymore so Harp/Smithwicks is used:

http://www.ivo.se/guinness/bnt.html

Q: A:
What is a Black & Tan?
What is a Half-and-Half?
The answer depends on who you ask. The all-Guinness Black & Tan is Harp's Lager and Guinness. (Harp's is brewed by Guinness at Dundalk). Many consider the classic Black & Tan to be Bass Pale Ale and Guinness. (To some Irish, they appreciate the fact that the Irish comes out on top!) However, Bass Ale is not as available in Ireland as it used to be, and either Harp or Smithwicks is generally used. However, there are many variations involving a stout or porter and another lighter coloured beer, either lager or ale.

A half-and-half is often just another name for a Black & Tan. However, in many North American Irish pubs, the Bass/Guinness combination is called a Black & Tan, while the Harp/Guinness combination is called a Half-and-Half.

Secondly, a snakebite is larger and cider. NOT beer and cider!

[MorganGrayson]

Originally Posted by Nickatilynx

Sigh...we were drinking boddingtons when you came to Vancouver....


(No one let her even have the TV remote anymore please , just smile and nod at her)

Oh, I see. "I drank with Nickatilynx and have a clear memory of this event."
Yeah. Right. *THAT* used to get said a LOT, I'm certain.

My husband drank the Boddingtons this time, I didn't.

Give me the remote back or I'll tell everyone what we DID watch on television when I was in Vancouver.

[Sabby]

Originally Posted by Stacey_JoinRightNow

Black and Tan is a cocktail made from equal parts English bitter and Irish stout, with the stout most commonly being Guinness.

The name is an allusion to the Black and Tans, soldiers sent to Ireland by the British government in the early 1920s to suppress Sinn Féin revolutionaries agitating for Irish independence.

The most common Black and Tan in the United States uses Guinness Stout and Bass Ale. The Guinness (or other stout) is "layered" on top of the Bass (or other lighter-colored beer), taking advantage of their differing densities. This is accomplished by first halfway filling the glass with Bass, then adding Guinness. The Guinness is best poured slowly over an upside-down tablespoon placed over the glass; this disperses the stout beer and helps to create the desired layering effect in the finished drink.

Combining Guinness and Harp lager (instead of Bass) results in a "Half and half." A "black and white" is a stout with any lager or ale.

A similar beverage using champagne as one of the mixers is the black velvet, which consists of half champagne and half Guinness. A "poor man's black velvet" subsitutes hard apple cider for the champagne. This variation is also called a "snakebite" by some.

Despite the use of what is arguably Ireland's national beer, the drink is relatively unknown in Ireland and an attempt to order it in a pub there would likely result in either teasing for adulterating the Guinness, or hostility due to the historical relevance of the name.

I used to be a bartender at a micro brewery. We served "Black and Tan" It was poured half Dark Ale and Half Lager. It was very popular. I thought it tasted like crap.


Sabby

[Dravyk]

Something wrong with my genes, they're Irish and English, but I just can not abide Stout or Porter! Yuckkkkkk!

I used to like Sam Adams, but couldn't drink more than two pints, heavy and would have a tinny after taste.

There's a local brew here that's getting more and more popular elsewhere called Yuengling. It's a larger and it is just awesome. http://www.yuengling.com

(Yes, they have Porter and also Black and Tan but haven't tried them, probably won't.)