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BEHIND THE STICK - with Patrick McCormick
I
have just returned from a business trip to Denver, CO. On the day of my return, I go through my mail/e-mail to catch up with life and I find a letter from my editor saying "Thanks for the last article, hope to have the August issue by July 18th." Did I mention I got back on the 18th? Not to worry, I was heavily inspired on my trip about an idea for cocktails -BEER... Yes, beer cocktails!
I guess it was the clean mountain air, the fact that Colorado brews over 2000 types of beer, the elevation (less oxygen to the brain) that made "beer cocktails" make perfect sense. Actually, "Beer Cocktails" have been around for quite some time. We can start out with some common ones that you may not think about as "cocktails," such as a true "Half & Half" (lager with a stout float) or a "Black & Tan" (ale with a stout float), a "Snakebite" (Cider with a stout float), the infamous "Boiler Maker" (a beer and a shot of whiskey) and the "Black Velvet" (a mixture of stout beer and Champagne - quite tasty that one). These "cocktails" have made their mark all over the world and are generally well know to all. Let's talk about some "beer cocktails" that also have been around for a while but may not be as familiar. A personal favorite of mine is beer and cola (Yes my wife of almost ten years still wonders about me.) known as a "Broadway." This is popular in Japan and I have been drinking this since my time in Germany where we called it an "UberSpezi" which is modified from the orange soda and cola mix known as a "Spezi." A "Shandy" is a variation of the "Broadway," made with ale and ginger beer (some people use lemonade instead). A "Dark and Smooth" is combination of stout with a shot of Port (I prefer a Ruby Port). I could go on but I think you get the picture. "Beer cocktails" are fun, low in alcohol (good for breakfast) and great for the summer heat. So during August let's celebrate "National Water Quality Month" (water being an integral ingredient in beer) and the summer's heat and humidity with some "Beer Cocktails." I leave you now with an inspirational quote and a few more recipes to play around with: "You can't be a country unless you have a beer and an airline -it helps if you some kind of football team and some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer." -Frank Zappa BALTIMORE ZOO (Make a monkey out of you!) Glass of ale 1/2 oz. each of gin, vodka, rum and tequila VANILLA BEAN 1 1/2 oz. Vanilla Vodka Cream soda of choice Beer of choice Chill a beer glass and add vodka and then fill with two-thirds beer and one-third cream soda. SKIP AND GO NAKED 1 oz. gin 1/2 oz. lemon juice Beer Splash of Grenadine Fill chilled beer glass with ingredients in order listed. MOUNTAIN DEW Ale Ginger beer 1 oz. Melon liqueur Fill chilled glass with equal parts ale and ginger beer and add a shot of melon liqueur. MICHELADA 1 oz. Fresh lime juice 1 or 2 dashes of salt 2 dashes each of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco Mexican beer of choice Add ingredients into iced beer glass, stir and serve For a Chelada (aka Cubano) omit Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco. LOADED CORONA Add a shot of Bacardi Limon to a bottle of Corona As you prepare these, pour carefully and watch for foaming! |
