Secrets of the black and tan?
January 29, 2011 5:38 PM Subscribe
What are the real keys to pouring a black and tan?
I thought black and tans would be perfect for the Steelers game last weekend (hey, black and gold). I went with Guinness over Bass. But zero luck getting them to layer properly. I looked through everything online, but it was universally just about being as gentle as possible in pouring the Guinness (just a trickle, down the side or over a spoon). That didn't help me. For the sake of experiment I eventually set it up so that I could just every-so-gently introduce the Guinness on top of the Bass and watched from the side. The Guinness sank right in and immediately mixed.
The Steelers won anyway, so now I need to be ready for the Superbowl. So what did I do wrong? Do I need the "draught" type Guinness in the tall cans (I had regular bottles)? Does temperature matter? Is it easier with a different "tan"? Any other ideas? I'd love to hear from somebody who is successfully pouring these at home.
I thought black and tans would be perfect for the Steelers game last weekend (hey, black and gold). I went with Guinness over Bass. But zero luck getting them to layer properly. I looked through everything online, but it was universally just about being as gentle as possible in pouring the Guinness (just a trickle, down the side or over a spoon). That didn't help me. For the sake of experiment I eventually set it up so that I could just every-so-gently introduce the Guinness on top of the Bass and watched from the side. The Guinness sank right in and immediately mixed.
The Steelers won anyway, so now I need to be ready for the Superbowl. So what did I do wrong? Do I need the "draught" type Guinness in the tall cans (I had regular bottles)? Does temperature matter? Is it easier with a different "tan"? Any other ideas? I'd love to hear from somebody who is successfully pouring these at home.
Oh and it doesn't matter what the other beer is as long as it's not another beer from a widget can. I've layered Guinness over top many a different beer and it always layers the same as long as the temperatures are the same.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 5:46 PM on January 29, 2011
posted by MaryDellamorte at 5:46 PM on January 29, 2011
Also, in order to gradually introduce one liquid atop the other, you need to use a spoon.
posted by DisreputableDog at 5:46 PM on January 29, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by DisreputableDog at 5:46 PM on January 29, 2011 [2 favorites]
If you haven't tried this already, try bending the spoon further from the functional end. Keep the convex part as close to the Bass as you can get it. Raising the spoon as you fill the glass.
posted by Cuspidx at 5:55 PM on January 29, 2011
posted by Cuspidx at 5:55 PM on January 29, 2011
If you really want to get adventurous, you don't even have to use Guinness. Any beer in a widget can will work. My favorite is Youngs Double Chocolate Stout. Off the top of my head, other beers in widget cans I've seen are Tetleys, Moylans Old Speckled Hen, Boddingtons, Wexford and Belhaven Scottish Ale.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 5:56 PM on January 29, 2011
posted by MaryDellamorte at 5:56 PM on January 29, 2011
MaryDellamorte & Cuspidx have it: same temperature, use the tall can with the widget, and keep the head of the spoon just in contact with the surface of the liquid as you pour. I've heard that it helps to start with a wet glass, but I don't do that because who wants water contaminating their delicious booze, right? Experiment with tilting the glass and the angle of the spoon.
Also: try a crown float! Guinness and hard cider. Particularly good with Strongbow. Yum.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 6:22 PM on January 29, 2011
Also: try a crown float! Guinness and hard cider. Particularly good with Strongbow. Yum.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 6:22 PM on January 29, 2011
We did black and tans for a party at work, using two bent spoons of slightly different sizes (and everything else being the same). The larger spoon seemed to yield a noticeably better result.
posted by dws at 6:31 PM on January 29, 2011
posted by dws at 6:31 PM on January 29, 2011
I used to bartend, and believe me, layering is annoying to get right. Partially it's practice. As others have said, the liquids in question need to be at the same temperature, because layering depends on the disparate densities of the liquids (which is affected by temperature and pressure, but I'm assuming the latter is the same in both cases).
Assuming you get that part right, you need to pour the liquid SLOWLY over the back of a spoon held touching the side of the glass. Keep the spoon near the surface of the liquid you're adding to if you can: The goal is to minimize downward velocity at the point where the two liquids meet. The spoon that came with our Guinness tap was perfectly (circularly) round and shallower than your typical teaspoon, but I doubt that makes very much difference.
posted by axiom at 7:12 PM on January 29, 2011
Assuming you get that part right, you need to pour the liquid SLOWLY over the back of a spoon held touching the side of the glass. Keep the spoon near the surface of the liquid you're adding to if you can: The goal is to minimize downward velocity at the point where the two liquids meet. The spoon that came with our Guinness tap was perfectly (circularly) round and shallower than your typical teaspoon, but I doubt that makes very much difference.
posted by axiom at 7:12 PM on January 29, 2011
Response by poster: Okay, MaryDellamorte, you are the bomb. After seeing your clear and confident answer (and noting your profession :) I grabbed my keys and went out and found some widget-Guinness. What a difference. Poured a perfectly layered black and tan right off the bat. Second one was a little sloppier because the second half of the Guinness can didn't want to pour in a trickle (kept trying to run down the can). But it was still clearly layered, unlike anything I managed with the non-widget Guinness.
So with that out of the way, anybody have any other favorites for the "tan"? Amazingly enough I managed to find some Iron City for the Superbowl, but boy...I don't know about that idea...
posted by madmethods at 7:31 PM on January 29, 2011
So with that out of the way, anybody have any other favorites for the "tan"? Amazingly enough I managed to find some Iron City for the Superbowl, but boy...I don't know about that idea...
posted by madmethods at 7:31 PM on January 29, 2011
Any beer in a widget can will work.
posted by MaryDellamorte
The Guinness widget releases nitrogen gas, not C02, into the beer. Nitrogen is lighter than CO2, and slightly lighter than air, so at the same temperatures it should help it's carrier to float on top.
posted by StickyCarpet at 7:46 PM on January 29, 2011
posted by MaryDellamorte
The Guinness widget releases nitrogen gas, not C02, into the beer. Nitrogen is lighter than CO2, and slightly lighter than air, so at the same temperatures it should help it's carrier to float on top.
posted by StickyCarpet at 7:46 PM on January 29, 2011
This thread is something of a revelation to me. I've been drinking black and tans in winter for years, but I've never even heard of layering. Here in Melbourne if you ask for a black and tan you'll get Carlton Draught and Abbotsford Invalid Stout (or maybe Guinness or Coopers) all happily mixed, which I'm usually pretty happy with. That's from experienced bartenders too.
What's this layering? I'll have to try it. But not today. It's near 40C, nothing with stout for me today thank you.
posted by deadwax at 9:24 PM on January 29, 2011
What's this layering? I'll have to try it. But not today. It's near 40C, nothing with stout for me today thank you.
posted by deadwax at 9:24 PM on January 29, 2011
As much as I like pittsburgh, I can't in good conscience say anything but don't defile a good guinness by pouring it over iron city. Ugh!
posted by meinvt at 9:52 PM on January 29, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by meinvt at 9:52 PM on January 29, 2011 [1 favorite]
Any beer in a widget can will work.
posted by MaryDellamorte
The Guinness widget releases nitrogen gas, not C02, into the beer. Nitrogen is lighter than CO2, and slightly lighter than air, so at the same temperatures it should help it's carrier to float on top.
posted by StickyCarpet
You can still layer beers with something other than Guinness as long as it's in a widget can. Guinness isn't the only beer that comes in a widget can.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 9:54 PM on January 29, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by MaryDellamorte
The Guinness widget releases nitrogen gas, not C02, into the beer. Nitrogen is lighter than CO2, and slightly lighter than air, so at the same temperatures it should help it's carrier to float on top.
posted by StickyCarpet
You can still layer beers with something other than Guinness as long as it's in a widget can. Guinness isn't the only beer that comes in a widget can.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 9:54 PM on January 29, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Deadwax, that differs depending on where you are. The classic black-and-tan in the US is Bass and Guinness, poured so that they stay in distinct layers in the glass. It's not just the looks, it's a distinctly different drink. I love the layered version but I don't really like them much when it's uniformly mixed. And now of course you can try yourself with just the info in this thread :).
posted by madmethods at 9:56 PM on January 29, 2011
posted by madmethods at 9:56 PM on January 29, 2011
Looks like you've found your answer, but for anyone else who might be interested, here's a video showing the method explained above with a spoon.
posted by sambosambo at 10:35 PM on January 29, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by sambosambo at 10:35 PM on January 29, 2011 [2 favorites]
As far as favorites, I sometimes like doing a "snake bite." Guinness and a cider like Hornsbees or woodchuck.
posted by zephyr_words at 4:15 AM on January 30, 2011
posted by zephyr_words at 4:15 AM on January 30, 2011
Just another datapoint - at the places I frequent, asking for a "Black and Tan" will only rarely yield a layered beverage...
posted by Geckwoistmeinauto at 6:32 AM on January 30, 2011
posted by Geckwoistmeinauto at 6:32 AM on January 30, 2011
I'm a fan of Guinness over Yeungling, if you're lucky enough to be in Yeungling's distribution area. In which case, I am incredibly jealous.
posted by MidsizeBlowfish at 9:30 AM on January 30, 2011
posted by MidsizeBlowfish at 9:30 AM on January 30, 2011
As far as I understand it, the best "tan" is Harp - it's Irish, and as a lager it's lighter than Bass ale (I've never actually heard of using Bass—damned English beer—in a B+T, but different strokes, right?).
posted by General Malaise at 9:55 AM on January 30, 2011
posted by General Malaise at 9:55 AM on January 30, 2011
As far as I understand it, the best "tan" is Harp - it's Irish, and as a lager it's lighter than Bass ale (I've never actually heard of using Bass—damned English beer—in a B+T, but different strokes, right?).
In the US, Guinness and Harp is referred to as a Half and Half. Also it's not weird to use an English beer in a black and tan because black and tans did not originate in Ireland.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 11:48 AM on January 30, 2011
In the US, Guinness and Harp is referred to as a Half and Half. Also it's not weird to use an English beer in a black and tan because black and tans did not originate in Ireland.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 11:48 AM on January 30, 2011
Guinness+Hoegaarden is a yummy combination. You may or may not care to call it a "dirty ho."
posted by xueexueg at 12:36 PM on January 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by xueexueg at 12:36 PM on January 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
it's not weird to use an English beer in a black and tan because black and tans did not originate in Ireland
Damn right they didn't. I'm sure it's been discussed on the green before, but 'black and tan' has a very different connotation here.
posted by macdara at 4:10 PM on January 30, 2011
Damn right they didn't. I'm sure it's been discussed on the green before, but 'black and tan' has a very different connotation here.
posted by macdara at 4:10 PM on January 30, 2011
In the US, Guinness and Harp is referred to as a Half and Half. Also it's not weird to use an English beer in a black and tan because black and tans did not originate in Ireland.
My mistake, then. Must have been a regionalism (Northeast U.S.).
posted by General Malaise at 9:34 AM on January 31, 2011
My mistake, then. Must have been a regionalism (Northeast U.S.).
posted by General Malaise at 9:34 AM on January 31, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 5:40 PM on January 29, 2011