| Served |
|
|---|---|
| Standard drinkware | |
| Commonly used ingredients |
|
| Preparation | Mix in equal volumes in a standard pint glass. |
A Snakebite is a shandy made with equal parts of Bitter or Lager and cider.[1]
If a dash of blackcurrant cordial ("black") is added as a sweetener, the resulting drink is known as a Snakebite and Black, or a Diesel.[2][3][4]
Though Snakebites are usually served mixed, some drinkers prefer to float the Bitter or lager atop the cider.
Even if the Bitter or lager and the cider are perfectly clear before being mixed, the resulting drink will often be cloudy unless mixed with a dry cider.
A Snakebite is typically served in pint servings. UK licensing laws make half-pint servings difficult, as the two main ingredients would have to be dispensed in strictly controlled quarter-pint servings. In June 2001, former US President Bill Clinton was refused a Snakebite when he ordered one at the Old Bell Tavern in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.[5] A manager of the pub, Jamie Allen, stated: "It's illegal to serve it here in the UK, you see."[6]
Snakebites are not illegal in the UK, but some bartenders refuse to serve them because some people will drink them very quickly and become more intoxicated than if they had been drinking regular beer or cider, many refuse to serve them on the grounds that the cloudy result can make the beer look 'bad'.[7]