10 Must-Try Beer Cocktails You Can Make at Home

by Dane Wilson | Last Updated: May 29, 2025

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You love beer, but let’s be honest – sometimes that same lager or IPA feels predictable. You’re stuck in a rut, reaching for the usual suspects while missing out on sophisticated beer-based cocktails that could revolutionize your drinking game.

Most people think beer cocktails are gimmicky disasters, but they’re dead wrong. These aren’t college party mistakes – they’re legitimate, craft-worthy drinks combining beer’s approachable character with cocktail sophistication. These ten recipes transform your favorite brews into conversation-starting masterpieces using simple ingredients you already have.

Table of Contents

• Shandy (Lager + Lemonade)
• Michelada (Mexican Spicy Beer Cocktail)
• Black Velvet (Stout + Champagne)
• Beer Margarita (Beergarita)
• Snakebite (Lager + Cider)
• Hoppy Mojito (IPA + Mint + Lime)
• Beer Mule (Beer + Ginger Beer + Lime)
• Raspberry Lambic Fizz
• Beer Bloody Mary
• Dark & Hoppy (Stout + Coffee Liqueur)
• Unlock Beer’s Hidden Cocktail Potential
• FAQs

Shandy (Lager + Lemonade)

Wheat beer and light lagers create the best shandy and are preferred. Pilsner is always a favorite shandy base as well. Want to shake things up? Try ginger beer for a spicier kick, or experiment with flavored lemonades. The German cousin, Radler, follows the same principle – a 50:50 mixture of beer and a lemon-flavoured soft drink that originated when cyclists who needed an especially thirst-quenching beverage on a hot day inspired creative innkeepers.

Ingredients:

• 6 oz light lager or pilsner (chilled)
• 6 oz fresh lemonade or lemon soda (chilled)
• Lemon slice for garnish
• Optional: ginger beer instead of lemonade

Recipe:

1. Chill a pint glass in the freezer for 10 minutes
2. Pour the cold lemonade into the chilled glass
3. Slowly top with the cold lager, holding the glass at a 45-degree angle
4. Stir gently once to combine
5. Garnish with a fresh lemon slice
6. Serve immediately without ice

Michelada (Mexican Spicy Beer Cocktail)

The Michelada transforms Mexican lager into a bold, spicy cocktail that’s Mexico’s answer to the Bloody Mary. Meaning “my chilled beer,” it combines beer with lime, tomato juice, and hot sauce for the ultimate hangover cure and summer refresher. Traditional lagers like Corona or Modelo work best, their crisp character complementing the robust flavors. The magic ingredient is Clamato juice mixed with Worcestershire sauce, creating an umami-rich base. Some regions skip tomato entirely, using just lime and hot sauce for a pure cerveza preparada experience. This fiery drink perfectly balances refreshment with bold, savory complexity.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz Mexican lager (chilled)
• 4 oz Clamato or tomato juice
• 2 oz fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp hot sauce (Tapatío or Valentina)
• Tajín seasoning for rim
• Salt for the rim
• Lime wedge for garnish

Recipe:

1. Mix Tajín and salt on a plate, rim the glass with a lime wedge, and dip in the seasoning
2. Fill the glass with ice cubes
3. Add lime juice, Worcestershire, and hot sauce to the glass
4. Pour in Clamato juice and stir to combine
5. Top with cold beer, pouring slowly
6. Garnish with lime wedge and serve immediately

Related: Bundaberg Cocktail Recipes

Black Velvet (Stout + Champagne)

The Black Velvet is the sophisticated rebel of beer cocktails, created in 1861 during London’s mourning for Prince Albert. This luxurious combination pairs rich stout with sparkling wine, proving opposites attract beautifully. Guinness’s creamy, roasted character meets Champagne’s crisp effervescence in a surprisingly harmonious marriage that’s both decadent and refreshing. The magic lies in contrast – stout’s bitter complexity gets tamed by wine’s bright acidity, while Champagne’s sharpness softens against beer’s velvety texture. It’s mourning attire for bubbly, transforming celebration into contemplation without sacrificing sophistication. The layered presentation creates visual drama with dark stout floating beneath golden wine.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz Guinness stout (chilled)
• 4 oz dry Champagne or Prosecco (chilled)
• Chilled champagne flute

Recipe:

1. Chill a champagne flute in the freezer for 10 minutes
2. Pour Champagne into a flute, filling halfway
3. Hold the spoon upside down just above the wine surface
4. Slowly pour Guinness over the back of a spoon to create layers
5. Allow the foam to settle and top off the glass
6. Serve immediately without stirring for a layered effect

Beer Margarita (Beergarita)

The Beergarita perfectly fuses Mexico’s two most beloved beverages, transforming the classic margarita by swapping some tequila for light Mexican lager. This creates a lower-proof, infinitely more sessionable cocktail where beer adds effervescence and grainy backbone that beautifully complements tequila’s agave sweetness. Balance is key – maintaining distinctive margarita character while letting beer’s crisp lightness shine. Corona or Modelo work exceptionally well, their clean profiles preserving lime-forward brightness. Creative bartenders freeze the mixture for slushy variations or add jalapeño and mango for boundary-pushing twists that maintain the drink’s essential character. It’s Mexico’s perfect marriage of tradition and innovation.

Ingredients:

• 6 oz Mexican lager (Corona or Modelo)
• 2 oz silver tequila
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 1 oz triple sec or Cointreau
• Salt for the rim
• Lime wheel for garnish
• Ice

Recipe:

1. Rim a pint glass with salt using a lime wedge
2. Fill the glass with ice cubes
3. Add tequila, lime juice, and triple sec
4. Stir to combine ingredients
5. Top with cold Mexican lager
6. Garnish with lime wheel and serve immediately

Snakebite (Lager + Cider)

The Snakebite embodies crisp simplicity and British pub heritage through its half-and-half combination of lager and hard cider. This creates a drink more refreshing than either component alone, where apple sweetness balances hop bitterness while maintaining satisfying alcohol levels without overwhelming afternoon activities. Traditional versions use British lagers with English ciders, though American craft versions work brilliantly too. The “Snakebite & Black” variation adds blackcurrant liqueur for a purple hue and berry complexity. It’s the kind of straightforward refresher that makes you wonder why drinks need complicated ingredients. Pure simplicity delivered with maximum refreshment and just enough complexity to keep things interesting.

Ingredients:

• 6 oz lager (chilled)
• 6 oz hard cider (chilled)
• Optional: splash of blackcurrant liqueur for Snakebite & Black
• Pint glass

Recipe:

1. Chill a pint glass in the freezer
2. Pour the lager into the glass, filling halfway
3. Slowly top with hard cider
4. Add blackcurrant liqueur if making Snakebite & Black
5. Stir gently once to combine
6. Serve immediately without ice

Hoppy Mojito (IPA + Mint + Lime)

The Hoppy Mojito brilliantly marries craft beer’s bitter complexity with the mojito’s refreshing herbaceousness. Hop oils in IPA create an aromatic bridge with fresh mint, while lime’s acidity ties everything together perfectly. It’s like your favorite Cuban cocktail attended brewery school and returned with fascinating stories about citrusy American hops. Session IPAs work particularly well, providing hop character without overwhelming delicate mint flavors. Hazy IPAs contribute tropical fruit notes that beautifully complement lime. The key is gentle muddling to release mint oils without creating bitter leaf fragments, then letting beer’s natural carbonation replace traditional soda water effervescence. Pure innovation meets classic refreshment.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz IPA or Session IPA (chilled)
• 8-10 fresh mint leaves
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 0.5 oz simple syrup
• Lime wedge for garnish
• Ice

Recipe:

1. Add mint leaves to a pint glass
2. Gently muddle mint with simple syrup
3. Add lime juice and fill the glass with ice
4. Top with chilled IPA, pouring slowly
5. Stir gently to combine flavors
6. Garnish with lime wedge and mint sprig

Beer Mule (Beer + Ginger Beer + Lime)

The Beer Mule showcases ginger-forward spiciness balanced by the beer’s malty sweetness. This Moscow Mule variation swaps vodka for light ale or lager, creating a lower-proof sipper perfect for extended porch sessions. Ginger beer’s fiery kick plays beautifully against beer’s grain character, while lime adds acidic brightness, tying everything together. Light wheat beers or golden ales work best – hoppy varieties clash with ginger’s intensity. Some versions add vodka back for an extra kick, while spicy ginger beers like Fever-Tree amplify heat. Copper mugs aren’t just traditional; the metal keeps everything ice-cold while delivering that authentic mule experience. Pure refreshment with perfect spice balance.

Ingredients:

• 6 oz light ale or wheat beer (chilled)
• 4 oz ginger beer (chilled)
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• Optional: 1 oz vodka for an extra kick
• Lime wedge for garnish
• Ice
• Copper mug (preferred)

Recipe:

1. Fill a copper mug or a highball glass with ice
2. Add lime juice and vodka if using
3. Pour in light ale slowly
4. Top with ginger beer
5. Stir gently to combine
6. Garnish with a lime wedge and serve with a straw

Related: What to Mix With Bourbon

Raspberry Lambic Fizz

The Raspberry Lambic Fizz showcases elegant tartness and gorgeous ruby color through Belgian raspberry lambic’s natural fruit complexity and wild yeast funkiness, enhanced rather than masked by sparkling wine. The result feels more like a sophisticated wine cocktail than a beer drink, perfect for brunch gatherings or elegant evening affairs. Lambic’s sour character plays beautifully with Champagne’s crisp acidity, while fresh raspberries add textural interest and amplify fruit flavors. Other fruit lambics work too – cherry creates deeper complexity, peach brings summery sweetness. The key is using authentic Belgian lambics rather than fruit-flavored wheat beers for that distinctive wild fermentation character. Pure elegance meets funky sophistication.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz raspberry lambic (Lindemans or Cantillon)
• 3 oz Champagne or Prosecco
• 6-8 fresh raspberries
• Optional: 0.25 oz simple syrup if extra sweetness is desired
• Champagne flute

Recipe:

1. Chill a champagne flute in the freezer
2. Drop 4-5 fresh raspberries into the flute
3. Pour the raspberry lambic slowly into the glass
4. Top with Champagne, pouring gently to preserve bubbles
5. Garnish with remaining raspberries on rim
6. Serve immediately while properly chilled

Beer Bloody Mary

The Beer Bloody Mary achieves brunch-perfect balance of savory complexity and sessionable strength by swapping vodka for light pilsner or wheat beer. This creates a less aggressive version that pairs beautifully with eggs Benedict or breakfast tacos. Beer’s grain character complements tomato juice’s umami richness while maintaining essential Bloody Mary DNA. Light German or Czech pilsners work exceptionally well – their clean, crisp character won’t compete with elaborate seasoning profiles. The garnish game remains strong with celery stalks, pickled vegetables, and bacon skewers, turning this into a full meal replacement. It’s essentially Sunday brunch in liquid form, perfect for marathon breakfast sessions where sessionability.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz pilsner or wheat beer (chilled)
• 4 oz tomato juice
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3-4 dashes hot sauce
• Pinch of celery salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Celery stalk for garnish
• Lemon wedge
• Ice

Recipe:

1. Fill a pint glass with ice cubes
2. Add tomato juice, Worcestershire, and hot sauce
3. Season with celery salt and black pepper
4. Top with chilled beer, pouring slowly
5. Stir gently to combine all ingredients
6. Garnish with a celery stalk and a lemon wedge

Dark & Hoppy (Stout + Coffee Liqueur)

The Dark & Hoppy achieves dessert cocktail sophistication with beer’s approachable character. Rich stout and coffee liqueur create a liquid tiramisu effect – roasted malt flavors amplify coffee notes while cream and alcohol smooth harsh edges. It’s a simultaneous dessert and nightcap, perfect for ending dinner parties or cold weather contemplation. Imperial stouts work magnificently, their higher alcohol content standing up to Kahlúa’s sweetness. Some bartenders add vanilla syrup or float cream for extra indulgence, while others spike with fresh espresso for coffee shop intensity. The result tastes far more complex than its simple ingredient list suggests, proving that great cocktails often emerge from unexpected combinations that just work.

Ingredients:

• 6 oz stout (Guinness or imperial stout)
• 2 oz coffee liqueur (Kahlúa)
• Optional: 0.5 oz vanilla syrup
• Optional: 1 oz heavy cream for float
• Coffee beans for garnish
• Rocks glass

Recipe:

1. Fill a rocks glass with a large ice cube
2. Add coffee liqueur and vanilla syrup if using
3. Pour stout slowly over the back of the spoon
4. Float cream on top if desired
5. Garnish with 3 coffee beans
6. Serve immediately with a short straw

Unlock Beer’s Hidden Cocktail Potential

These ten beer cocktails prove that beer deserves a sophisticated spot in mixology. From the refreshing simplicity of a Shandy to the dessert-like complexity of a Dark & Hoppy, each recipe transforms ordinary beer into something extraordinary using accessible grocery store ingredients.

Whether you’re hosting friends or exploring new flavors, these drinks offer sessionable alcohol content with sophisticated taste profiles that’ll revolutionize your perspective on beer. Start with basics like the Snakebite, then advance to elegant creations like the Black Velvet.

FAQs