black and tan

Creating the perfect black and tan can be hard. If you've never tried to make one, be sure to try it out at home first with no guests to serve. Once you have the technique down, you'll have no trouble trying to re-create this layered beverage for your friends.

There are two different techniques to build the perfect black and tan; I recommend trying both out to see which works best for you.

Pull out your pint glass and slowly pour in the Bass by titling the glass to avoid too much foam. Once the glass is half full, open the Guinness and once again tilt the glass. With a steady hand, pour the Guinness down the side of the glass verrrry slowly.

Another great technique is to pour the Bass into the glass with little to no foam, just like before. Hold a large spoon upside down over the glass and very slowly pour the Guinness over the back of it. Pouring Guinness over the back of a spoon slows the flow of the beer.

Voilà: two ways to pour the perfect black and tan. Still not sure you have it down? Just keep reading for more tips!

Update: We tried making a black and tan again with much more success this time. Learn how to pour the perfect black and tan.

This was supposed to be a tale about how easy it is to make the glorious drink that is the black and tan. But, instead it is a recount of my struggle and ultimate defeat of the classic beer cocktail. You see, on Wednesday afternoon I had the brilliant idea of making myself a black and tan.

A black and tan is equal parts pale ale and stout. The pale ale is poured into a glass first, and the stout is slowly added over the back of a spoon to create a layer of tan and a layer of black. Although I've never made one before, I assumed it would be simple enough. Instead of purchasing Bass, like the recipe recommended, I bought Harps. I tried over and over again and was, each time, unsuccessful. Thus, I turned to the pros. I called up my friend Aaron, one of the owners of 15 Romolo, and he informed me that I had to use Bass or another ale with a specific gravity higher than Guinness.

A trip to the store later and I was ready to try again. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the Guinness to layer even with the Bass, so after wasting six beers, I gave up. If you wish to make the black and tan, best of luck to you; here's the recipe.