by Dane Wilson |
Last Updated: October 14, 2021 Hey there! This site is reader-supported and we earn commissions if you purchase products from retailers after clicking on a link from our site.
Beer can be enjoyed a number of ways—from a can or a bottle or even as a mixed drink. You might have tried out Micheladas and Black and Tans before, but have you ever pondered what a beer and vodka cocktail would taste like? Turns out, you’ve been missing out. Mixing beer and vodka is a fantastic idea, and we have some insight as to why.
Table of Contents
- Can You Mix Beer and Vodka?
- Will Mixing Beer and Vodka Make You Sick?
- What’s a Yorsh?
- Vodka and Beer Cocktail Recipes
- FAQs About Mixing Beer With Vodka
Can You Mix Beer and Vodka?
Yes, you can. Beer and vodka might not be the most natural coupling, but they are compatible for a couple of reasons. Using a mid- or high-quality vodka will give you a clean taste (unless it’s flavored) that doesn’t affect the taste of your beer. Using a vodka with flavor, on the other hand, will boost your beer. For instance, if you use a vanilla-flavored vodka with a chocolate stout, the beverage will remind you of holiday desserts.
With many styles of beer to try and flavors of vodka, the possibilities are limitless.
Will Mixing Beer and Vodka Make You Sick?
Here is the one concern that holds a lot of people back from discovering their new favorite beer and vodka cocktail. There is a myth out there that mixing different types of alcoholic spirits will make you sicker than if you drink stuff straight.
Time for a truth bomb: Any amount of alcohol can make you sick, depending on your health, physical characteristics, and metabolism. Combining beer and vodka does increase the ABV, but it is no different than other alcoholic drinks. The trick is to drink responsibly. If you know you handle alcohol poorly, treat your vodka beer cocktail like you would a Long Island Iced Tea.
That means you should savor the single glass all night long, because you’re consuming a lot of alcohol at once.
Meanwhile, drinking a single beer is going to have nearly the same effect on you as one gin and tonic, for instance.
So, if you’re worried that whipping up a vodka and beer combination is going to give you a hangover, just remember that intoxication is predicted by how much alcohol you are consuming and the time it took.
What’s a Yorsh?
Some people might call it a Vodkabeer, but in Russia, the combination is called Yorsh. The drink is made by vigorously blending beer with a copious amount of vodka. Generally consumed socially, Yorsh is consumed in one shot after a toast.
Since the vodka has little flavor on its own, it doesn’t alter the flavor of the beer that much. What it does do, however, is elevate the alcohol by volume. Down a few Yorsh, and you’ll be teetering all night long.
Vodka and Beer Cocktail Recipes
Let’s have a look at some vodka-beer cocktail recipes.
Here is a video detailing one fun way to mix vodka and beer together:
Other recipes include:
Skippy’s (Porch Crawler/Hunch Punch)
Here is one recipe that comes up often when you search for a beer and vodka combination—the Porch Crawler. You will need:
- One part beer—any kind
- One part vodka
- One part lemonade
Now, the fun part about this drink is that you can customize the taste by playing around with the ratio between beer and lemonade. It will also change depending on the kind of lemonade you have. One that is sweeter will interact with the beer differently.
Have fun trying out a dozen different combinations. A Hazy IPA might be delicious this way!
U-Boat
A glass of beer that contains a bomb shot of vodka submerged inside, kind of like a boilermaker (beer with a bomb of scotch) but not. This one is relatively easy to make if you can get the submersion technique down.
Do note that the more traditional recipe calls for Jagermeister, but you can use vodka, too. Maybe try this with a flavored vodka for a nice surprise at the end of your pint?
Tropical Beer
Van Gogh vodka came up with this recipe, but you can use any kind of flavored vodka available to you. You will need:
- 1 oz peach flavored vodka
- 1 oz coconut flavored vodka
- 1.5 oz pineapple juice
- Top with your choice of IPA beer
You pour the ingredients from first to last (starting with the peach vodka) into a highball glass with ice. When you pour the beer, go slowly. You can garnish with an orange or lime wheel. It will taste like fruit punch.
All The Citrus
You know how orange goes well with lighter beers, like Blue Moon Belgian Ale? Turns out that citrus vodkas do too. Here’s the kind of cocktail you sip from a Mason jar on a humid summer night.
Combine 1.5 oz citrus vodka (like Stolichnaya Citros) together with either a Witbier or American wheat beer, and a splash of lemon juice.
You can use Blue Moon, Allagash White, Bell’s Oberon, Ommegang White, or a gluten-free alternative like Alt Brew Yard Games Amber Ale.
Vanilla Guinness
No beer and vodka drink is easier to whip up than the Vanilla Guinness. Simply pour 1.5 oz of your favorite vanilla vodka (Smirnoff, Absolut, and Stoli all have it available) into a pint of cold Guinness stout. It’s the only dessert you will ever need again.
Peach Shandy
Ready for a drink that screams comfort? Try this one out. It will give you a warm, fuzzy feeling as it goes down smoothly.
Add the following ingredients to a pint glass with ice then stir together:
- 1.5 oz of peach vodka
- 1.5 oz of orange juice
- 4 oz of spiced ale (pumpkin spice, chai spice, winter spice, it’s your choice)
- 0.25 oz lemon juice
Maybe this should be called “Liquid Peach Pie”?
Time for a Round of Yorsh!
To conclude, mixing beer and vodka is never a bad idea. You might discover a new cocktail to introduce to all your friends during the holidays. The key is to consume these cocktails responsibly. Enjoy the many ways you can customize your drinks with beer and vodka and let us know if you discover anything delicious!
FAQs About Mixing Beer With Vodka
Yes, you can safely mix beer and vodka together. When consumed responsibly, the beer and vodka combination can be served up in a number of delectable ways.
There is always a chance that alcohol is going to make you sick. That said, the mixture of vodka and beer alone won’t cause illness. How much vodka and beer you consume at once—and how fast—dictates whether you end up with a hangover in the morning.
The only reason mixing beer and vodka is bad would be the amount of alcohol you consume at once. Vodka will increase the alcohol by volume of the beverage by a large percentage, so you might end up consuming far more alcohol than you thought. This is due to beer masking the flavor of the vodka.
It can be, but it won’t always be bad to drink beer and vodka in the same night. “Beer before liquor, never been sicker; liquor before beer, you’re in the clear” is a myth. As long as you take your time and listen to your body, the order in which you consume alcohol has little to do with how unwell you feel in the morning. Rather, it’s the amount of alcohol you imbibe over a short period that affects you poorly.
