Pouring a perfect black and tan?

I've been trying to master pouring a black and tan and am having alot of trouble getting that perfect half and half seperation. I'm using bottled Guiness draught and bottled Bass ale. I do not have a black and tan spoon and am using a normal teaspoon.

So far, I've only managed to accomplish a 80/20 split at best. Does anyone have any suggestions or tips on this? I used to order them all of the time at my local pub and they would come to me at a perfect 50/50 split. I'd like to replicate that for my home bar.

Pour the "tan" beer so that it fills slightly over half the glass. For the stout, use the biggest spoon you can get to fit in the glass, and hold it so that it almost touches the top of the "tan" beer. Pour the stout slowly down the spoon.

Damn, one of those sounds really good right now

try this out http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NNO2XA/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 it sits right on top of a pint glass and pours a perfect black and tan. The mouth is also a bottle opener

I made a black-and-tan spoon by taking a regular teaspoon and flattening the spoon part with a hammer, and then bending the handle up so it was perpendicular. To use it, you pour the 'tan', then hold the spoon by the handle and lower it into the glass so the (now) flat part is right above the liquid surface, and pour the stout onto it. Just slowly raise the spoon as the liquid level rises. It's always worked flawlessly for me - very clear separation with very little mixing.

I'm not quite sure why we went with that design, the only explanation I can offer was that it was constructed by a drunk person who had a spoon, hammer, and coffee table (AKA anvil) within easy reach.

edit: found a youtube vid showing the same bent-spoon method as I use:
[YOUTUBE]4ycs9J6UvxY[/YOUTUBE]

Wikipedia has a picture of a very different design which seems quite popular, I have no experience with that type though:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_and_Tan

A proper Black and Tan should be Bitter (preferably Bass) and Stout (Normally Guinness)

Then you have a Poor Man's Black Velvet. Guinness and Cider.

They're one of my favorites.

I just used a bent teaspoon and hooked the handle over the glass lip. It's a lot easier when your pouring from a tap.

I, erm, 'acquired,' a Guinness Spoon from a local brewpub and it works quite nice.

Its slightly bent so it fits on the rim of your glass and then you can poor it slowly on the spoon. Floats nice and easily on the top of the tan.

Should you use the back of the spoon or the bowl? I could have sworn I read somewhere that you should use the back of the spoon and poutr the Guiness full force over it? But in that youtube video, the guys is using the bowl-side of the spoon.

Color me black-and-tan confused now.

Sorry about that, St. Johns! Use the back of the spoon and SLOWLY pour over it. It'll have a cascading effect and should, in essence, create the black and tan you're looking for.

For an alternative, try a Black n' Blue also - Guinness and Blue Moon, its fantastic.

I use a "brutul" for my black and tans, it works better than a spoon IMHO and doubles as a bottle opener. It is the turtle in the front of the glass. The thing rocks.

found a youtube vid showing the same bent-spoon method as I use

Click to expand...

The video is sick! That was a sweet pour. And man, he downed it like a frat brother! To much fun.

MriswitH said:

Sorry about that, St. Johns! Use the back of the spoon and SLOWLY pour over it. It'll have a cascading effect and should, in essence, create the black and tan you're looking for.

For an alternative, try a Black n' Blue also - Guinness and Blue Moon, its fantastic.

Click to expand...

I just tried a Black & Blue last week and loved it!

Special Ed said:

I just tried a Black & Blue last week and loved it!

Click to expand...

this is one of my favs as well. snake bites are pretty damn good as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakebite_(beer_cocktail)

Guinness and Champagne!

First of all...Pompey for Europe..ha ARSENAL!! ARSENAL!!!

Second, something I was wondering...does the stout have to be carbed with beer gas in order to be floated on top or will any stout do?

This thread reminded me of something I wanted to try. Here's the Black & Tan Spoon I whipped up from some scrap stainless in about 15 minutes in the garage:



Unfortunately, I don't have the requisite ingredients, so its inaugural pour will have to wait for another day.

orfy said:

Then you have a Poor Man's Black Velvet. Guinness and Cider.

Click to expand...

We always called those a Priest's Collar

And Yuri, 15 min in the garage?
<--- Jealous

BierMuncher said:

They're one of my favorites.

I just used a bent teaspoon and hooked the handle over the glass lip. It's a lot easier when your pouring from a tap.

View attachment 2648

Click to expand...

Did you trade in your Triscuits for M&M's?

Yuri_Rage said:

This thread reminded me of something I wanted to try. Here's the Black & Tan Spoon I whipped up from some scrap stainless in about 15 minutes in the garage:

Unfortunately, I don't have the requisite ingredients, so its inaugural pour will have to wait for another day.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure I understand how that is going to work? Are you going to pull the "spoon" part upwards as the glass fills?

everytime i have seen it done in the pub the spoon is at the top of the glass and doesnt move until the pour is finished. seems like you guys maybe adding extra work for yourselves.

Dude said:

I'm not sure I understand how that is going to work? Are you going to pull the "spoon" part upwards as the glass fills?

Click to expand...

That's the plan. I might be able to just leave it toward the top of the glass, as j suggests, but some experimentation is in order.

jbreiding said:

everytime i have seen it done in the pub the spoon is at the top of the glass and doesnt move until the pour is finished. seems like you guys maybe adding extra work for yourselves.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure that it's extra work...it really doesn't take much coordination to do the "lift the spoon as you pour" method, and I think the result speaks for itself:



I wish I'd remembered to turn the glass around so the label wasn't blocking the clean separation between the layers. Doh!