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The Imbiber: black & tan cures what ails you

By Dan Dunn | Special to amNewYork

6:07 PM EDT, May 6, 2008

A word to the wise: Wine and beer, yes. Frozen margaritas with salt, absolutely not.

The Bloody Mary has long been the most popular morning-after elixir in the U.S., though there are plenty of folks who swear by the curative powers of mimosas and screwdrivers.

However, your Imbiber has found that nothing mitigates a hangover's hurt like a creamy pint of pale ale and dark beer, aka a black and tan.

Jamie Walker is a renowned spirits expert who has overseen the cocktail arrangements for some incredibly lavish functions, including a birthday bash for Elton John, the wedding of David and Victoria Beckham and Madonna's 40th birthday party. Walker also serves as a consultant for Bass Pale Ale, the key ingredient, along with Guinness, of a black and tan.

"The black and tan has been around since the 1800s, and is a classic," Walker said. "When properly made, it looks fantastic, tastes wonderful and can be enjoyed year round."

Walker's suggestions for preparing the perfect black and tan at home begin with a mixing tool called a "brolly," a British slang term for an umbrella. This device makes preparing B&Ts easy.

First, fill a glass halfway with Bass. Then add Guinness stout by pouring it slowly through the brolly, which is placed directly on top of a pint glass and features a series of holes that allows the beer to flow through slowly, resulting in the desired layered effect.

When I suggested eliminating the prep steps all together by simply purchasing pre-made Black and Tan in cans produced by America's own Yuengling Brewery, Walker looked at me as though I'd proposed re-waging the Revolutionary War.

"I am not the biggest fan of any of those 'ready to drink' mixed alcoholic products," he said. "The great thing about a black and tan is that you have a ritual surrounding the preparation of the drink. I'm also a huge advocate of drinking great beer out of a glass to ensure you can appreciate the beer's aroma."

(A brolly is available for free with the purchase of Bass at select retail outlets, or by visiting bass.com).

Dan Dunn is the author of the book "Nobody Likes a Quitter (and other reasons to avoid rehab)."