Guinness Based Cocktails: A Beginner's Guide

published on 13 March 2024

Guinness, a renowned Irish beer, isn't just for sipping straight from the glass—it's also a fantastic base for a variety of cocktails. Whether you're new to the world of mixed drinks or a seasoned bartender, Guinness can add depth and richness to your creations. Here's what you need to know to start mixing Guinness-based cocktails at home:

  • Flavor Pairings: Guinness pairs well with coffee, chocolate, whiskey, and dark fruits.
  • Basic Tools Needed: A shaker, strainer, jigger, bar spoon, muddler, and appropriate glassware.
  • Mixing Techniques: Shaking, stirring, muddling, and layering.
  • Simple Recipes to Try: Black Velvet, Guinness Martini, Purple Guinness, Mulled Guinness, and Guinness Black Russian.
  • Advanced Tips: Experiment with garnishes, choose the right glassware, and balance flavors for the perfect cocktail.

Whether you're warming up with a Mulled Guinness or toasting with a Black Velvet, Guinness brings a unique twist to classic cocktails. With simple tools and a bit of practice, you can enjoy the rich flavors of Guinness in a whole new way.

Brief History

Guinness got its start in 1759 when a guy named Arthur Guinness took over a brewery in Dublin, Ireland. He began by making ales and then created the first stout, a dark beer, in 1821. This beer was special because it used roasted barley, which gives it a dark color and a rich taste.

As years went by, Guinness grew big and started making beer in other countries. By the late 1800s, it was the biggest brewery in the world. They even came up with a clever gadget that made their canned and bottled beer pour just like it would from a tap at a bar.

Types of Guinness

Here are a few kinds of Guinness you might find:

  • Guinness Draught - The classic one. It's smooth with a taste of coffee and chocolate.
  • Guinness Foreign Extra Stout - A stronger version with more alcohol and a bit of a bitter taste.
  • Guinness Blonde American Lager - A light, golden beer made in the U.S. It's crisp with a hint of citrus.
  • Guinness Nitro IPA - A beer with a citrusy taste and a smooth pour, thanks to a special Guinness trick.

The dark beer's roasted taste is great for mixing into cocktails. It goes well with strong flavors like whiskey and coffee.

Flavor Profile

Guinness gets its dark color and rich taste from roasted barley. This process brings out flavors of chocolate and coffee, with just a little bit of bitterness from hops.

When you mix Guinness with things like whiskey, coffee liqueur, or chocolate in a drink, the flavors work well together. The beer's creamy feel also makes drinks smooth.

Unlike lighter beers, Guinness can hold its own with strong flavors, making it a good choice for creative drinks.

Essential Tools

To start making your own Guinness cocktails at home, you don't need a lot of fancy equipment. Here are the basics:

Jigger

Think of a jigger as a small measuring cup for drinks. It has two sides, one for bigger amounts and one for smaller ones. This helps you measure everything just right.

Cocktail Shaker

This is what you use to mix your drinks. It's a container you fill with your ingredients and ice, then shake well. If it doesn't have a strainer on top, you'll need a separate one to keep the ice out of your glass.

Bar Spoon

This is a long spoon, perfect for stirring drinks in tall glasses. Its handle is twisted, making it easy to spin and mix your drink without spilling.

Muddler

Use this tool to squish fruits or herbs in your drink. It helps bring out their flavors. It looks like a stick with a flat end.

Strainer

If your shaker doesn't have one, you'll need a strainer. It keeps bits of ice and fruit out of your drink when you pour it.

Glassware

You'll want different types of glasses like ones for cocktails or whiskey. It's good if they can be put in the freezer to cool down before you use them.

With these basic tools, you're ready to try making some simple Guinness cocktails. Remember to measure your ingredients carefully, shake or stir well, and enjoy your homemade drinks.

Techniques

Making great Guinness cocktails involves some basic skills like shaking, stirring, muddling, and layering drinks. Let's dive into what each of these means and when to use them.

Shaking

Shaking is all about mixing ingredients well while cooling them down. It's perfect for cocktails with juices, syrups, or dairy. The idea is to get everything nice and frothy.

Here are some Guinness drinks that need shaking:

  • Guinness Black Russian - Mix vodka, coffee liqueur, and Guinness with ice by shaking.
  • Guinness Espresso Martini - Combine vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur, and Guinness in a shaker.
  • Chocolate Guinness Shake - Blend chocolate syrup, chocolate liqueur, Guinness, and ice cream by shaking.

You'll need a shaker and a strainer for this. Shake for about 10-15 seconds and then pour it into a cold glass.

Stirring

Stirring is for when you want to mix drinks gently. It's good for when you're adding Guinness to something like champagne and want to keep the layers separate.

A good example is:

  • Black Velvet - Pour champagne into a cold glass, then add Guinness slowly over the back of a spoon. This keeps the layers looking neat.

This method is also good for making big batches of drinks or when adding Guinness to warm drinks without shaking them up too much.

Muddling

Muddling means squishing fruits or herbs to get their flavors out before you add the rest of your drink ingredients. It's great for making your drinks taste fresh.

Try it in these drinks:

  • Mulled Guinness - Squish orange slices, cranberries, cinnamon, and sugar in a glass. Then add Guinness and some brandy.
  • Purple Guinness - Crush blackberries in a glass before adding vodka, blue curaçao, lemon juice, and Guinness.

Just press down gently with a muddler or the back of a spoon.

Layering

Layering is about carefully pouring drinks so they stay separate in the glass. It makes your cocktail look really cool.

Some drinks to try this with are:

  • Boilermaker Shot Float - Pour a shot of whiskey into your Guinness carefully.
  • Irish Car Bomb - Add Baileys and whiskey to Guinness without mixing them too much.

Chill your drinks first so they don't mix too much when you pour them. Use a spoon to help guide the liquid in slowly.

Knowing these basic skills will help you make all kinds of tasty Guinness cocktails. Have fun trying out different combinations!

Starter Recipes

Here are 5 simple Guinness cocktail recipes you can try at home:

Black Velvet

  • Ingredients:
  • 175ml Guinness stout
  • 175ml champagne or sparkling wine
  • Instructions:
  • Put a champagne flute in the fridge to get cold
  • Pour the champagne into the cold glass
  • Slowly pour the Guinness over a spoon so it sits on top
  • Add a twist of lemon for decoration

The Black Velvet mixes the smoothness of Guinness with the fizz of sparkling wine. It's easy to make but looks fancy.

Guinness Martini

  • Ingredients:
    • 50ml coffee liqueur
    • 50ml vodka
    • 100ml Guinness stout
    • Chocolate shavings (for decoration)
  • Instructions:
    1. Put everything but the Guinness into a shaker with ice
    2. Shake it hard for about 10-15 seconds
    3. Pour it into a cold martini glass
    4. Carefully add Guinness on top
    5. Decorate with chocolate shavings

This drink mixes coffee, chocolate, and Guinness for a sweet, creamy taste.

Purple Guinness

  • Ingredients:
    • 25ml vodka
    • 25ml blackcurrant cordial
    • 175ml Guinness stout
  • Instructions:
    1. Put ice in a tall glass
    2. Add vodka and blackcurrant cordial
    3. Fill it with Guinness and mix gently

Blackcurrant and Guinness together make a pretty purple drink that's sweet and smooth.

Mulled Guinness

  • Ingredients:
    • 350ml apple juice
    • 175ml Guinness stout
    • 2 cinnamon sticks
    • 1 sliced orange
    • 2 tbsp honey
  • Instructions:
    1. Mix apple juice, cinnamon, orange, and honey in a pot
    2. Warm it up until it's hot but not boiling
    3. Pour it into mugs
    4. Add Guinness on top
    5. Put an orange slice on the rim as decoration

This warm drink mixes apple, spices, and Guinness for a cozy, cider-like taste.

Guinness Black Russian

  • Ingredients:
    • 50ml vodka
    • 25ml coffee liqueur
    • 150ml cola
    • 100ml Guinness stout
  • Instructions:
    1. Fill a short glass with ice
    2. Add vodka, coffee liqueur, and cola
    3. Carefully add Guinness on top
    4. Decorate with a few coffee beans

Adding Guinness to a Black Russian makes the sweet coffee and cola flavors even better.

These recipes show how Guinness can make familiar drinks taste new and interesting. Enjoy mixing and trying different combinations.

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Advanced Tips

Garnishing Your Drinks

Adding little extras to your Guinness cocktails can make them taste and look better. Here are some easy ideas:

  • Citrus twists - A small twist of lemon, lime, or orange peel can add a fresh taste. Rub the peel around the top of the glass, too.
  • Maraschino cherries - These sweet cherries go well with drinks that taste like chocolate.
  • Chocolate shavings - For creamy drinks, try adding some dark chocolate on top.
  • Whipped cream - Shakes and floats taste great with a bit of whipped cream on top.
  • Cinnamon - A little cinnamon is nice on drinks with spices.

Think about adding something that tastes a bit different for more interesting drinks, like a bit of bitter chocolate on a sweet drink.

Glassware

Using the right glass for your Guinness cocktails makes them even better:

  • Beer glasses like pint glasses or pilsners are good for Guinness.
  • Martini glasses make stirred drinks look fancy. It's best to cool them first.
  • Highballs are great for long drinks with a lot of mixers.
  • Snifters help keep the smell and taste strong, and they're good for drinks with layers.
  • Mason jars are fun for a more casual look.

Choosing the right glass can make your drink feel more special or casual, depending on the occasion.

Achieving Balance

A good Guinness cocktail mixes flavors well. Here's how to do it:

  • Sweeten strong tastes like whiskey with syrups.
  • Use sour juices like lemon to lighten up heavy tastes.
  • Pour carefully to make sure the Guinness doesn't hide the other flavors.
  • Change the mix if one taste is too strong. Adding more sweetener or mixer can help.
  • Try it as you make it to get it just right.

With a bit of practice, you'll learn how to balance your Guinness cocktails perfectly. Don't be scared to try new things and find what you like the most.

Conclusion

Making drinks with Guinness is a fun way to try something new. You don't need much to start: just some basic tools and ingredients.

Look for things that taste good with Guinness, like coffee, chocolate, whiskey, and some fruits. A bit of citrus can also help make sweeter stuff taste even better.

If you're just beginning, stick to simple recipes with a few ingredients. Make sure to measure everything right, mix your drink well, and change things up if you need to. Adding little touches like garnishes and using the right type of glass can make your drinks fancier as you get better.

Trying out Guinness in your drinks opens up a lot of new flavors. It's exciting to mix and match to see what you can create!

We've just started talking about this, so if you're interested, there's more to learn about:

  • How to layer shots with Guinness
  • Advanced mixing tricks like smoking and aging drinks
  • Which foods go well with Guinness drinks
  • Why Guinness and certain foods taste good together

Keep practicing making drinks and have fun exploring all the different flavors Guinness can add to your cocktails. Cheers!

What alcohol can you mix with Guinness?

Guinness tastes great with many types of alcohol that match its deep, roasted flavor. Here are some good choices:

  • Irish whiskey - Brands like Jameson or Bushmills mix well, giving you a classic Irish flavor.

  • Bourbon - Its sweet vanilla taste goes nicely with Guinness. Try it with Maker's Mark or Jim Beam.

  • Bailey's Irish Cream - This adds a creamy touch to your Guinness drink.

  • Rum - Dark rums add a sweet, spicy flavor. Myers's or Gosling's are good options.

  • Coffee liqueur - Kahlúa brings out the beer's coffee notes.

You can also try mixing Guinness with amaretto, brandy, or fruity liqueurs. Just make sure the Guinness flavor stands out.

How do you start drinking Guinness?

If you're new to Guinness, here's how to enjoy it:

  • Start with a big sip to get used to the bitter taste.
  • Take a few more sips quickly.
  • Let the beer touch the back of your tongue to taste the coffee and chocolate.
  • Notice how the flavor changes to become smooth and rich.
  • Take your time and enjoy the unique taste.

Guinness might take some getting used to, but many people end up loving it.

What is the secret to drinking Guinness?

The best way to enjoy a Guinness is all about the pour. Pour it into a tilted glass until it's almost full, then wait for about two minutes before filling it up. This makes the beer have a thick, creamy top.

Here's a quick guide:

  • Tilt a clean Guinness glass at 45°.
  • Pour until it's 3/4 full.
  • Wait for about two minutes.
  • Fill it up to make the creamy top.
  • Drink it while it's still cool.

This method brings out the beer's best taste and texture.

What is a Guinness and lemonade called?

Mixing Guinness with lemonade is known as a Shandy. This drink is also called a Shandygraff or Stout Shandy. The lemonade's sweetness and fizz make the Guinness even more refreshing, especially on hot days.