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| "Quarantine happy hour" 24 oz of Murphy's Irish Stout & New England Brewing Sea Hag IPA |
I personally enjoy them closer to St. Patrick's Day, or when out at an Irish pub - seeing as how Guinness or Murphy's is one of the main components. However, lately I find myself making them on a more regular basis at home... especially now during quarantine. Maybe I'm still stuck in March? It made me think that there may be others out there that enjoy them as much as I do... and maybe it was blog worthy? Am I right? Hands up if you enjoy a good half and half!!
I figure most of you out there have probably had a half and half - but for the few that may not be so familiar, let me give you a little history and insight on this classic - also one of my favorite - beer concoctions.
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| Murphy's & Hooker Brewing Irish Red Ale |
So, a half and half is two different beers layered into one tall pint glass or mug... consisting of a nitro stout such as Guinness or Murphy's floating on top of a lighter pale ale, pilsner or lager - such as Harp or Smithwick's. This is all possible because of the lower relative density of the stout allowing it to float on top of the first layer of beer. Yay, science! It makes for one pretty glass of beer.... and it tastes good too!
How do you make one?
Wikipedia said it best: A Black and Tan is prepared by filling a glass halfway with pale ale, then adding nitro stout to fill the glass completely. An upside-down tablespoon may be 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.
I have a really cool "turtle" tool that I use, but you can use a regular table spoon. Check out some other cool half and half spoons here.
- Use a regular straight tall pint glass or mug
- Gently pour half of the pale ale (or beer of choice) into the glass.
- Place the spoon over the glass, dome side up, with it slightly tilted down into the glass.
- Very slowly and gently pour half of the stout over the spoon so it gently trickles down into the glass.
- Now wait for a minute and let the stout cascade before taking that first sip - or picture!
Yeah, it may not look as pretty if it mixes and this is usually an indication that something went wrong. Either the glass was too curvy, the stout wasn't nitro - or you poured too fast. Even though it's not picture worthy, it still tastes just as good, so drink up and try again. Practice makes perfect! Some people even prefer to drink the 2 beers mixed.
Tips:
- Again, use a regular straight tall pint glass or mug - curved glasses of any kind do not seem to work and the beer will eventually mix.
- Use Guinness or Murphy's NITRO in the can (with the widget in it) - if you use the regular Guinness in the bottle it will not work and the beers will mix.
- Make one for a friend at the same time! Since you're only using half of each beer, it makes sense to make 2 - that way you wont have opened beers sitting around - and you'll have someone to toast!
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| Guinness & Harp (Forty Thieves Irish Pub - Groton, CT) |
You may also know the half and half as a 'black and tan'. A traditional black and tan is made with Guinness, (Irish), and Bass ale, (English). According to Wikipedia, it seems like the earliest use of the term "black and tan" was in England, somewhere in the 1880's - and that was a mix of ale and stout. It did not become promoted as a layered drink until the 1980's - but it is unclear when/where the black and tan layered drink actually originated or became popular. One thing is certain, I wouldn't order a "black and tan" when in Ireland or an Irish pub in the states! In Ireland, ordering a "black and tan" can be deemed rude and disrespectful. Some say its because it's an American drink and they aren't "a thing" in Ireland - and others say it was due to the association with the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force that were nicknamed the "Black and Tans" for their uniforms.
From Wikipedia: The "Black and Tans" gained a reputation in Ireland in the 1920's for police brutality and became notorious for reprisal attacks on civilians and civilian property, including extrajudicial killings, arson and looting. Their actions further swayed Irish public opinion against British rule; their actions incited condemnation in Britain as well.
Yikes! Either way, it's a touchy subject and it's probably best to just order a traditional "half and half" if you're in an Irish pub in the states... Guinness and Harp, (or Smithwick's). If in Ireland... just stick with a pint of Guinness!
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| Guinness & Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale |
This is the best part! You can literally make a half and half with any beer style on the bottom. Obviously the lighter in color, the better it will be in contrast to the dark stout floating on top. Hence the use of pales, lagers and pilsners. Some of my favorite combinations are made with red ales and pumpkin beers - but I've also loved using Oktoberfest beers and even IPAs!
Let's not forget the taste! As you start drinking you will get a lot of the stout...and then as you work towards the middle you may get a mix of the two beers.. and eventually finish with just the last beer. The layers should mostly stay separated as you drink, but sometimes they mix... but that's OK. That's the beauty of the half and half!
There are even tasty cocktails that are made with Guinness floating on top... such as the 'Black Velvet' which is made with Guinness and champagne. Or the 'Snakebite' which is Guinness & hard cider. There's plenty of combinations!
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| Coastal Brewing Supply - New London, CT |
Our good friend, Sean Derby, owner of Coastal Brewing Supply in New London has been brewing for 13 years and knows a thing or two about building a killer half and half. Coastal Brewing Supply not only offers home brewing supplies but they also host brewing classes right in-store and have some of their own beers on tap.
"One of the reasons we got a stout tap in the first place to experiment with weird combinations. When we plan our keg beers now we take the black and tan component into consideration to see what fun flavor and appearance combinations we can come up with. Having that stout tap adds a whole new dimension to small batch brewing. Especially with home brewers, where experimentation is a large part of the process, having that extra little toy to play with opens a new realm of possibilities. The nitro alters the beer's flavor enough that if you have one on nitro and the same on a traditional tap, you'll notice some differences, but not enough to make it an entirely new beer. I just love a nitro tap."
When I asked what Sean's favorite combinations were...
"...the Belgian IPA on nitro with the Oaked Black IPA on CO2 was really cool. We just kicked the black though. Putting a red on soon (it's carbonating). It ought to be good with the brown we have on nitro now".
The combinations are certainly endless! Let us know what your favorite combinations are!
You can comment below right here on our site, or email us killihumpdrinksbeer@gmail.com