It's Easier Than You'd Think To Pour A Black And Tan

There may come a time when you're in the mood for a beer, but you've got a hankering for two different kinds — something deep and rich and something paler, like a stout and ale. You'll consider them, trying to figure out which one you prefer. Finally, you'll conclude that you'll have both, but you won't be drinking each separately. Instead, you'll mix them to make the famous Black and Tan, a two-toned cocktail that layers dark-colored stout over the lightly-colored ale. Trying to make this drink and get it just right may be intimidating. No need to worry, though — pouring a Black and Tan is simple and quick.

First, grab a pint glass. Fill the glass to the midway point with an ale that you love. Get a spoon and hold it over the opening of the glass with its bowl facing the ale. Slowly pour your stout over the spoon until it smoothly fills the rest of the glass. Now you've made yourself a Black and Tan. Not only do you have the stout-ale combo you desire, but you've just mastered one of the classic Guinness cocktails for St. Patrick's Day. However, if you're still not entirely sold on trying to pour a Black and Tan using this method, you're in luck.

Instead of using a spoon to make your Black and Tan, you can use a layering tool. Once your pint glass is filled to the midway point with your ale, simply lay the layering tool on top of the mouth of your glass. You can then pour your stout into the layering tool, a unique device that operates like a colander. You'll see the stout seep into your glass through various holes in the layering tool and float over your ale. Take the layering tool off your glass, and you're all set. You can also go barebones and make a Black and Tan without a spoon or a layering tool.

To make the classic drink without a tool, pour the ale in a glass first, but do so quickly. This will help it form a thick layer of beer head — a frothy foam that sits on top. Next, drizzle the stout into the glass very, very slowly. Make sure you pour the stout in a very thin and steady stream. Although this will require some patience, eventually, you will start to see the dark stout layer expand and float over your ale. You can pour it quicker as you go — just make sure to maintain that thin, light stream. Before you know it, you'll have yourself a Black and Tan. As you admire your handiwork, you can ponder why the stout sits on top of the ale.

The two layers of beer in your Black and Tan result from the specific gravities of the stout and the ale. Specific gravity refers to the density of a particular beer in relation to the density of water. Stouts such as Guinness have a low specific gravity; many ales, meanwhile, have a higher specific gravity. Due to their contrast in density, when you gently pour a lighter-density beer over a heavier one, the less-dense beer will float on top.

Now that you understand how these two layers of contrasting colored beers form, you may wonder if the color of beer has anything to do with its alcohol content. In the case of the Black and Tan, it's easy to figure out just how much alcohol is in the drink. If you've poured the same amount of ale and stout in your Black and Tan, calculate the average of the ABV of those two beers to figure the total alcohol content in your drink. If you stick with the time-honored version of Bass Ale (5.1% ABV) and Guinness Draught (4.2% ABV), it should clock in slightly under 5% ABV, the standard for a "regular beer" according to the National Institutes of Health. Now it's time to enjoy your Black and Tan.