A Flowery Song

The Mission: “What’s your favorite beer cocktail (and yes, despite the title of this post, it can be a black & tan or a shandy)? Find a recipe for that or a new one, try it, and tell us why you did or didn’t like it–even if you think beer cocktails are nothing but a good way to waste a beer. Have fun and try something new!”

Well, that’s sure to prove an interesting topic and I’m looking forward to seeing what others have to say. While I haven’t gone as far as conducting a poll, the prevailing opinion among the beer lovers I talk to seems to be that beer cocktails are a waste of a good beer, or a waste of time which could be spent drinking a good beer if made with “bad” beer.

Personally, I’ve never given the matter much thought. I’m much too busy learning about unmixed drinks to delve deeply into the mixed side of things—I follow a few cocktail blogs and occasionally play around with a spirit that I’m trying (or trying to get rid of). I’m certainly aware of the existence of such things as the Black and Tan and shandy, but I’ve never actually had one.
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Background: Highly acclaimed London Dry gin from Anchor Distilling.

Nose: Clean and citrusy.

Taste: Fresh, crisp juniper. Hints of lemon and orange zest. Licorice in the finish.

Overall: Now this is a gin. Smooth and sippable, but plenty of spiciness and the juniper is the star of the show.

Background: From Anchor Distilling in San Francisco, a genever style gin using the same botanicals as their Junipero London dry gin. The difference lies in the base: rather than neutral spirits, a mash of malted wheat, barley, and rye is used. If it weren't for those pesky botanicals, the resulting spirit would be whisky.

There have been at least two releases, but the first one (bottled in the same clear bottles used for Junipero) was extremely limited and was mainly made available to restaurants and bars rather than at retail. The second release (which I have) is in green-tinted bottles and has much better availability. Anchor has not committed one way or the other regarding continued production, so if you absolutely must try it, sooner would be better than later.

Nose: Funky, earthy, fruity, and sweet. Rich malt aroma with refreshing herbaceous high notes.

Taste: Juniper hits first, but it's accompanied by a vegetal woodiness. Brash alcohol on a solid cereal background, with spicy rye notes complementing the spicy botanical elements. Medium, oily finish as the juniper fades away and is replaced by a gentle sweetness.

Overall: Full of character and unique. Highly flavourful, so it shows to best advantage when mixed rather than served neat. Nevertheless, simply sipping it with a few drops of water added is a rewarding experience.

Appearance: Dark reddish-brown, rocky brown head.

Nose: Toffee, molasses, and caramel with some fruitiness.

Taste: Rich malt with lots of dark and burnt sugar notes, a hint of cocoa and earthy hops, and a background of slight breadiness. Lightly bitter finish that fades quickly, leaving a hint of acid malt.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and slick, with moderate carbonation.

Overall: If I wanted to get pissy (and increase my beer snob cred) I could say that this strays a bit far from the traditional bock style–but I won't do that, as I feel that while it's somewhat different, it's firmly rooted in tradition. Also, it's good beer, and no pretensions to stylistic purity should be allowed to diminish that. Drink it. 's tasty.

Appearance: Slightly hazy light copper with lots of bubbles.

Smell: Mild breadiness, earthy malt, and faint caramel notes.

Taste: Begins with a sharp citrus hop bitterness, which gradually falls away leaving an intensely malty finish. Some fruitiness in the middle.

Mouthfeel: Mildly drying finish, full body, lively carbonation.

Drinkability: Flavourful and full of character, nice crisp taste and very pleasant to drink.