If you are a beer drinker, the Snakebite Guinness and Pear Cider Cocktail may just be your new favorite fall beverage!
Layered beer cocktails are a really fun way to dress up your beverage menu without breaking the bank on high-priced booze or buying bottles of ingredients and mixers you’ll never consume. I’m sharing with you one of our favorites. It’s a very simple, two ingredient drink that’s really easy to make – once you know the trick.
I (forced) persuaded my bartender-in-another-life husband to spend an afternoon with me pouring beer cocktails while I photographed the process. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon, I might add.
The Snakebite is a mixture of beer and hard cider, in this case, Guinness and Ace Perry Hard Cider. This is our favorite combination, but there are a lot of varieties you can try.
Paul prefers the Guinness Draught in the can over the bottled Guinness Stout for this drink. It is a dark, creamy beer that is a bit smoother than the bottled Guinness. It has a slightly bitter finish that is offset perfectly when layered with a sweet, hard cider. Many times you’ll see these drinks made with hard apple cider, but we love this Ace Perry Hard Cider, which is made from a blend of both pear and apple juice. When you crack one open, be sure to give it a try on its own. It’s got a lovely pear and apple aroma and a crisp, sweet flavor.
Fill a nice, tall beer glass half way with your hard cider of choice. Aaahhh, the bubbly…
Slowly pour the Guinness over the back of a spoon onto the side of the glass and allow it to gently pour down over the hard cider. This is the key to the layering effect.
No rushing allowed.
Once the head settles down a bit, you’ll have the nice layering effect we’re after.
It’s a smooth, refreshing, and downright delicious drink that is gorgeous to look at.
The pear cider adds a nice fall twist that makes it a great choice for serving your guests on Thanksgiving.
After all, beer, football, and Thanksgiving all go hand in hand, right? Absolutely!
The Snakebite (Guinness and Pear Cider Cocktail)
Ingredients
- 4 14.9 ounce cans Guinness Draught
- 4 12 ounce bottles Ace Perry Hard Cider (also good with hard apple cider)
Instructions
- Fill a tall beer glass half full with the hard cider. Insert a the back side of a spoon into the glass, with the tip touching the inside of the glass above the cider. Gently and slowly pour the Guinness over the spoon and allow it to pour down over the cider.
- Give the cocktail a moment to settle and serve.
- Cheers!
Terri/Love and Confections says
That layering looks so cool. I love ciders and haven’t tried a pear one yet, but will be on the lookout for it because it sounds delicious!
Katerina @ Diethood says
Sounds dangerous, but so darn delicious!! I am lovin’ the idea of guinness with hard apple cider!
Melanie | Melanie Makes says
Love the looks of this layered cocktail!
Maris (In Good Taste) says
Fun! This looks like something I would have enjoyed very much in college!
amanda @ fake ginger says
So cool! I love layered drinks and this one sounds extra delicious!
Cathy Trochelman says
I love the fact that this is layered! So pretty, and it sounds delicious too!
Wendy says
Am serving this “cocktail” tomorrow at a Family Gathering…celebrating Birthday and St. Patrick’s Day. Two Questions: 1) is the bottled Guinness Draught Stout the same as the canned Guinness Draught? 2) What brand are your beautiful pilsner glasses, and how many ounces are they? Your photographs are beautiful! Thank you so much!
Valerie says
The two beers are a bit different but I think either would work just fine. Unfortuanately, I can’t recall where I got those glasses. We’ve had them for ages. Enjoy! 🙂