Ingredients
The glass
- 280 mlpale ale or bitter, chilled
- 280 mlIrish stout, at cellar temperature
- a pint glass
- a bar spoon or a bent Black and Tan spoon
Directions
- Pour the pale ale into the pint glass to just under half and let the head settle completely, about a minute. A live head will let the stout punch through it.
- Hold a bar spoon upside down, rounded side up, with its tip resting on the inside of the glass just above the ale.
- Pour the stout slowly over the back of the spoon so it spreads sideways across the surface rather than falling through it.
- The stout floats because a nitrogenated Irish stout is less dense than a carbonated pale ale, and because the nitrogen bubbles rise. Pour it too fast and the layers mix into brown murk.
- Keep the pour steady and slow until the glass is full, with a creamy tan head on top.
- Serve at once and drink without stirring. The layers hold for a few minutes only.
- In Ireland the drink is generally called a half and half; the name Black and Tan carries a difficult historical association there, after the British auxiliary force of 1920–21.
Technique
- The ale must be settled and the stout poured slowly. Those are the only two variables.
- A nitro stout on tap or from a widget can works far better than a bottle-conditioned one.
- Chill the ale but not the stout. The density difference is what holds the layer, and an over-chilled stout is denser.
Substitutions
- Any nitrogenated stout will float; a heavily carbonated one may not.
- A lager base gives a sharper contrast and is sometimes called a Black and Blonde.
Variations
- Black Velvet, stout layered with champagne.
- Snakebite, lager and cider, layered the same way.
History
An old British and Irish pub layering; in Ireland it is usually ordered as half and half.
Frequently asked questions
What is Black and Tan?
Black and Tan is a cocktail from Ireland: pale ale layered under stout so the two stay visibly separate. An old British and Irish pub layering; in Ireland it is usually ordered as half and half.
How long does Black and Tan take to make?
Black and Tan takes 3 min of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes 1 pint. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Black and Tan?
Yes, within limits. Any nitrogenated stout will float; a heavily carbonated one may not. A lager base gives a sharper contrast and is sometimes called a Black and Blonde.
What is the most important thing to get right in Black and Tan?
Pour the stout slowly over the back of the spoon so it spreads sideways across the surface rather than falling through it.
