Mixing Beers -- Sacrilege?

Question

OK, I'm ready for the howls of derision that may come...

Last night, I discovered a growler of a really good Viennese lager had been pilfered down to under a pint. Just on a thirsty lark, I poured the dregs into a pint glass, and then topped it up with... wait for it... canned PBR.

It actually wasn't bad. Maybe not as 'lish as the Viennese, but 'way better than the pure PBR. 

This experience caused me to wonder if there are serious beer fans who intentionally blend two (or more) different beers in order to change the overall taste perception of the drink. This is very old hat with wines, with near-universal agreement that blending can make a tremendous synergistic improvement over single varietals. 

Is there anyone out there who does this intentionally?

Answer

The only argument I have against it is that (since I don't buy growlers) I'd have to open two bottles or cans and probably end up drinking flat combo beer.

Answer

A former Chowhound Editor's husband has started a small brewery in Chicago that has launched a set of three beers brewed intentionally to be mixed together: https://www.primarycolorsbrewing.com/

Answer

I have no problem with it. I have never mixed beers, but I have mixed a cheap Cab and a cheap Malbec about 70/30 to make a blend much more drinkable than either and bits of cheap tequila to reduce the number of bottles. Could not tell in margaritas.

Answer

Half-and-halfs and black-and-tans have been poured in pubs for well over a century. You're in good company.

Answer

What a waste of a good PBR.

Answer

I come from a traditional beer region - i.e. the Netherlands, home of Heineken, Grolsch and so on, and we are neighbours of Belgium. I am surrounded by hardcore beer purists. 

So, it wasn't until I started travelling, learning about other countries' beer regimes, that I have come to realise that yes, it sometimes makes sense to mix beer with whatever. Not necessarily mixing with other beers, but either fizzy pop drinks (Spain, see https://www.thespruceeats.com/lemon-beer-recipe-clara-or-shandy-3083124) or on the rocks (South East Asia, see https://e.vnexpress.net/news/travel/food/beer-on-the-rocks-a-strong-vietnamese-preference-3872163.html). 

I still need to wrap my head around the idea of mixing beers, but I'm curious so I will give it a shot. 

I do take (serious) issue with your statement on wine that there supposedly is: "near-universal agreement that blending can make a tremendous synergistic improvement over single varietals"

This may be the case in new-world wine countries, but not so much in Europe! What we try to achieve is bringing out the specific terroir and the seasonal characteristics of that particular year - any blending of single varietals will seriously hamper this. 

In France there are certain communities where they blend their individual harvests into a single wine, but here the grapes are all from the same area so have the similar terroir. These can be great wines indeed, but they will typically be low budget wines. Likewise in Spain they will mix low budget red wines with fizzy pop drinks, perfectly acceptable in the afternoon, but not for dinner.

Answer

My kids used to do this with the self-service soft drink dispensers in restaurants. Add a little of this and a little of that. Nothing wrong with it if you're goofing around. People who blend for a living have a skillset gained over years of experience and generally know where they're going.

Answer

Just last Friday I blended a thick, syrupy, bourbon-barrel-aged stout with a "Manhattan-style" oak-aged amber. The stout had gone completely flat and tasted like watered Coca Cola syrup (still, barrel-aged Coca Cola syrup...), so I was trying to revive the drinkability of the stout. My ratio was off by quite a bit, about 70% stout to 30% amber, so it didn't work and I didn't have enough amber left to adjust the ratio further.

I'll often add a splash of whiskey to an oak-aged beer to give it more of a whiskey barrel flavor, but that doesn't fit your question criteria. :-D

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Mixing Beers -- Sacrilege?

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