Photo Credit - iStock/Milkos
I remember a specific moment about 5 years ago that I ordered a “have to try, can’t imagine how it will work out” cocktail at a nearby highly reputable restaurant. I couldn’t stand it, I couldn’t believe someone put it on a menu, and I thought “this is the worst idea ever, this trend is never going to work out”. That irony of course is that was the first “beer” cocktail I ever ordered, and today, the beer cocktail is a steady-growing trend.
A trend yes, however, many trends start with good reason, and can often be found in a historical standpoint, and beer has history. Beer has been around…for a while. Some scientist believe fermentation and the brewing of beer dates back to 9500 BC, however there are many factual recording that are multiple thousands of years old. Beer helped keep water safe to drink, killed bacteria, could be used to trade, keep viable nutrients from left over grain, and at the end of the day, generally helped people feel better, well maybe not always the next morning.
Beer traveled the world, for instance, the pilgrims are said to have served low proof beer to children just to keep them healthy, and today is one of the largest industries on the planet, so to think that no one ever mixed anything into their beer before the “Brass Monkey” (Beer and Orange Juice) was invented is most likely not a winning argument. Beer cocktails such as the appeared in Jerry Thomas’ everlasting Bartender’s Guide “How to Mix Drinks or the Bon Vivant’s Companion” recipes such as the Ale Sangaree, the Flip, and Ale Punch showed up. In fact, all through the 19th century beer cocktails were popular, with commonplace in the winter to even serve hot beer or ale mixed drinks.
Look at what beer is. It’s normally lower alcohol than spirits, generally, it is highly cost-effective, it is very easy to consume, and most often it goes great with food. Sound like a cocktail? So it’s not surprising to see the historical consumption as a precursor to the modern trend.
Fast forward today. In September of 2015, the brewers association named the fact that America had surpassed 4,000 legal breweries approaching the historical high of 4,131 in 1873, and as the love of beer as grown, the love of the beer cocktail has followed. Familiar classics such as the Black Velvet (Stout and Champagne), the Michelada (Beer and Bloody Mary Mix), the Shandy (Beer and Lemonade) and even the Brass Monkey are have been leaders for Beer Old Fashioned’s, Beer-Ritas, Beer Collins, Flips, Ale Punches, Apple Cider Drinks, Shandygraff’s (Curacao, Lemon, IPA and Ginger Beer), and countless others to show up on cocktail menus worldwide. Today Beer cocktails can be found from the most boutique bars, to brew houses, gastro-pubs, and large chain restaurants, to even incredible books like Jacob Grier’s “Cocktail on Tap”.
I “should” finish by saying it’s ironic that beer cocktails are such a trend given my previous opinions, but in honesty, it’s not. In fact, it is so “Not Ironic” it still brings me a laugh today with every beer cocktail I enjoy.
Cheers!
