Snakebite

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Snakebite

Type	Beer cocktail
Primary alcohol by volume	Beer
Served	Neat; undiluted and without ice
Standard drinkware	Pint glass
Commonly used ingredients	One part Beer One part Cider
Preparation	Mixed in equal volumes in a standard beer glass

Snakebite is a cocktail made from cider (the alcoholic drink known as hard cider in the United States) and lager beer. In the United States the term has come to denote a beer cocktail comprising equal quantities of beer and cider. The drink is also known as a Poor Man's Black Velvet. A black velvet is a mixture of half Guinness, half champagne.

Contents 1 Basic snakebite 2 Variations 2.1 With blackcurrant cordial 2.2 With orange cordial or fresh orange 2.3 With Sambuca 2.4 With stout 2.5 With Newcastle Brown Ale 2.6 Guinness & Harp 2.7 Unblended variations 2.8 Red Witch 2.9 With grenadine 2.10 With stronger beer 2.11 With distilled spirits 2.12 With Red Aftershock 2.13 With Blue Sourz 2.14 Snake Bomb 2.15 Tarantula 2.16 With Smirnoff Ice 2.17 Champagne Snakebite 2.18 Evabite 3 References

Basic snakebite

The basic snakebite is a mixture of equal parts of lager and cider (or alternatively a 1:2 mix), typically served in pint or half-pint servings. Though it is often served mixed, some variants "float" the beer atop the cider in separate layers.

Variations

With blackcurrant cordial

In the Snakebite and Black (confusingly also known as Blackened Snakebite, Black Snakebite, Blueharts, Snakebite, Diesel, Purple PEP, Snakey B, Sas, Purple Nasty, Purple, Black, or Red Beer) variation, a shot of blackcurrant cordial (or crème de cassis) is added to the lager and cider. Alternative variations can be made by using Bénédictine or green Chartreuse liqueurs. With or without blackcurrant cordial, this version of snakebite and black is stereotypically associated with several post-punk subcultures, most notably Goth. Snakebite and Black is the drink of choice for field hockey players and supporters, especially during hockey festivals, and is also popular among university students in the United Kingdom. In the UK, the Diesel name comes from the similarity to the way in which "untaxed" diesel is marked with red fuel dyes for identification purposes.

With orange cordial or fresh orange

Snakebite and Orange or Snakey O is the drink of choice during hockey festivals for field hockey players who may want a refreshing change and have one of their five-a-day.

With Sambuca

This student drink originated from Southampton University, is commonly known as a "Buka-bite". It is the simple combination of a snakebite with a shot of sambuca. It has become a real University cult drink, and is now celebrated throughout the UK, it is especially popular with the Welsh^{[citation needed]}.

With stout

The name snakebite is often mistakenly applied to a combination of stout (often Guinness) and cider. Such a combination is properly referred to as a Poor Man's Black Velvet or a crown and float. It is not uncommon to see it referred to as such on a restaurant menu.

With Newcastle Brown Ale

This variation replaces the lager with Brown ale and is called a dog bite, referring to a nickname for the ale. Newcastle Brown Ale.

Guinness & Harp

This combination is commonly known as a Half and Half or, erroneously, Black and Tan, which is made with Guinness and bitter.

Unblended variations

A variation on the Snakebite involves not blending the beer and cider, such that the two ingredients form distinct layers in the glass. This is commonly done by pouring the first layer into the glass and then pouring the remaining ingredient onto a bent spoon held just above the rising top of the liquid. A Black Adder is cider on the bottom, stout on the top. A Crown Float is a branded version of this with Strongbow cider on the bottom and Guinness stout on the top.

Red Witch

As with many variants of Snake Bite, this name actually applies to two drinks. During the 1980s and 1990s, it was the name given by the Goth music community of West Yorkshire to a snakebite and black with a shot of pernod added. The second, more potent variation adds vodka to that mix.

With grenadine

In the popular Australia backpacker pub, Scubar Downunder 4 Rawson Place, a Snakebite consists of beer, Cider and grenadine only. This concoction was created by Senior George Booth and is available in many other Australian pubs.^{[citation needed]} This same mixture is commonly called a "grenadine" or a "Monaco" in the French-speaking parts of Europe. When ordered in France, most bars will make a "Monaco" with half beer/half lemonade then adding the grenadine syrup.^{[citation needed]} It is also known as "grena-beer" or "Christmas beer."

With stronger beer

A higher-alcohol version of the snakebite, known by names such as turbo diesel, deadly diesel, super snakebite or power snakebite is made by combining a super lager with an ABV of at least 8% (usually Special Brew or Tennent's Super) with a cheap cider such as White Lightning.

With distilled spirits

Another variation (Snakebite with Venom, Poison Snakebite, Sharkbite, Turbo Diesel) involves adding a shot of a spirit to the mix (usually vodka). Vodka can also be added to the Snakebite and Black variant, this is generally known as a Turbo Snakebite and Black, Viper Bite or a Snakebite and Black GTI and some times Solid Snake when one or more shots of vodka are added. When a shot of vodka and blackcurrant cordial is added to a Poor Man's Black Velvet, it becomes known as a Turbo Kenny in Scotland, or Hooligan's Soup in Northern Ireland. A variation of the Snakebite and Black, is Snakebite Blackjack, which involves mixing in a shot of Jack Daniels after the blackcurrant cordial.

With Red Aftershock

Essentially the same drink as the Snakebite and Black, only substituting blackcurrant with 50ml of Red Aftershock liqueur, of the cinnamon variety. This is also known as a 'Shockbite'.

With Blue Sourz

Popular in the North East of England, this cocktail is known as either a "Blue Mod" or an "I supported Franco in the Spanish Civil War".

Snake Bomb

A traditional Snake Bite with blackcurrant cordial with an added twist, a Jagerbomb is placed in the middle of the drink.

Tarantula

Cider (Usually Strongbow) with a lager (Any) mixed with Jack Daniel's and Coke.

With Smirnoff Ice

This variation replaces the lager with a bottle of Smirnoff Ice and is called a "Turbo lover shandy", referencing Turbo Lover (song) by Judas Priest.

This is called a Turbo Shandy in the UK.

Champagne Snakebite

A form of snakebite consisting of champagne, lager (traditionally Stella Artois) and blackcurrant or creme de cassis.

Evabite

Popular in metro Atlanta, GA. A form of snakebite consisting of Strongbow and Stella Artois (instead of Harp).

References