Despite the relatively recent rise of the Spaghett (Aperol and lemon juice poured into a Miller High Life) and its fellow not-quite-spritzes, beer cocktails have a long history. The “shandy,” a two-part mix of beer with lemonade or ginger ale, was first mentioned in print in the late 19th century, and glühbier has long been a staple of European holiday drinking. Modern bartenders have not shied away from the category, either, often turning stouts, sours and IPAs into syrups to add layered dimension to a variety of cocktails. By now, the canon of beer cocktails has grown to include plenty of craveable, simple, built-in-the-glass drinks alongside a crop of beer cocktails that go beyond the typical two-part formula. To showcase the many sides of the beer cocktail, we rounded up some of our favorites, from an Americano topped with pilsner to the olive brine–spiked Midwestern bar staple, the Beertini.
