Hoptail Recipes for Father's Day

As we near Father’s Day, we thought it would be appropriate to highlight an incredibly old genre of the cocktail world involving BEER! Hoptails, Beer-Tails, or Cocktails on Tap are all appropriate names for this style of drink you may see on cocktail menus today. Adjuncts have been a part of beer, dating back hundreds to thousands of years. From infusions of honey to spices, wines, spirits, and other botanicals, hoptails have a lot of history.

We’ve brought Paul Stoddard back to mix up two beer cocktail recipes that are sure to please any palate!

While living in DC, I tried my first hoptail at a restaurant called Virtue Feed & Grain in Old Town Alexandria. There were a few options on the menu that I tried, but the one that stuck out to me the most was called ‘Bitter Roots.’ It was right down my alley of dark and boozy cocktails with a hint of citrus. It was so good, I had to ask for the recipe so I could recreate it at home. If you are a fan of darker, bolder cocktails or even barrel-aged beers, black IPA’s, or porters, go for the Bitter Roots!

Bitter Roots

(Chris Frankel, Anvil Bar & Refuge, Houston, TX, 2011)

RECIPE:

• 1 oz Cynar

• ¾ oz Dark rum

• ¾ oz Madeira

• 1 tsp Honey syrup (2 parts honey, 1 part boiling water)

• Dash of Angostura bitters

• 1 oz of an IPA beer

INSTRUCTIONS: 

• Combine all ingredients, except the beer, in a mixing glass and stir with ice for 15 – 20 seconds

• Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice

• Top with the IPA beer and give it a quick stir 

• Garnish with a fresh artichoke leaf (optional)

NOTES: 

• These are the ingredients I use for this cocktail: 

  • Cynar 70 Proof (pronounced “CHEE-nar”) - The original recipe calls for the standard Cynar, which is only 33 proof, but for a boozier cocktail experience, I prefer Cynar 70

  • XM VXO 7-year Rum from Guyana

  • Blandy’s 5-year Malmsey Madeira

  • Angostura Aromatic Bitters

  • Creature Comforts Tropicalia IPA

• Do not worry about finding these exact brands for these hoptails (except for Cynar). It will still turn out excellent, with any brand! I’ve tried many variations, as well as different kinds of honey, and none have let me down.

• This cocktail pairs perfectly with cooler evenings, fire pits, and cigars.

This next cocktail is one of my own creations. With summer nearing, I wanted something a bit more approachable and refreshing for a wider range of palates. Bourbon is one of my favorite spirits, so that was an obvious starting point for me. After several trials and errors, I came up with this very balanced and fun hoptail that I hope you enjoy! If you are a fan of Moscow mules and whiskey sours, or IPAs and sour beers, this is for you!

Kentucky Hawthorne

(Paul Stoddard, Atlanta, GA, 2020)

RECIPE:

• 1.5 oz Bourbon

• ½ Port

• ½ Ginger syrup (1 cup boiling water, 1 cup sugar, 4 oz fresh chopped ginger)

• ¼ oz Grapefruit shrub

• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

• 1 oz of an IPA beer

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Combine all ingredients, except the beer, in a mixing glass and stir with ice for 15 – 20 seconds

• Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice

• Top with the IPA beer and give it a quick stir 

• Garnish with fresh mint leaves (optional)

NOTES: 

• These are the ingredients I use for this cocktail:

  • Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon

  • Graham’s 10-year Tawny Porto

  • Iconic Grapefruit (available from Adelina)

  • Creature Comforts Tropicalia IPA

  • Angostura Aromatic Bitters

• This cocktail pairs perfectly with a hammock, the beach, and BBQ. 

These drinks are the perfect addition to a Father’s Day lunch or dinner for the beer lover. Surprise your guy by mixing up a hoptail for him and purchasing some fun beer accessories to enjoy them with. We hope you have an incredible Father’s Day!