Black N Tan: How do you do it yourself?

Daniel Dorn

Daniel Dorn

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Apr 21, 1999
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So, I have this friend who has gotten a liking for the Bass Ale/Guinness Black and Tan drink, you know the one where the two beers come in the same glass, but are separated.

She has been trying to find a way to create the effect on her own, in her own home. She uses a spoon, and pours gently onto it, if I get her description right. Is this a 'practice makes perfect' sort of thing? or is there a more reliable method to achieve the separatation?

Any thoughts, comments, suggestions are welcome.

Daniel
 
You put the Bass in the bottom with no head and then pour the Guinness over it slowly so it forms a layer on top. Pouring the Guinness out of an official Guiness tap works best because you can control the rate of flow - otherwise bend the bowl of a spoon backwards so it is perpendicular to the handle with the rounded side UP. Slowly pour the Guinness over the rounded surface so it forms the layer.

Practice Makes Perfect! BBBBBUUUuuurrrrrppp!!

Hey - where's Rugger? He has worked as a bartender in an Irish bar, right? I bet he has poured a few.

Interestingly, where I first started drinking them (the Liffey in Jackson Heights, Queens) they were called Half and Half and they were made with Harp beer and Guinness. Black and Tan has a connotation that would probably lead to you wearing the beer over your head if you ordered one in that place in those days!
 
HA- Hey there Mycrofft- looks like we crossed posts... Cheers! :P
I work (weekends) at an Irish pub & that's what we do. Put your ale or lager in 1st & then use a spoon to top off the pint w/ Guinness. We have special domed spoon-like gadgets that fit over the pint glass. Draft Guinness is charged w/ Nitrogen & most other beers are charged w/ Carbon Dioxide, which is heavier- thus the Guinness "floats" on the ale (Bass for a "Black & Tan) or the lager (we use Harp for a "Half & Half"). Most folks order them by one name or the other- few know the difference.
Hope that helps.
Slainte,
Mike
 
While it's likely not really called a Black and Tan, I've always liked to make them with hard cider and Guinness.
 
RDomina said:
While it's likely not really called a Black and Tan, I've always liked to make them with hard cider and Guinness.
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Normally called a "Poor Man's Black Velvet" (A true Black Velvet being Guinness & Champagne)
I *always* ask exactly what kind of "Black & Tan" people want when they ask- this combo comes up all of the time- as a "Black & Tan".
 
A black and tan should be mixed. What is the point of having a two-stage drink? You pour the Guiness in last because otherwise you get a glass of froth. Good test for a newbie "make me a Guinness Shandy"! If you put the Guiness in first you end up with a disaster as the lemonade won't mix or sit on top. If you half fill the glass with lemonade and let it settle, you can add the Guiness on top. Then give is a little stir.

The favourites in my pub were;

A Mickey Mouse - lager and bitter mixed.

Snakebite - lager and rough cider mixed. Sometimes they added blackcurrant, 'snakebite and black'. Because of having to clear up techno-colour vomit, I stop serving these. I stopped serving Tequila for the problems of customers with Tequila Slammers and cleaning the carpet. Pernod and black in excess was another signal for impending danger, and with that, you never get rid of the smell until you have the carpet steam cleaned!
 
Andrew Taylor said:
Snakebite - lager and rough cider mixed. Sometimes they added blackcurrant, 'snakebite and black'. Because of having to clear up techno-colour vomit, I stop serving these. I stopped serving Tequila for the problems of customers with Tequila Slammers and cleaning the carpet.
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Yep- I'm usually on Bio Spill Duty when I'm working, so we vigorously discourage folks from being sick when possible.
In a bar I worked in in Germany (w/ very substantial English/Irish clientele- guys working on building sites) we stopped selling snakebites on Fridays & Saturdays. On pure lager or pure cider, everybody was fine, start mixing & the fighting/puking would start. Very odd- but you could bet your life on it.
Most of the pukers we get now are from Irish Car Bombs. Disgusting stuff.:barf:
 
Where I come from a snakebite is Yukon Jack and lime juice and it's usually consumed as a shot or on the rocks.
 
Thanks for all the info, guys. I got a big smile out of her, as I don't think she was expecting me to dig up any info for her.:D

Daniel
 
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