A wee half and half

[Onefortheditch]

It's traditional in Scotland (or maybe used to be) to drink a whisky with a half pint of dark beer (known as a wee half and half, or a wee hawff and hawff if you have a SW Scotland accent).

(It's probably traditional in most places to do this!!)

I like this as I find dark beer is a rather pleasant mouthwash that prepares me for the following stronger tasting whisky.

Guiness, Murphies or McEwan's Export have always been very good as one side of the half. But here, the newer bottled beers like Black Cuillen, are very good too. It is very pleasant with a Talisker.

What would you recommend as a good half and half?

[jimidrammer]

Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock, Mackeson XXX Triple Stout, Paulaner Salvator, Samuel Smith's Imperial or Oatmeal Stout, Tilburg's Dutch Brown Ale, McEwan's Scotch Ale, or an Anchor Porter. I don't put them with a particular Whisky, but do drink them together quite often. Also like a good wheat beer like Franziskaner or a Spaten Lager. After one beer I just keep a glass of ice water on the side for an occasional sip with my dram.

[Deactivated Member]

A full pint for me, please, of cask bitter or similar. Timothy Taylor's Landlord is number one, followed by Deuchars IPA, Orkney Red MacGregor, Black Sheep, and countless others. The bottled versions just don't cut it in my book--they taste stale and dead, despite the extra fizz. I order a pint and a dram at the same time, and let the pint sit while I enjoy my dram. They complement one another very well, each setting me up for the next. The pint offers some dilution as well, which is why I'm glad to have something in the 4% range. I don't say it too loud around here, but I can't drink just whisky all night long.

Cask ale is rare on this side of the pond, and rarely measures up to the real thing in Britain. Draft versions of good American micros are fine with me. They are a completely different beast to the British beers, apples and oranges for sure; each charming in its own way. Unfortunately, most brewpubs around here serve bitters and IPAs at 6% and up, so I rarely have a dram out.

Gosh, I'm thirsty! Wonder what they'll have on at the Steampacket Inn in Isle of Whithorn when I arrive?

[Di Blasi]

A nice half pint or nice 33cl bottled beer is great with a whisky! The Caledonian 80 was a great match to whisky. The other night I had a Samuel Smith's Stout and a Caol Ila Cask Strength, really good!

[dram_time]

I always have a beer with a dram, normally stick to Tennents though, the old boys (now sadly all passed on) at the local pub would take a small bottle of sweetheart stout with a couple of drams. Those that took 70 or 80 shilling draft ale, got a FREE glass full, ok, the glass was the same size as the one with the whisky in, but it was enough for a couple of drams, and I’ve never seen it done anywhere else. The joys of living in a small community !!

Dt.

P.S. onefortheditch, we will have to get together in Inverness some time for a dram.

[Deactivated Member]

Adnams Broadside does it for me, or an Innes and Gunn Oak conditioned.

[Paul A Jellis]

Hobgoblin Strong Dark Ale, a wonderful full-bodied, well-balanced brew which uses Fuggles hops blended with Styrian Goldings hops and the addition of a small proportion of crystal malt to produce a delicious chocolate toffee malt flavour. It's so good sometimes I even drink it on it's own!

Cheers, Paul

[Aidan]

"a pint of stout and a ball of malt" used to be quite common here. I like Guinness and Lagavulin 16, but usually have Powers.

[Mr Fjeld]

I usually have a beer before I drink whiskies, usually together with food. I never drink beer with whisky in order to stay reasonable sober. Apart from that I'd say any beer will do, but I try to have different beers every time and prefer anything from bitters to wheat beers and trappists. Nøgne Ø's Porter and IPA, and Chimay Blue and Westmalle Dubbel are among my favourites.

Christian

[Iain]

A relatively new bottled ale, Williams Red, is good company for a dram.

I do like English real ales (a lot!), but because they are often more hopped, they sometimes (like Guinness) overwhelm the whisky.

Scottish real ales like Deuchars are usually less hoppy, more malty. IMHO, and there are exceptions to the rule of course.

[irishwhiskeychaser]

Used to be a common practice in Ireland too. My granfather always had a half of Guinness and a whiskey chaser in the pub on a Saturday and I'd sit beside him at the bar with my glass of Fizzy orange feeling like one of the auld fellas eventhough I was only 8-10 , happy memories

[Onefortheditch]

Well there were some familiar and some unfamiliar beers there. (I’ll probably research some of the unfamiliar ones!!) .

And I’m a fan of Hobgoblin but, like Theakston’s Old Peculiar or Orkney Skullsplitter, I think these are beers better enjoyed on their own!

It’s made me wonder why the whisky and beer makers have never spotted this trait and got together and produced a whisky and beer that were designed to compliment each other as opposed to doing so via a happy co-incidence.

As for staying sober, I’m a slow drinker, so it’s not a problem! If whisky has slept in the cask for all those years it can linger in my glass a while too!!

[Frodo]

It’s made me wonder why the whisky and beer makers have never spotted this trait and got together and produced a whisky and beer that were designed to compliment each other as opposed to doing so via a happy co-incidence.

I'll take a stab at this one. Innis & Gunn with Grant's Ale Cask Reserve!

[Deactivated Member]

Tullibardine have some of their wash cask conditioned into a rather good brew called 1488. It is a bit pricy though, but goes down a treat with a dram of their good stuff

You guys that like Williams Red (makers of heather beer as well) and Hobgoblin, might like Adnams Broadside. It's on similar lines but IMHO just a little more substantial. Morrisons do good deals on bottled beers and have a fairly good selection.

Cheers. Hic!