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.

So, what to do? Researching what other people have done would be too easy, so let us instead attempt to derive some recipes from first principles. Beer is carbonated, just like Champagne…I wonder how it would do in a Buck’s Fizz?

Well, not so great. The Buck’s Fizz is mixed at a ratio of two parts orange juice to one part Champagne (or other sparkling wine) and the orange overwhelms the lager I was using. Its cousin, the mimosa, does a much better job of allowing the beer’s character to show through.

α Crucis
Recipe: Pour two parts chilled orange juice into a chilled champagne flute; top with three parts chilled pale lager. The version I’m tasting now is actually tangerine juice with Simpler Times lager.

Nose: Sweet grainy malt and orangey citrus.

Taste: Lightly effervescent, with the lighter mouthfeel and sweet malt character of the beer complementing the heavy juice quite well.

Overall: Light and refreshing, perfect for a breakfast accompaniment.

…but the base beer being one that’s often sneered at doesn’t do much to give it street cred in the beer world. Hops are very in and some American hops have a strong grapefruit character, so we’ll take advantage of that while working up a slight variation.

C. × paradisi
Recipe: As above, but with grapefruit juice and an American India Pale Ale. I chose Bell’s Two Hearted for my IPA.

Nose: Grapefruit and…grapefruit.

Taste: Here we really see the influence of the beer both in mouthfeel and flavour. Effervescent and tart, but the beer provides a slight sweetness to balance the grapefruit and adds complexity with some hoppy bitterness and resinous pine influence.

Overall: I love it.

On the other hand, I love drinking both of the ingredients separately, and while it’s a nice change of pace it doesn’t elevate the ingredients very much. Also, despite the current drift in popular meaning some people still insist you can’t call something a cocktail unless it contains spirits.

I’m trying to think…isn’t there something fizzy and slightly bitter that’s used in traditional cocktails?

Gin and Not-Tonic
Recipe: Fill a chilled Collins glass with cubed ice. Add 2 ounces London Dry gin (I chose Anchor Junipero) and top with an AIPA (I used Bell’s Two Hearted once again.)

Nose: Piny, with just a hint of malt.

Taste: The spicy juniper plays well with the flavour profile of the IPA, lending to a harmonious whole.

Overall: Very refreshing on this hot muggy night, and a credible twist on the venerable gin and tonic.

Which leads us to our final cocktail of the night, which veers away from using the beer in its natural state.

Aviatrix
Recipe: 1.5 ounces Anchor Genevieve or other genever (you can try substituting another style of gin, but it will change the drink significantly.)
0.5 ounce lemon juice
0.5 ounce American IPA reduction (simmer over low heat until reduced by 2/3) (guess which IPA I used…)
0.5 ounce St-Germain elderflower liqueur

Shake vigorously with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass (or follow my glassware-pauper example and make a terrible botch of using whatever you have by spilling part of it when setting up to take the beauty shot.)

Nose: Earthy, malty funkiness with sweet citrus fruit.

Taste: Slightly sweet, slightly bitter, slightly sour. Vague lemon and grapefruit background for a wonderful interplay of malt and juniper.

Overall: I think we have a winner here. While the real star is the genever, the beer reduction does a great job of backing it up and the liqueur brings enough sweetness to balance their strong characters.

With no outright failures and several intriguing combinations, I’m led to the obvious conclusion that beer definitely has a place in the world of mixed drinks.

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.

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.

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.

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.