Chris Murphy, bartender at Davis Restaurant and Bar, serves a variety of beer
cocktails. Murphy has been tending bar on and off for more than 20 years, but
this is the first time he’s had these beverages on his menu. He says the beer
cocktail is popular right now in major metropolitan areas like New York and San
Francisco, and the trend has reached Eugene. “Sales are really picking up. I used
to have to ‘sell’ beer cocktails, but I’m getting return customers now,” he says
while preparing some examples of the trend.
The most popular beer cocktail on Murphy’s menu is the michelada, a
mixture of spicy tomato juice, lime juice, tequila and Sessions lager. Its flavor is
a sort of cousin of the Bloody Mary. The drink is from Mexico, and its mixture
of light beer and lime juice would
Tripel Shandy
be appealing on a warm summer
evening. But the one-two punch of
tequila and spices would make it
hard to survive more than one.
Next up is the top o’ the
morning (Guiness, hard apple
cider and Patrón XO Coffee
Liqueur). Murphy says it’s the
most divisive beer cocktail on his
menu, and I can tell why. The
mixture of Guiness, apple and
coffee flavors reminds me of an
ill-advised hangover breakfast on
its way back up. I didn’t think you
could ruin Guiness, but this drink proves it’s possible. Back on the refreshing side
is the tripel shandy (Trumer Pilsner, ginger brew and lemon) and a Murphy
original called the lunchbox (amaretto, orange juice and Oakshire Line Dry Rye).
Both drinks are thirst-quenching, and it would be easy to drink one too many on
a hot summer afternoon.
Murphy goes on to say that many of his customers order beer cocktails on a
whim despite being skeptical at first, and most are converted to the idea. He
adds that the “professional drinkers” in Eugene are an educated bunch who tend
to be a bit stuck in their ways. “If you like IPA, that’s all you order,” he clarifies.
So this summer get out of your comfort zone, put down the IPA (for a round) and
try a beer cocktail. You might surprise yourself. ■
www.eugeneweekly.com
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