Snakebite (beer mix)

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For other uses, see Snakebite (disambiguation).

Snakebite is a mix made from beer (lager, ale, or stout) and cider (the alcoholic drink known as hard cider in the US); and is one of several similar "half and half" drinks combining several types of beer and/or cider.

[edit] Basic snakebite

The basic snakebite is a mixture of equal parts of lager and cider (or alternatively a one third-two third mix) typically served in pint or half-pint servings. Though it is often served mixed, some variants are more typically served as a "float", with the beer and cider poured in separate layers (the cider invariably on the bottom).

[edit] Variations

In the Snakebite and Black (confusingly also known as Snakebite, Diesel, Snakey B, Purple Nasty, Purple or Black) variation, a shot of blackcurrant cordial (or crème de cassis) is added before mixing in the beer and cider. Alternative variations can be made by using Bénédictine or green Chartreuse liqueurs instead of the crème de cassis, while students may favour the cheaper blackcurrant squash.

In the popular Australia backpacker pub of Scubar a Snakebite consists of beer and grenadine only. This concoction was created by David McNeill and is available in many other Australian pubs.

There is a far more potent version of snakebite known by many names (such as deadly snakebite, hard snakebite, or super snakebite). This is made by combining a super lager with an ABV of at least 8% (usually Special Brew or Tennent's Super) with a cheap cider such as White Lightning. The resulting concoction will get the drinker very drunk very quickly, but also has a very strong taste and if drunk with any regularity, will combine the powers of super lager with those of cheap cider: at the very least, the hangover the following morning will be extremely unpleasant. Another variation (snakebite with venom, poison snakebite, turbo diesel) involves adding a shot of a spirit to the mix (mostly vodka).

In the 1990s, many British pubs refused to serve snakebites because of just how drunk and how violent people would become when drinking them. This trend has died down lately, although in June, 2001, former US president Bill Clinton was refused the drink when he ordered one while at a pub in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.[1]

The name snakebite is also applied by some to the poor man's Black Velvet — Guinness stout and cider. With or without blackcurrent cordial, this version of snakebite or snakebite and black is stereotypically associated with several post-punk subcultures, most notably Goth.