The New York Times just put up an article about beer cocktails, and I’m going to keep the ball rolling here with a few recommendations of my own:

BEER MARGARITAS

No frills here– just a cylinder of frozen lime concentrate, tequila, and beer. Thaw the lime concentrate, and then add 1/2 cup to a pitcher along with 1/2 cup of tequila. Pour in two 12 oz. beers of your choice and mix. Serve over ice. Scale up the recipe as desired, but keep your pinky down while you drink it.

COSTA RI

If you are absolutely mortified by the prospect of being seen in the “from concentrate” freezer section of your grocery store, you can either wear a mask or recreate this beer cocktail I recently enjoyed at Highland Kitchen in Somerville, MA. Tequila, St. Germain, and fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice went over ice and the mixture was topped with a Narragansett brew all the way from Rhode Island. This is a good example of a dangerously drinkable drink (DDD or “triple D”).

PETRIFIED WOODCHUCK

Grab an unsuspecting bottle of Woodchuck hard cider– you know, the kind that tend to get brought and then abandoned by party guests– and use it to dilute bourbon. 1.5 ±0.5 oz. bourbon, precisely two ice cubes, and top with chilled Woodchuck hard cider. Our guests left behind a few bottles of the granny smith variety, and I added a dash of celery bitters to mine. Mistake!

DOCTOR WHO-STRANGELOVE

Fresh-squeezed lemon juice, gin, maple syrup, Pimm’s no. 1. Stir over ice and top with a Weissbier of your choice. Serve with a side of crossover fan fiction.

I can also imagine any dark and stormy could be made more exciting by combining the rum with a splash of allspice dram or ginger liqueur, and topping with some variety of porter. What about a Lambic and Champagne cocktail to go with your frites? Too fizzy? Experiment! Think of beer as a wide range of fermented drink mixers– just like sodas– and go from there.