When properly prepared, a layered beer can be almost as fun to look at as to drink.
Key word: almost.
The satisfaction of looking at a well-made beer blend can be much greater if it’s one you made yourself. But putting one together is no easy task.
In the Spirit: Love the Wine You're With
The most important thing to consider when preparing a layered beer is the beer itself. The right combination is required to create the layering effect. The classic black and tan is a blend of Guinness stout and Bass pale ale; the Guinness floats on top of the Bass due to its lower density.
A beer’s density is can be influenced by many things, but among the most important factors is how the beer is carbonated. Beers that have been infused with nitrogen, such as Guinness, are much lighter than those carbonated mainly with carbon dioxide.
A general rule for creating a layered beer is to use a nitrogenated beer – Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro is another good example – with a carbon dioxide beer.
“The greater the difference in concentrations of CO2, the better it’ll layer,” says Jennifer Simpson, bar manager at the Pub Polaris.
Layered beers are a specialty at the Pub, which has a standing menu of 13 such offerings, incorporating such beers as porters, bourbon barrel ales, Scottish ales and ciders.
There are also a few things to consider while pouring the beer. The first beer poured should be the heavier one, and it should be poured quickly, as this will produce a good head, making proper layering easier.
The next part is the trickiest. To achieve the layering effect, the second beer must be poured such that it hits the first beer slowly. The most common tool to accomplish this is a spoon.
The spoon is held into the glass, with the convex surface of the head held upward, and the beer is poured over it. Many people modify their spoons by bending the handle so that the head of the spoon can be held farther into the glass. There are also specialized tools specifically created for this purpose.
It is important to get as close as possible with the spoon. Pouring the beer over the spoon head diffuses the pour, causing it to hit the other beer slowly, in smaller drops than when poured normally. It is possible to achieve this effect by pouring against the side of the glass, but it is much more difficult.
Other details – such as the temperatures of the beers used, the proportions of the blend, and the temperature and shape of the glass used – may also be brought up by layered beer enthusiasts. But no one disputes how satisfying they are to make and, most importantly, drink.
Layers Upon Layers
While Guinness and Bass make up the classic black and tan, a layered beer can be made from many different combinations.
Among the suggestions are:
-Guinness Stout over Harp Lager (courtesy of the Pub Polaris)
-Samuel Adams Boston Lager over Angry Orchard Cider (courtesy of the Pub Polaris)
-Breckenridge Vanilla Porter over Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale (courtesy of the Pub Polaris)
-Murphy’s Stout over St. Arnold Christmas Ale and Alaskan White (courtesy of the Perfect Black and Tan layering tool)
-Alaskan White over Real Ale Brewing Coffee Porter (courtesy the Perfect Black and Tan layering tool)
-Shiner White Wing over Killian’s Irish Stout (courtesy of the Perfect Black and Tan layering tool)
Kyle Banfill is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
