Can you tell which one of these is a beer cocktail? Bill Baker’s, Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Back in the dog days of summer, there was a drinks concept barking up my FOMO tree that I couldn’t seem to shake: beer cocktails. I’d heard of them, seen them, been intrigued by them and even told other people about them, but when it came time to belly up at the bar, I never ordered them. That is, until I decided to write an article about them for Brokelyn, and after some investigative reporting, learned the truth—beer cocktails can be delicious, intricate, interesting and most of all, fun.
My favorite response had to be from Heather Rush, the owner of Pine Box Rock Shop in Bushwick. She was so full of spunk and genuine excitement, it got me excited, and I knew she wouldn’t steer me wrong (it didn’t hurt that one of her beer cocktails on deck was a Braven Brewing White IPA Moonshine Manhattan—”You’ve been warned,” she told me).
In the piece, I had to cut down Heather’s quote down for the sake of #listiclelife, but here’s an extended version of her response that I wish I could have included in its entirety:
“Beer cocktails are the best of both worlds! And while my bartenders are experimenting with new recipes, combining beer with gins and rums, using fun novel garnish and ingredients, beer cocktails have been with us a long time. The classic Boiler Maker, Michelada and Red Eye have been enjoyed for generations. Classic beer cocktails aside, I think the renewed interest in beer cocktails and all the fun experimentation with beer as a cocktail ingredient is directly related to all the great craft beer now available to bartenders. It has an infinite array of flavor profiles. Some mad genius was bound to combine that banana-forward Belgian with some spiced dark rum.
Craft breweries are creating so much flavorful beer, it begs to be experimented with. Use that light hoppy Kolsch in place of ginger beer. Introduce your favorite high-gravity American Strong Ale to some brandy.
[…] It’s time for people to start thinking about beer the way they do about wine and spirits. There are endless flavors to experiment with. Make yourself some Gose Margaritas – you’re going to thank me that you did. “
Give the piece a read—some of it is geared toward summer, but though those months are gone, the beer cocktails remain. 9 beer cocktails in Brooklyn you should be drinking right now >
Beer Affair 
I loved this article. It is pure simple explanation of how American tastes are quickly maturing. No longer will your father’s Budweiser satisfy. That is not to say that big beer does not have a place in the world. It may well have a bigger role to play in the future. The big beer makers are demanding deeper exploration on combinations of flavors. Being a craft beer drinker I try to drink local. This growth in creativity with craft brewers and distilleries what a great way to stick your foot in the door and say “not today! It’s time to relax.”