Beer cocktails are everywhere lately, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen this twist.
At The Fifth Floor in San Francisco, bartender Brian Means takes Anchor Steam beer, combines it with sugar and cooks it down into a beer syrup, which is then used to enhance this savory whiskey drink. So this isn’t really a beer cocktail, but a strong, cocktail lover’s cocktail infused with a little taste of beer.
This is a tough point in the season for many fans; the excitement of the unknown has been replaced by either the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat. I’ll admit it, I got cocky before the NFL season started. I believed the hype and did not expect to be sitting here after Week 7 in the NFL with my Eagles at 2-4.
That means now is as good a time as any to drown your sorrows. If your team is on the upswing, celebrate away. If not, feel free to try some all of these tasty libations, which make “drinking a cold one” much more exciting for any football foodie. They’ll make sure you and your guests have a great time no matter what the score is.
Salty, savory and with just enough kick, this michelada with Peychaud bitters definitely lives up to its Bayou heritage.
The only thing we can say about this is, why the hell didn’t we think of it first?
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Solution #2 for how to drink dark beer in summer: mix it with gin!
The Black Friars Pint at The Fifth Floor in San Francisco has Plymouth Gin, Cardamom Spiced Guinness and East India Sherry, shaken with egg white and Angostura bitters.
(You may recall solution #1 was this beer float from Brooklyn’s 61 Local)
It’s a billion and one degrees outside. Does that call for a frosty beer? Or a cold glass of juice? Maybe a shot of tequila? How about all three? Red Star Tavern in Portland, Oregon is now serving The Gringo, a beer-based cocktail that will make you forget all about the heat.
The Gringo
1.5 oz. silver tequila (100% agave)
.5 oz. St. Germain elderflower liqueur
1 oz. grapefruit juice
1 Double Mountain Vaporizer Pale Ale (or your favorite pale ale)
Shake tequila, elderflower, and grapefruit with ice. Strain over fresh ice. Top off with pale ale. Serve in a salt-rimmed glass with a grapefruit twist.
A couple of weeks ago I received a text from a friend who was having dinner at DC’s newest taqueria, El Centro, D.F. He asked me if I had ever tried a Moscow Mule. I immediately had a flashback to New Years Eve 1995. I was 15 and my older sister had taken me under her wing to a nightclub in my hometown in England. If you’re familiar with the UK bar scene you’ll know that they’re not too strict on ID and age restriction — I used a fake birth certificate to get in the door — and well, I don’t remember much other than drinking the night away on one too many pre-bottled Smirnoff Mules, to the point of not ever drinking them again.
I had a perverted hope that El Centro, D.F. would be serving these pre-mixed bottles, but my hopes were dashed. Instead I found a seductively crafted cocktail from El Centro’s beverage director, Brennan Adams. I’m not sure what has happened to the Moscow Mule I first encountered and quite frankly, I don’t care. Adams’ version, with its summer fresh tones, splash of beer, and peppery aftertaste, is a whole new kind a mule. I spoke with Adams about his drink, explaining it was too good not to share, and he was kind enough to give me the recipe.
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