Black and Tan

Historycan balance on the edge of the pint-glass for easier
A blend of Guinness and Basspouring.
A blend of Guinness and HarpIn the United Kingdom, another way of preparing a
The style is believed to have originated in pubs inBlack and Tan is to pour half a pint of dark stout into
Britain with drinkers ordering a mix of dark stout anda pint glass and then top up with draught bitter, so
draught bitter. The earliest recorded usage of thethat both beers are thoroughly mixed together.
term in the Oxford English Dictionary is from 1889,In the Republic of Ireland a Black and Tan is normally
though an earlier origin of an 18th century blend ofmade from a half pint of Smithwick's topped off with
porter and pale ale has been conjectured.[citationGuinness[citation needed]. This version is also
needed] Several American breweries currently makesometimes referred to as a "Blacksmith" or a "Light
premixed Black and Tan, and it is a popular blend atand Bitter." During the summer months stout drinkers
American bars. One of the oldest and best knownmay order a black and tan due to its lighter texture.
commercial examples is Yuengling's Original Black andLikewise ale drinkers may order a Smithwick's with a
Tan.Guinness head. This is an ordinary pint of Smithwick's
The name "black and tan" had earlier been applied towith the last inch or so topped off with Guinness.
dogs, such as the black and tan coon-hound. It wasIn Australia, specifically New South Wales, a Black and
later used as a nickname for the Black and TansTan is made from half a schooner (425ml) of
paramilitary reserve during the Irish War ofTooheys New (a pale lager) and then topped up with
Independence. In March 2006, Ben and Jerry'sTooheys Old (a dark ale)
released an ice cream flavor in the United States forVariations
Saint Patrick's Day inspired by the drink; the nameHalf and half: In Ireland, a traditional Half and Half
offended Irish nationalists because of the paramilitaryconsists of half warm or room temperature Guinness
association. Ben and Jerry's has since apologized. Aand half chilled Guinness. In the early days,
spokesman told Reuters, "Any reference on our partrefrigeration was of course unavailable. As
to the British Army unit was absolutely unintentionalrefrigeration came into existence in the 20th century,
and no ill-will was ever intended."it was found that a mixture of the two
The most common type of Black and Tan in thetemperatures created the perfect drinking
United States uses Guinness Draught (not Extratemperature for Guinness. Most Guinness poured in
Stout) and Bass, though variations using Harp LagerIreland is served at about this temperature, roughly
or Newcastle Brown Ale instead of Bass are44 degrees Fahrenheit (6 Celsius). In the United
sometimes also referred to as Black and Tans.States, Half and Half consists of Harp Lager topped
Guinness and Harp is more commonly referred to aswith Guinness. Half and half implies that both beers
a Half and Half, and Guinness and Newcastle iscome from the Guinness Brewery.
generally called a Black Castle. The "layering" ofSee also
Guinness on top of the ale or lager is possibleShandy : Beer cocktail mixed with lemonade,
because the relative density of the Guinness is lesslemon-lime soda, or ginger ale.
than that of the ale or lager.Diesel Shandy : Beer cocktail mixed with cola.
A Black-and-Tan SpoonBlack Velvet Cocktail : This is traditionally made with
To prepare a Black and Tan in the American way,Guinness and Champagne.
first fill a glass halfway with the ale, then add theReferences
Guinness Draught (from the can, bottle, or tap). The^ In Search of Ireland's Heroes: Carmel McCaffrey
top layer is best poured slowly over an upside-down^ Black and Tan ice cream causes a chill in Ireland -
tablespoon placed over the glass to avoid splashingThe Telegraph, 21 April 2006
and mixing the layers. A specially designedExternal links
black-and-tan spoon is bent in the middle so that itIce cream, anyone?