Snakebite
Half lager, half cider, in a pint. The British pub drink that some pubs will not serve — and with a dash of blackcurrant, a Snakebite and Black.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Chill a pint glass.
Pour the cider into the glass.
Top with the lager, pouring down the side to keep the head modest.
For a Snakebite and Black, add a dash of blackcurrant cordial or cassis and stir once.
A thoughtful finish
- Cold beer and cold cider, in equal halves. There is nothing else to get right.
- A dry cider keeps it from being sweet; the blackcurrant, if you add it, brings all the sugar the drink can take.
- A dark lager or a stout makes a 'Diesel' in some pubs; the names shift by region.
Common mistakes
- Sweet cider plus blackcurrant, which is a soft drink.
- Warm beer.
- Expecting it to be strong. It is a pint of 5% beer and cider; the legend is a legend.
A few good questions.
Is a Snakebite really stronger than beer?
No. Half lager and half cider at similar strength is the same strength as either. The reputation is folklore.
Why do pubs refuse to serve it?
Tradition, and a belief that it causes trouble. Some pubs will pour the two halves separately and leave you to it.
What is a Snakebite and Black?
A Snakebite with a dash of blackcurrant cordial — purple, sweeter, and the version most people mean.
Lager or bitter?
Lager is the standard. With bitter it is sometimes called a Snakebite too, and with stout a Diesel.
Variations
- Black and Tan — Stout over ale.
- Shandy — Lager and lemonade.
- Michelada — Mexican lager with lime and spice.
- Kir — White wine and cassis — the blackcurrant's respectable drink.
Where it comes from
c. 1980s · United Kingdom
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
Mixing beer and cider is as old as both, but the Snakebite as a named pint — half lager, half cider — belongs to the British pubs and student unions of the 1980s, and its reputation to the belief that the mix gets you drunk faster than either half alone, which it does not; it is the same strength as the beers. Many pubs refuse to serve it on principle, which has only helped. With a dash of blackcurrant cordial it is a Snakebite and Black, purple and sweet, and the drink of a certain English adolescence. Bill Clinton was famously refused one in a Harrogate pub in 2001.
Sources
- The Guardian, 'Clinton refused a Snakebite', 2001 (article)
- Garrett Oliver, The Oxford Companion to Beer, 2011 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Snakebite, 2015 (reference)
Strength. About 1.35 US standard drinks at an estimated 4.3% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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