You know how I mentioned those long lazy autumnal sunsets in the Tomato Crumble post the other day? Well I half-watched one the other day whilst having dinner with my family. That’s completely beside the point and you probably couldn’t care less if you tried, but it’s a nice little intro to the idea of a beer cocktail, because it was the perfect moment for one.
Now, I am sure there are beerheads with bushy beards and faded Guns and Roses t-shirts that need a wash who would give the sort of disdainful look to the idea of beer in a cocktail as they would to the notion of a glass of rosé. But I don’t think we should care overly much about them. We have apparently passed out of the age of hipster and into the époque of Yuccies and ‘Nouveau Bro’ (no seriously, I read it on Mashable, Buzzfeed and in GQ emails, so it must be true…), so it’s time we all started making beer cocktails.
Oh wait, I did this last year. Yeah, I was, like, totally doing it before it was cool.
Back then it was the Hop, Skip and Go Naked, today it is The Beer’s Knees (see what they did there?); but both rest on the idea that whilst beer is delicious by itself, a beer cocktail is even better because it’s beer with other treats added to it. And by ‘treats’ I do, of course, mean gin.
So whether you are taking advantage of the early autumn sunshine at the weekend or, like I was, binge-watching Netflix with a friend, it’s time to crack open a beer and start making cocktails. Wearing gingham shirts or pink is optional.
The Beer’s Knees - Beer Cocktail
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
This recipe is a variation on various other versions of it I found online. You can make it with flavourless lagers like most recipes suggest, but I would go with a weisse beer so it actually tastes of something. I’ve deliberately written this in proportions so you can make one or scale it up – if you’re looking for a base unit, say 1 part is 25ml – best served in a schooner (2/3 pint) or large tumbler.
Ingredients
- 2 parts gin (Tanqueray, or similar)
- 1 part honey
- 1 part water
- 1 part fresh lemon juice
- Weiss beer (approx. 150ml per glass)
- Ice
Instructions
Pour your honey, lemon juice and water in a shaker or tumbler, mix slightly then add the gin and combine fully. If you’re using a glass, chopsticks are excellent for this sort of stirring.
Fill your schooner three-quarters of the way with ice cubes, pour your gin mix over the ice and then top off with the beer. Garnish with slice of lemon, or similar.
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