Withering Sunrise

In case you aren't familiar, a shot of whiskey alongside a bottle of beer is classic and satisfying, and provides a bracing start to a long night of steady drinking. Sometimes you want something that's a little more refined, so why not try a cocktail that combines the two? Bartenders around the country are crafting cocktails that utilize both whiskey and beer, along with other excellent ingredients, to create refreshing libations that amplify the distinctive flavor profiles of beer and brown spirits. 

At New York City's iconic watering hole, Long Island Bar, bartender Tristan Willey has created whiskey-beer cocktails featuring Samuel Adams beer, perfect for summertime drinking, like this sweet mix of bourbon and summer ale. If you're not someone who drinks a lot of brown liquor, the difference between bourbon and whiskey might not seem all that apparent. “After all, both bourbon and whiskey are brown liquids — they look about the same,” writes Margaret Eby. “And to add to the possible confusion, if you just refer to bourbon as whiskey, you wouldn't be wrong. Bourbon is a type of whiskey, much the way that Champagne is a type of wine. So all bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon.” 

For this simple yet flavorful cocktail, you’ll want to use Deep Ellum IPA, which is famously full of guava and grapefruit notes balanced by piney, lightly floral aromas. If you’re interested in expanding your repertoire of IPAs and other American craft beers, here’s our curated list of the 25 most important ones to know. Don’t have Fee Brothers bitters on hand? Angostura will work just fine for this drink. —— Oset Babür-Winter