The tradition of brewing beer on our planet dates back thousands of years. Just imagine—analogues of this drink existed as far back as the Paleolithic era, i.e., the New Stone Age! There is even a theory that cereals were once cultivated primarily for the production of alcoholic beverages, rather than bread.
Barley, corn, rye, rice, and even vegetable—there are thousands of varieties and types of beer known today, and they can sometimes differ dramatically in taste, strength, color, and aroma. But the most advanced gourmets do not stop there — for those who are no longer interested in drinking beer on its own, dozens of types of low-alcohol, strong, and even non-alcoholic cocktails based on beer have been invented.
Have you never heard of them, or do you only know the infamous “Yersh”? They do exist, and different countries around the world have their own favorites — for example, dark beers are often mixed with rich berry juices or tomato juice, light beers with citrus juices, strong alcohol is added in various proportions, less often wine drinks, and so on…
We suggest you write down the recipes for these beer cocktails, in case you decide to surprise your friends with something really unusual at a party!
Panaché
A classic old European cocktail, which is over 130 years old and still popular all over the world.
You will need: 120 ml of beer, 120 ml of lemonade or soda (you can substitute any light citrus-flavored fizzy drink such as Sprite or Almdudler).
Preparation: First pour the lemonade into a beer glass, then top it up with beer to form a low head.
Garnish with a slice of any citrus fruit if desired.
There are variations of this cocktail with dark bitter or light lager beer. In addition, the taste can vary depending on the flavor of the soda added. You can even replace the soda with a non-carbonated drink. Different countries have their own names for this cocktail: Shandy in the UK, Radler in Germany, Monaco in France, etc.
Shandygaff
Beer plus beer — how do you like that combination? It was invented in Britain. They say that this light cocktail has an incredibly refreshing effect.
You will need: 120 ml of light beer, 120 ml of ginger ale.
Preparation: Simply mix two types of chilled beer in a glass.
Michelada
This is a traditional spicy beer cocktail from Mexico – the Latin American version of the classic Bloody Mary. They say Hemingway himself loved it.
You will need: 180 ml of light beer (ideally Mexican – Corona Light, Special Modela), 100 ml of tomato juice, 1 tsp of lime juice, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon Tabasco hot sauce, salt, ground chili pepper.
Preparation. Moisten the rim of a beer glass with water and decorate with a mixture of salt and chili pepper.
In the glass itself, mix the sauces with lime juice and tomato juice. Carefully pour the beer on top without mixing or shaking. Ice cubes can be added.
Serve with nacho chips and lime wedges. There is also an option to decorate the glass with boiled shrimp.