Black and Tan
Pale ale with stout floated on top, in two layers. A Victorian pub drink that looks like a magic trick and tastes of both beers at once.
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.
Pour the pale ale into a pint glass, tilted, until it is half full.
Hold a large spoon upside down just above the surface of the ale.
Pour the stout slowly over the back of the spoon so it spreads and floats on top of the ale.
Let the layers settle for a moment and serve.
A thoughtful finish
- The spoon is the trick: it breaks the fall of the stout so it spreads across the surface instead of punching through. A dedicated layering spoon helps but any large spoon works.
- Nitrogenated stout layers best; its small bubbles and creamy head help it sit on the ale.
- The pale ale must be denser than the stout. A heavy, malty ale or an amber lager works; a light pilsner may not.
Common mistakes
- Pouring the stout fast. It mixes and you get a brown pint.
- Pouring the stout first. It is the lighter beer and goes on top.
- Calling it a Black and Tan in an Irish pub.
A few good questions.
Why does the stout float?
Density. Dry Irish stout has less residual sugar and less alcohol than most pale ales, so it is lighter despite its colour. Poured gently, it sits on top.
Is it offensive to order one in Ireland?
It can be. The Black and Tans were a notorious British force during the Irish War of Independence, and the name is not used there. Order a half and half.
What is a Black Velvet?
Stout and Champagne, layered the same way — a Victorian drink invented for the mourning of Prince Albert in 1861.
Which beers?
Guinness over Bass is the classic. Any dry stout over any amber or pale ale with some body will layer.
Variations
Where it comes from
c. 1880s · England
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
Mixing a dark beer with a light one is older than the names for it: ‘half and half’ is recorded in English pubs in the 1700s, and ‘black and tan’ for a layered pour of stout over pale ale appears by the 1880s. The classic pairing is Guinness over Bass, and the layering works because stout, despite its colour, is lighter in density than most pale ales and will float if poured gently. In Ireland the name is avoided — the Black and Tans were the British paramilitary force of 1920 to 1921 — and the drink is ordered as a half and half. In the United States it is a St Patrick’s Day fixture, which is its own kind of irony.
Sources
- Garrett Oliver, The Oxford Companion to Beer, 2011 (book)
- David Wondrich, Imbibe!, 2015 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Black and Tan, 2015 (reference)
Strength. About 1.23 US standard drinks at an estimated 3.8% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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