The Easy Way To Add Guinness Draught To Almost Any Cocktail

The Guinness Draught, the nitrogenated alternative to original Guinness Extra Stout, is found in pubs and bars worldwide. And while it's most often served in its identifiable pint glass, one unexpected place you might also find Guinness is in a cocktail. 

The flavors in this iconic beer — malty, nutty, and bittersweet chocolate — make it a versatile ingredient for cocktails. Making a beer syrup is one of the best way to concentrate these incredible flavors, Guinness Brand Advisor Zack Berger exclusively told Chowhound. "Cooking Guinness Draught down with sugars to create a syrup can be used beautifully in a stirred or shaken cocktail providing great roasted and earthen notes," Berger said. 

Beer syrup may not be the go-to ingredient in your home bar, but it's one of those brilliant tricks that bartenders have up their sleeves. According to Berger, "Guinness Draught is not originally sweet which makes it incredibly dynamic for mixing as it won't overpower other ingredients but enhance them." Guinness beer syrup works well in espresso martinis, old-fashioneds, or cocktails that use aged whiskey, tequila, or rum. Like making other homemade syrups, it's as simple as cooking down beer at a low heat, and using a ratio of 2 cups of beer to 1 cup of sugar. Once the liquid has been reduced by half, it's ready. Guinness Draught beer syrup also goes beyond cocktails — it can be drizzled on top of pancakes, poured over chocolate cake, or blended into a creamy milkshake. Berger recommends using it to garnish ice cream, and we suggest pairing it with vanilla. 

If you want to use Guinness Draught in its cold, unadulterated form, there are plenty of cocktail recipes that make use of the Irish beer.  For a beer-only cocktail, try a black and tan, which is a simple mix of dark stout (typically Guinness) and pale ale. 

To booze up your Guinness, add about 1 ounce of it to an old-fashioned. You can also use it in an Irish Black Russian, which mixes 1 ounce of vodka, 1 ounce of coffee liqueur, 3 ounces Coca-Cola, and 3 ounces of Guinness. A brunch-time Bloody Mary can also be topped off with 2 ounces of Guinness for a rich, frothy twist. Or try a not-so-typical brunch drink with the dark and intriguing Black Velvet, which blends equal parts of the Irish beer and Champagne. 

A good rule of thumb for making Guinness cocktails is that the flavor of stout doesn't really blend well with citrus or acidic flavors, but it pairs nicely with creamy and warm flavors. Cocktails that use creme and coffee liqueurs are good candidates for topping off with Guinness. And don't forget dessert — if you have a sweet tooth, an ice cream float made with Guinness beer instead of soda is a must.