Top o’ the month to ya! With St.Patrick’s Day known for celebrating all things Irish and boozy, why not start making some of your own traditions by making beer cocktails? Before you shudder at the thought, beer serves as a fabulous alternative to most mixed drinks. Get ready to be astounded and spirited away with these tricks for delicious drafts that deliver.
When commencing your adventures into the world of beer cocktails, be sure to brush up on your understanding of all the craft beer styles. For a great guide, explore the types of craft beer available. Once you are familiar with Amber Ales, Belgian Ales, India Pale Ales, American Pale Ales, and Pilsners, you can start matching these beers to your tastes and mix away to your heart’s content.
While there is an art to craft beer, there is also a trick to mixology with beers. Think you have what it takes to give your St. Patrick’s Day a pinch and pour of luck? Try your hand at these mixes and you may discover you have a newfound talent!
When you are matching beers with complementary flavours, look to pair the strongest characteristic or flavours present. You will want to make your drink mostly beer-based, with other mixes or juices thrown in. Beer also serves well as a replacement for most cocktail ingredients, just be sure to match the palates accordingly.
When you are creating your cocktails, mix or shake all the base spirits and juices together first, then add your beer of choice. You don’t want to make the mistake of shaking a carbonated drink with beer!
If you are thinking of prepping your drinks cabinet for the long-run, consider making syrup. A syrup is a great way to add flavour to any cocktail by preserving taste in concentrated form. Typically, they get made by dissolving sweet substances like sugar or honey — and now you can with beer! Some great examples to use include fruity ales, tarter tones and flavourful stouts.
These beers are quite neutral in flavour compared to other beers, deemed a safer option for those experimenting for the first time. They add just enough of a tingle and taste to enhance any cocktail.
A shandy is a blended drink, with an equal parts ratio. Just mix equal measures of any citrus juice, soda, cloudy lemonade, or orange-based drink, perfect for a bit of summer zest in every sip.
If you have an IPA which is quite hoppy, look for the hints of citrus, herbal, floral or bitterness. A citrusy IPA sips nicely with a lemon or an orange-tinged spirit, whereas a herbal beer blooms on your palate with a botanical gin.
These beers range in aromatic palates. Think traces of bitter, herbs, lemon and even smoky sensations. Lager based cocktails would mix the same as IPA, so think of adding dashes of summery tangs.
These tall, dark and handsome types love to mingle with suggestions of roasted and touches of toasted flavours. Pair with deep coffee or chocolate liqueurs or syrups.
Last but not least, for those wanting the unexpected with their creative crafty cocktails — try a beer float. Scoop some vanilla ice cream into a glass and pour a chocolate stout over to make an adult boozy float. You can even use a straw to enjoy this drink, one savoured sip at a time.
May your St. Patrick’s Day have all the luck creating and sharing your craft beer cocktails with your loved ones. For information on where you can find our locally crafted beer, explore our local stockists.