The Rise of the Beer Cocktail

OC Weekly will highlight one of America’s favorite pastimes – drinking. The so-called Drinking Issue will highlight OC’s booming craft beer scene and was the inspiration for the 5th ever Good Food/OC Weekly Happy Hour happening next Thursday, February 7th at the Bruery in Placentia.

Thinking about beer in OC inspired us to look past the pint and highlight the beer cocktail. Bartender Dave Castillo, who mans the bar at 320 Main in Seal Beach, impressed judges at a recent cocktail competition with a beer cocktail he calls The Detroiter. The competition, held at The Varnish – a haute-cocktail speakeasy in Downtown LA, was a practice round for local bartenders gearing up for more serious competitions held by the United States Bartenders’ Guild. Below Castillo talks about the history of adding beer to mixed drinks and provides a recipe for his beer cocktail which combines Stone IPA with Apple Brandy, Cynar, honey syrup and citrus to create a well-balanced drink.

Castillo continues, “I personally like the idea of a beer cocktail because it reminds me of the way people used to drink when I was younger. There were things like a Boilermaker which is really just a beer and a shot of whiskey. Some shot the whiskey and chased it with the beer, others dropped or poured the shot in the beer and downed the whole thing. Even more I like the idea of a beer cocktail because of it’s utter defiance in the face of all those silly notions about the order in which you’re supposed to drink; beer before liquor or liquor before, whatever. You’ve heard them before. Imagine how many I’ve heard tending bar for thirteen years!”

And now for the cocktail…which seems like a good fit for upcoming Super Bowl Sunday right?

“The Detroiter”

Ingredients:

3/4 oz. Laird’s “Bonded” Apple Brandy

3/4 oz. Cynar

3/4 oz. Honey syrup (equal parts honey and water)

3/4 oz. Fresh squeezed Lemon Juice

2 oz. Stone IPA

grapefruit zest

Technique:

Pour apple brandy, Cynar, honey syrup, lemon juice, and 1oz. Stone IPA into mixing tin. Shake dry for about 2 seconds. Fill tin with ice (about 3/4 full) and shake again to mix and chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass and fortify with remaining 1oz. Stone IPA. This gives the cocktail a nice, silky mouth feel and a pretty head. Add a few cubes of ice. Finally, with a vegetable peeler take a piece of grapefruit peel, express over the cocktail and garnish. Enjoy!