Black and Tan Recipe: The Layered Stout and Pale Ale Pint

A Black and Tan is a bar trick that happens to taste good: a pale ale on the bottom and a stout floated on top, poured so the two sit in visible layers instead of blending into one pint.

The trick is entirely in the pour. Stout is lighter and less dense than most people assume, so pouring it slowly over the back of a spoon or a dedicated layering tool lets it spread out and settle on top of the pale ale rather than sinking through it.

It looks harder than it is. Once you have poured two or three, getting a clean split becomes second nature, and it is one of the few beer cocktails that is as much about presentation as flavor.

How to Make It

Print Recipe

Black and Tan (Half and Half)

A two-tone layered pint: pale ale on the bottom, stout floated on top so the two never fully mix.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Servings: 1

Calories: 220kcal

Author: Dan Smullen

Ingredients

• 6 oz pale ale Bass Pale Ale or another malty English-style pale ale
• 6 oz stout Guinness, poured cold

Instructions

• Fill a pint glass about halfway with the pale ale, pouring normally.
• Rest a bar spoon or layering tool upside down just above the surface of the pale ale, curved side up.
• Pour the stout slowly over the back of the spoon so it spreads out and floats on top instead of dropping straight in.
• Stop pouring once the glass is full and the stout is sitting in a distinct dark layer over the lighter beer.
• Serve immediately without stirring, the layers are the point.

Want to see the classic stout on its own before you split the glass with a pale ale? Check our Guinness Draught review.

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Gear That Helps

Making a batch for a crowd? A beverage dispenser from our shop keeps a pre-mixed pitcher cold and ready to pour.

FAQ

Why does the stout float on top?

Guinness and most stouts are actually lower in density than they look because of how much nitrogen and carbonation is worked into them, which lets them float on a slightly denser pale ale if poured slowly.

Do I need a special tool?

No, a regular bar spoon turned upside down works fine. A dedicated layering tool just makes it easier to get an even pour across the whole surface.

Can I use a different stout or pale ale?

Yes. Guinness is the classic choice because of how well it floats, but any dry stout works, and any malty English-style pale ale or amber ale works on the bottom.

More beer cocktails: see the full Beer Cocktails guide for every recipe in this collection.