How to: Make the Perfect Black and Tan

by Travis Hill

It’s impossible for most of us to correctly pronounce “Erin Go Bragh.” Fortunately, everyone can bask in the knowledge of how to pour a proper Black and Tan.

This is an essential skill for St. Patrick’s Day that can be enjoyed all year long.

After speaking with a few prominent Black and Tan architects in St. Augustine, it seems there are several variations on the drink, and a few tricks you can use along the way to ensure the perfect pour.

Dress
Before you get started with beer alchemy in your kitchen, it’s important to look the part.

First of all, you have to be wearing something green. It’s not so much the pinching, but the lack of spirit. If you’re going to the trouble of trying to make a layered drink, you should at least throw on a green shirt.

For the casual look, we recommend “Everybody loves an Irish girl” t-shirts for the ladies, and “I’m so Irish I sh*t Leprechauns” t-shirts for the guys.

And if you want to go all out, we are huge fans of any kind of green pants, especially if they’re part of an old-school jogging suit.

Supplies
Deciding what you want to drink is the first step. According to Margaret Simon of JP Henley’s in the Historic District, there are three main variations, all of which include Guinness.

“A Black and Tan is Bass and Guinness,” she said. “If you use Harp instead of Bass, it’s called a Half and Half. And a Snakebite is half cider, half Guinness.”

The three drinks also share the need for a spoon, which besides the alcohol, is clearly the most important item in the process.

“There’s not too many secrets (about pouring a Black and Tan),” said Allyn Dennis of McKnight’s Public House in the Historic District. “But you need the right tools.”

Guinness provides most bars with a special spoon, and you can also buy them on the Guinness Web site. But everyone agrees that a household spoon will do the same job.

Dennis also had one other important note for the home pourer: “Get the Guinness in a can,” he said. “It is much, much better than the bottle.”

The final shopping list:
* Goofy Irish t-shirt
* 4-pack of Guinness in a can
* 6-pack of Bass in a bottle
* A spoon
* As many pint glasses as necessary

The Pour
It’s important to remember that during this process, all the beer is going to the same spot, so don’t stress too much. As a matter of fact, even if you aren’t perfect on your first try or two, just chug the “mistake” and try again. Everybody wins.

* First, pour your Bass into the pint glass, filling it up about half-way.
* Then take your spoon, flip it so the underside is up and hold it over your glass.
* Crack your Guinness and pour it – “Sloooowly,” Simon said – over the spoon.
[Note – this is where the magic happens. Despite it seeming heavy, Guinness is an extremely light beer and by trickling it over the Bass, it will create two distinct layers.]

After pouring your Black and Tan, Dennis said it’s important to let it sit for three or four minutes to get the full separation and quality head on the Guinness.

“The longer it sits, the better the head gets,” he said. “And then you can put a stamp on the head or draw whatever artwork you want on it.”

And then, finally, you can drink until all you can say is, “Erin Go Bragh.”