Black and Tan is a drink made from a blend of pale ale and a dark beer such as a stout or porter. Sometimes a pale lager is used instead of ale; this is more usually called a half and half. In Ireland both Stout and Ale drinkers may order a black and tan for variety. Contrary to popular belief, however, Black and Tan is not a drink commonly consumed in Ireland. Indeed the drink has image problems in parts of Ireland and elsewhere due to the notoriously violent British auxiliary force sent into Ireland by British Secretary of State for War Winston Churchill during the Lloyd George premiership in the early 1920s and nicknamed the Black and Tans.
History
The style is believed to have originated in pubs in Britain with drinkers ordering a mix of dark stout and draught bitter. The name is first recorded in 1889, though an earlier origin of an 18th century blend of porter and pale ale has been conjectured. Several American breweries currently make premixed Black and Tan, and it is a popular blend at American bars. One of the oldest and best known commercial examples is Yuengling's Original Black and Tan.
The name "black and tan" had earlier been applied to dogs, such as the black and tan coon-hound. It was later used as a nickname for the Black and Tans paramilitary reserve during the Irish War of Independence. In March 2006, Ben and Jerry's released an ice cream flavor in the United States for Saint Patrick's Day inspired by the drink; the name offended Irish nationalists because of the paramilitary association. Ben and Jerry's has since apologized. A spokesman told Reuters, "Any reference on our part to the British Army unit was absolutely unintentional and no ill-will was ever intended."
The two most common types of Black and Tan in the United States use Guinness Draught (not Extra Stout) and either Bass, or Harp Lager. Although, Guinness and Harp is more commonly referred to as a Half and Half. The "layering" of Guinness on top of the ale or lager is possible because the density of Guinness is less than that of the ale or lager. Note: the layering is often mistakenly attributed to the fact that Guinness is partly carbonated with the lighter nitrogen gas but this theory is disproved by the fact that Black and Tans were around long before Guinness started putting nitrogen into stout.
To prepare a Black and Tan in the American way, first fill a glass halfway with the ale, then add the Guinness Draught (from the can, bottle, or tap). The top layer is best poured slowly over an upside-down tablespoon placed over the glass to avoid splashing and mixing the layers. A specially designed black-and-tan spoon is bent in the middle so that it can balance on the edge of the pint-glass for easier pouring.
In the United Kingdom, another way of preparing a Black and Tan is to pour half a pint of dark stout into a pint glass and then top up with draught bitter, so that both beers are thoroughly mixed together.
In the Republic of Ireland a Black and Tan is normally made from a half pint of Smithwick's topped off with Guinness. During the summer months, and some time for variety, stout drinkers may order a black and tan due to its lighter texture. Likewise ale drinkers may order a Smithwick's with a Guinness head. This is an ordinary pint of Smithwick's with the last inch or so topped off with Guinness.
In Australia, specifically New South Wales, a Black and Tan is made from half a schooner (425ml) of Tooheys New (a pale lager) and then topped up with Tooheys Old (a dark ale)
Variations
Half and half
In Ireland, a traditional Half and Half consists of half warm or room temperature Guinness and half chilled Guinness. In the early days, refrigeration was of course unavailable. As refrigeration came into existence in the 20th century, it was found that a mixture of the two temperatures created the perfect drinking temperature for Guinness. Most Guinness poured in Ireland is served at about this temperature, roughly 44 degrees Fahrenheit (6° Celsius). In the United States, Half and Half consists of Harp Lager topped with Guinness. Half and half implies that both ales come from the Guinness Brewery.
Other variations, listed alphabetically:
- Black Hearted Lady : Guinness and Bell's Two-Hearted Ale
- All Irish Black & Tan, aka, Blacksmith, aka, Irish Nectar, aka, Pint of Special: Guinness Stout and Smithwick's Irish Ale
- Back in Black: Half Guinness and half Sid Richardson College lager. The name is a reference to the AC/DC song of the same name which serves as the official anthem to the 8th of the 11 Rice University colleges.
- Black & Cherry, aka, Chocolate-Covered Cherry: Guinness and Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat
- Black & Gold, aka, Black Apple: Half Guinness Stout and half hard cider (e.g., Westons or Woodchuck). Sometimes incorrectly referred to as a snakebite, which is actually a mixture of half lager and half cider. When made specifically with Woodchuck Cider it is also called a Stout Woody
- Black & Gold: Half Guinness and Half Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold
- Black & Red: Half Guinness and half Red Stripe
- Black & Red, aka, Red Velvet: Half chocolate stout over half raspberry or cherry lambic
- Black & Sam, aka, Patriot Pint, aka, Boston Half & Half: Guinness and Samuel Adams Boston Lager
- Black & Black : A blend of Guinness Extra Stout and Guinness Draught
- Black & Blue: Stout with Blue Moon Belgian White, or stout and blueberry ale, Guinness and Pabst Blue Ribbon, Guinness and Labatt Blue. Typically, this refers to any variation of stout coupled with blueberry-flavored ales or brands with the name "Blue" in them.
- Black & Orange: Stout and pumpkin ale: Also known as a "Black & Blumpkin", a "Black-O-Blumpkin", or a "Blackhead" (Guinness and Shipyard Pumpkinhead of Portland, Maine. The Gilded Otter Brewpub in New Paltz, New York calls this mixture a Stumpkin.
- Black & White: Stout with any light colored beer.
- Black Bastard, aka, Arrogant Black: Guinness and Arrogant Bastard Ale, an American strong ale from Stone Brewing Company of San Marcos, California.
- Black Castle: Half Guinness and half Newcastle Brown Ale.
- Black Christmas, aka, Kwanzaa: Guinness draught over Christmas Ale.
- Black Cow: Half Guinness and half New Glarus Spotted Cow
- Black Dead Guy: Half Guinness and Half Rogue Dead Guy Ale
- Black Eye: Half Guinness and Half Black Eye Ale
- Black Girl: Half Guinness and St. Pauli Girl
- Black Hoe: Half Guinness and half Hoegaarden.
- Black Honey: Half Guinness and Half Honey Brown
- Black Honky: Half Guinness and Half Goose Island Honker's Ale
- Black Light: Half Guinness and Half Samuel Adams Light (or other light beer) #9
- Black Magic: Half Guinness and Half Magic Hat #9
- Black & Blood: Guiness & Ribena (Black Current)
- Black Negra: Half Guinness, Half Negra Modelo
- Black on Blonde, aka, Blonde Redhead' (Invented by Christopher Donaldson): A mixture of (slightly more than) half Guinness and (slightly less than) half Stella Artois (The plural form would be Blacks on Blonde.)
- Black & Ornery (invented by Kevin Zinter): Half Guinness and Half Furious (by Surly Brewing Company, Brooklyn Center, MN)
- Black Sap: Half Guinness and Sapporo
- Black Scotch Ale: Half Guinness and Half Sam Adam's Scotch Ale
- Black Summer: Half Guinness and Half Sam Adam's Summer Ale - Created by Casper Tavenor
- Black Tire: Half Guinness and half New Belgium Fat Tire
- Blacks on Blondes: Half Young's Double Chocolate Stout and half Pete's Wicked Strawberry Blonde
- Dark & Steamy (invented by Joe Fahrner): Half Anchor Steam Beer and half Guinness
- Dirty Bush (Traditional): Half stout Guinness half Bush Light Mixed Seasonally.
- Eclipse, aka, Black Moon, aka, Dark Side of the Moon: Half Guinness and Half Blue Moon
- Garnet and Black: Guinness and Killian's Irish Red. This is a regional variation in South Carolina, named after the school colors of the University of South Carolina.
- The Greatness: Half Guinness and Half Great White. (Great White is from Lost Coast Brewery in Eureka, Ca.)
- Green Goblin (invented by Geoff Wayne): Half Heineken and half Hobgoblin
- Guinn-ling: Half Guinness and Half Yeungling- Created by Jeff Thornton
- Imperial Black & Tan (invented by David Hatling): Half Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale and half Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout
- Innis & Guinness (invented by Brent Swallowell): Half Innis & Gunn and half Guinness
- Irish Anarchist: Any Irish stout atop any Irish red ale. The name is a reference to the anarchist-syndicalist flag, which is black and red.
- Irish American: Half Guinness and half Budweiser.
- Irish Canadian: Half Guinness and half Molson Canadian
- Irishman in Texas: Half Guinness and half Shiner Bock
- October Night: Half Guinness and half Sam Adams Octoberfest - Created at JJ's Pub, Pontifical College Josephinum, Columbus, Ohio.
- Old Dirty Englishman: Half Guinness and half Tetley's
- Philadelphia Black & Tan: Half Guinness Stout and half Yuengling Lager
- Pint of Special, aka, 99: Similar to the all Irish Black and Tan served mostly in the west of Ireland. Made with more than 75% Smithwick's topped up with a Guinness head
- Raging Inferno: Half Guinness, Half Firehouse American Pale Ale
- Red Velvet: Half Guinness, Half Raspberry Cider Jack
- San Patricios: Half Guinness and half any Mexican beer (Corona, Pacifico, Dos Equis, Negro Modelo)
- Smoothie: Half any hard draft cider and half Guinness
- Snake Bite: Half any hard draft cider and half any lager
- Sweet Black and Tan: Sweetheart Stout and any light ale (i.e. 60 shilling)
- Tetness: Half Guinness and half Tetley's
- Thistle & Shamrock: Beamish & McEwan's
- Thundercloud: Half Boulevard Dry Stout and half Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat[3]
