Sharkbait’s Cocktail of the Week: Beerfest!

Hey everyone, happy Friday. The shoulder is doing well, thanks for asking. You didn’t? Well then, that’s just rude. Unfortunately, I’m in a sling, which makes shaking drinks a little difficult, so I was forced to go in a different direction with the cocktail making. This week, I’m making some beer based cocktails. Due to multiple beach trips and cookouts, I got saddled with a bunch of leftover beer. Which, in theory is great. Except when it’s (puts beer snob hat on) Coors Light. Not that there is anything wrong with Coors Light, I just know that it’s going to sit in my fridge for eternity.

Instead of letting perfectly good beer go to waste, I thought why not improve them by making cocktails with them! So, I’ve gone ahead and made two beer cocktails this week. One featuring Coors Light, and one  that features my favorite cheap beer: Narragansett.

The first one is called  Vitamin C Brew. I’m using Coors Light, but any American Lager will work in this application.

2 oz. fresh orange juice
1 oz. gin
American-style lager
Orange wheel (for serving)

Combine orange juice and gin in a pint glass filled with ice. Top off with beer. Garnish with orange wheel.

The first thing I taste is the carbonation from the beer and the orange juice, which makes me want to say “mimosa” but then the lager flavor comes in at the end to let you know its just a bit different. The gin gets a little lost in all of this. I can maybe detect a hint of it at the end of each sip. Going forward, I think I would add equal parts gin and orange juice, to get it a little more boozy. To sum this drink up, it’s like a slightly alcoholic Orangina.

Now the second beer cocktail is actually a spin on the Michelada. Normally you’d use a Mexican Lager and combine with other ingredients in a pint glass, but who has time for that? This one we’re making in the can baby! Instead of the Mexican Lager, We’re going to use my favorite of the cheap beers: Narragansett. You may have heard of Narragansett before, there was a pretty famous movie in the 70’s that had a scene that featured it quite prominently.

So here it is, the Canned Michelada:

1 Lime wedge

Tajin spice rub

1-2 Dashes Tabasco

1-2 Dashes Worcestershire sauce

Rim the top of a Narragansett tall boy in lime juice, roll it in a tajín spice blend, and add a dash or two of Tabasco and Worcestershire directly into the can, and you’ve broken new ground. Get ready for everyone else to follow suit.

Despite the appearance of the can, the Narragansett Michelada is delicious. I didn’t have the name brand Tajin spice mix, I used chili powder and sea salt. I debated on adding some cayenne powder to it but opted to leave it on the sidelines for the first go around. The acidity of the Tabasco is muted, but the heat from it is not. The Worcestershire provides a little bitterness and depth to round out the flavors. I definitely will be making this again, and playing with the ingredients. Mixing up the spices in the rim, as well as trying Cholula instead of Tabasco. I’m interested in trying a real Michelada after having this version.

If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the Narragansett Michelada.  Personal preference for Narragansett over Coors aside, I enjoyed the depth and spiciness the ingredients brought to the beer. Especially the spiced rim. The chili-salt-lime combination played very well, and would make an excellent companion to dinner.  So there you go. A couple great tasting cocktails featuring cheap beer. Perfect for budget boozing, as well as adding a little something different to your drinking repertoire.

(Banner image found here)