5 Beer Cocktails to Mix this Summer

by Matt DeMarco

The smell of charcoal is in the air, lawnmowers are buzzing in the distance, and summer is right around the corner. It’s beach and barbeque season and I have compiled a list of cocktails that incorporate beer to spice up your summer. It’s a lot of fun to play alchemist and you can tinker with the recipes by adding anything you think will taste good. You can use any beer you would like according to your personal taste.

Homemade Shandy (One beer makes 2 drinks)

Have a crowd that likes Summer Shandy but you don’t? Pick up a good wheat beer like Bell’s Oberon Ale and mix equal parts beer and fresh made lemonade. You quests will forget all about Summer Shandy.

Fresh Lemonade: 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (5 or 6 lemons), ½ cup of sugar, 4 cups of water

Variation: If you want to do something different you can use a flavored wheat beer such as Ithaca Apricot Wheat or Lancaster Strawberry Wheat and Ginger Ale or Sprite. The amounts are the same. Also you can add a splash of vodka for an extra kick.

Chelada (One beer makes 1 drink)

Craving a margarita but don’t like tequila? A Chelada is a Mexican mixed drink that is a fresh lime squeezed in to a golden lager or pilsner and served in a salted pint glass. I recommend using Troegs Sunshine Pils for an extra tasty Chelada. They are addictive, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Beer-A-Rita (Makes 4 drinks)

Margaritas are good but beer makes them better. This recipe makes a good sized batch so you’ll need a friend or two to help you drink it. I recommend using a Session IPA or hoppy Pale Ale like Founders All Day IPA.

4 - 12 ounce beers

8 ounces tequila

1 can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed

Mix together in a pitcher and enjoy! Serve in a salted margarita or pint glass.

Red eye (Makes 2 drinks)

This is what Bloody Mary would make if she liked beer. This cocktail has a spice kick and if you use a beer like Flying Dog Dead Rise or Ballast Point Habanero Sculpin it will have a bold flavor. I recommend using a bold flavored beer that is either spicy or hoppy or both.

1 – 12 ounce beer

1/2 cup Spicy Bloody Mary Mix

2 ounces Vodka

Stir with ice to chill and strain into a glass.

Weissen Sour (Makes 4 drinks)

This is a fun take on a whiskey sour. A Belgian style white ale like Allagash White, Victory Whirlwind, or Avery White Rascal will complement the whiskey perfectly.

1 – 12 ounce Belgian White Ale

6 ounces Bourbon or Whiskey

3 ounces Sour Mix

Mix ingredients and serve on the rocks with a maraschino cherry.

Bonus Recipe

Summer Beer Punch (Makes 2 drinks)

Who doesn’t like a nice cup of punch on a hot summer day? This recipe can be called many

things… Beer Sangria, Jungle Juice, etc… This recipe is easily multiplied for parties. You can up the amount of vodka and also add triple sec if you are looking for a heavy hitting cocktail. This drink can be very sneaky if you increase the liquor. I recommend using a beer like Left Hand Good JuJu or Evil Genius Ma, The Meatloaf.

1 - 12 ounce beer  

1/2 cup pineapple juice,

2 ounces Sprite

1 ounce Vodka

1 ounce Triple Sec (optional)

Stir ingredients together and serve over ice with chunks of fruit or serve in a bowl with fruit chunks.

Enjoy these recipes and don’t be afraid to experiment. Beer cocktails are a good way to make everyone happy with a single case of beer even if you can’t agree on what kind it should be. Cheers!