Ingredients
Drink
- half a pint of lager, cold
- half a pint of dry cider, cold
For a snakebite and black
- a dash of blackcurrant cordial, about 25 ml
Equipment
- a pint glass
- and a barman willing to serve it
To serve
- cold, and it is not a sipping drink
Directions
- Chill both the lager and the cider thoroughly before you start.
- Warm drinks foam far more, and this combination foams enough already. If using blackcurrant, put the cordial into the empty glass first.
- Pour the lager down the inside of the glass first, slowly, to about halfway.
- Pour down the side of a tilted glass rather than straight into the bottom, which is the standard way to avoid a glass of foam.
- Let the head settle for a moment.
- Bring the glass upright as it fills. It should end up a cloudy amber, or a deep purple-red with blackcurrant.
- Serve it cold and drink it while it is cold, because it goes flat and unpleasant as it warms. It is a drink with no pretensions and it has never claimed any.
Technique
- The claim that it is illegal is a persistent and entirely false pub myth.
- A shandy of lager and lemonade is the mild relative and carries none of the reputation.
- Many pubs will serve it perfectly happily and some will not.
Substitutions
- Any dry cider and any lager, and it is not a drink for good ingredients.
- Lime cordial in place of blackcurrant.
Variations
- Snakebite and black, with blackcurrant.
- Made with a strong dry cider, which is stronger again.
- Diesel, which is the same drink under another name.
History
A British student and pub drink of the late twentieth century; some pubs still refuse to serve it.
Frequently asked questions
What is Snakebite?
Snakebite is a cocktail from United Kingdom: half lager and half cider, often reddened with blackcurrant cordial. A British student and pub drink of the late twentieth century; some pubs still refuse to serve it.
How long does Snakebite take to make?
Snakebite takes 2 min of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes 1 pint. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Snakebite?
Yes, within limits. Any dry cider and any lager, and it is not a drink for good ingredients. Lime cordial in place of blackcurrant.
What is the most important thing to get right in Snakebite?
Pour down the side of a tilted glass rather than straight into the bottom, which is the standard way to avoid a glass of foam.
