Summer Beer Cocktails That Don’t Suck

Tavour, an industry leader in beer e-commerce recently sent us some summer beer cocktail suggestions to help us weather the heat.

And amazingly they didn’t suck.

They’re all made with serious beers from Tavour’s more than 600 craft brewery partners, and we gotta admit that’s a smart place to start.

Sour IPA Slushie

While you can use any Sour IPA with this beer “slushie” recipe, and Tavour offers plenty of them, the online bottle shop went with Evil Twin What Even is Blue Raspberry Anyway?, a “tart meets sweet” 7% ABV Sour IPA brewed with raspberries & butterfly pea flower.

(Makes 2 Servings)

Ingredients

1 cup frozen pineapple chunks (can be found in most grocery stores)

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. sugar

16 oz. Sour IPA (1 can of Evil Twin’s What Even is Blue Raspberry Anyway?)

*Raspberries optional

Preparation

1. Carefully fill a clean ice cube tray with the beer, pouring slowly to prevent foam. Let freeze overnight. Because beer has a lower freezing temperature than water, it will gain a more slush-like consistency (but if you prefer more hardened cubes, you can dilute it with water prior to freezing).
2. Feel free to enjoy whatever beer is left over in the can! Or, to get as much beer as possible in your slushies, cover the can loosely with saran wrap and refrigerate overnight as well.
3. When ready to make your slushies, simply add the beer-ice to a blender, along with the other ingredients.
4. Blend until fruit and ice are broken up and everything is well mixed. Add any leftover beer, which should no longer be as carbonated, and blend for a few seconds more, or until desired consistency.
5. Split the mixture into two glasses. Garnish with raspberries or other fruit as desired

Orange ‘Beergarita’

Tavour’s “beergarita” recipe opts for a lager like Cerveza with Lime and Sea Salt from B52 Brewing. It was, after all, named “Best New Brewery in Texas” when it launched in 2014, so why not?

(Makes 2 Servings)

Ingredients

1 oz. tequila

1 oz. triple sec or Cointreau

2 oz. lime juice

1 oz. agave syrup

16 oz. Lager (1 can of B52 Cerveza)

2 oz. orange juice

2 orange slices

Salt

Ice

*Lime wedge and additional orange slice optional

Preparation

1. Pour some salt into a small plate. Coat the rim of two cocktail glasses with lime juice or syrup, then swirl them gently, face down, on the plate to create a salted rim. Add a few ice cubes to chill each glass and set aside.
2. In a cocktail shaker or pint glass, muddle the orange slices with agave syrup and lime juice until the fruit is broken up.
3. Fill the shaker halfway with ice, then pour in the tequila, triple sec, and orange juice. Stir twice.
4. Very gently, pour in about a third of the beer, going slowly to reduce foaming. Stir another couple times, very gently.
5. Dump the chilling ice from the glasses, and strain the contents of the shaker evenly into each over fresh ice or straight up. Top with the remaining beer and garnish with lime and orange slices, if desired