This 3-Ingredient Beer Cocktail Is Often Banned In UK Bars

Some alcohols, like tequila and whiskey, develop a reputation for making drinkers especially rambunctious. But one beer cocktail, the snakebite, has developed such a rowdy reputation that some pubs in the United Kingdom refuse to serve it.

A snakebite cocktail is typically a mixture of equal parts hard cider and lager (though some recipes use a stout instead, and some call for ¾ cider and ¼ lager), perhaps with a splash of grenadine, depending on the bartender. Still, the classic recipe is lager and cider, where differing densities can create a layered appearance if poured slowly. But adding a bit of sweetener like grenadine helps round out the tartness of the cider and the subtle bite of the lager for an easy-drinking pint. Snakebites can also be served with a touch of blackcurrant cordial, often named a diesel or a snakebite and black.

Snakebites may have a rowdy reputation, but have they earned it? Contrary to popular belief, mixing different alcohols does not actually increase drunkenness or make hangovers worse. But it's possible that the smooth-drinking nature of a snakebite cocktail — especially with a touch of blackcurrant or grenadine — makes it easy to over-imbibe, perhaps feeding the reputation.

Justifiably or not, the snakebite beer cocktail is so deeply associated with extreme intoxication that even former U.S. President Bill Clinton was denied one on a 2001 trip to England when his bartender claimed it was illegal to serve. But other snake-themed alcoholic beverages pack a stronger punch.

If you try to order a snakebite in the U.S. or Canada, you might instead get a snakebite shot, a simple combination of sweetened lime juice (also known as lime cordial) and Yukon Jack. Yukon Jack is a blend of Canadian whiskey and honey, sold at 80-proof in Canada and 100-proof in the U.S. — though President Donald Trump's threatened tariffs on Canadian imports like whiskey could make this drink more expensive for Americans.

Meanwhile, in East and Southeast Asia, you may encounter large bottles containing whole snakes floating in liquid, a concoction known as snake wine. A live, venomous snake is submerged in a jar of either rice wine or grain alcohol, which is sealed and fermented for several months. Snake wine is safe to drink because months of alcohol immersion neutralizes venom and usually kills the snake — though there are extremely rare cases of live snakes leaping from freshly opened snake wines. That's an entirely different kind of snakebite.