This Swill Won't Go Away!


I got stuck with a bunch of fizzy, yellow, piss beer after New Year’s Eve that I’m trying to get creative in its depletion from my refrigerator through the use of crafty beer cocktails.  I mean this beer has been through NYE, the Super Bowl, a random party, and God knows what else and it still won’t disappear. The only reason I got it in the first place was for some friends who were supposed to come to town, but cancelled at the last minute. I’ve gone as far as sneaking some of it into a friend’s refrigerator during a visit. Usually it’s the other way around; beer disappears never to be seen again.

I had the bright idea of concocting some beer cocktails to help get rid of this crap with a great deal of success. Nothing helps a shitty beer like the addition of liquor.  Now I’m talking actual cocktails as opposed to a Boilermaker or a shot dropped into a beer. I had my first beer cocktail in France called a Monaco: Beer, 7-Up, and grenadine.  Not bad, very refreshing. Hell, when you’re 15, any beer is a good beer. 

In this round of beer cocktails, the most successful have been the following:
The Red-Eye:  Beer and Bloody Mary mix.  Not a bad combo, tastes much better than it sounds. It’s a great relief for hangovers. If you can find it, try a brand made in Charleston called Fat & Juicy. I also add a dash or four of 980 Picante Panama hot sauce to light it up, courtesy of my friend Smith Anderson.

Baha Fog:  Beer, tequila, and lime (I used a splash of limeade). Much like a Margarita, add beer. Not really rocket science, but quite tasty. I have friends in Nashville who make a similar drink at all of their parties. It’s a crowd pleaser.

Shandy:  Beer and ginger ale. This is truly a winner! Ginger ale is the only soda we ever have in the house and that in itself is a rarity. It’s such an easy combination that I felt it necessary to turn it up to 11.  I use the Blenheim’s Hot Ginger Ale from North Carolina. If you have never had it before be careful, it has a bite. I haven’t named this variation, but I bet it will be something creative like Holy Shit That’s Hot!

Usually my refrigerator is loaded up with Sierra Nevada and/or the “Craft Beer Flavor of the Weak”. (Yes, I know its spelled wrong. I’ll share more on the overexposure of Craft beer in another post.) There are still two of these damn 16oz m’Iller Blites taking up valuable space. Lucky for me I made another liquor store run the other day so I have plenty of ammo to take down these last 32 ounces. Wish me luck!

Ciao down,
Penn

PS- If you actually read this, please leave a comment here or on the Pennington’s Foodstory Facebook page. Peace!

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