A Black and Tan is a layered beer drink made with pale ale on the bottom and stout (usually Guinness) floating on top.

What you need

  • Pint or tall beer glass.
  • 1 pale ale or lager (Bass or similar).
  • 1 stout, typically Guinness.
  • Spoon (a bar spoon or regular tablespoon works).!

Step-by-step: how to make a Black and Tan

  1. Chill your glass and beers
    • A cold glass helps the layers stay separate and keeps the drink refreshing.
  1. Pour the “tan” (pale ale) first
    • Tilt the glass slightly and pour pale ale or lager until it’s about halfway to two-thirds full.
 * A slightly vigorous pour to create a small head actually helps separation.
  1. Set up your spoon
    • Hold a spoon just above the beer surface, rounded side up (convex side facing the pour).
 * Rest the tip of the spoon against the inside of the glass for stability.
  1. Pour the “black” (stout) slowly over the spoon
    • Gently pour Guinness over the back of the spoon so it fans out and falls softly onto the pale ale.
 * Go slowly; the goal is minimal mixing so the stout forms a dark top layer.
  1. Admire, then enjoy
    • You should see a clear line: light beer on the bottom, dark stout on top.
 * Drink as is, or gently sip so you experience the changing flavors from stout-first to pale-ale-last.

Why it layers (quick explanation)

  • Stout and pale ale have different densities, so when poured correctly, the stout can float on top of the lighter beer.
  • The spoon spreads out the stout and softens the pour, which keeps it from plunging through and mixing.

Variations and tips

  • Classic combo: Bass Pale Ale on the bottom with Guinness on top.
  • Popular twists:
    • “Black and Blue”: Guinness over Blue Moon or another wheat beer.
* Guinness over hard cider is sometimes called a “Poor Man’s Black Velvet.”
  • You can buy a special bent “Black and Tan spoon,” but any sturdy spoon works if you pour slowly.
  • If the layers mix, it still tastes good—you just lose the sharp visual contrast.

Simple HTML table version

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Step</th>
      <th>Action</th>
      <th>Details</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>1</td>
      <td>Chill glass & beers</td>
      <td>Cold glass helps layering and keeps drink refreshing.[web:3][web:6]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2</td>
      <td>Pour pale ale</td>
      <td>Fill glass halfway–two-thirds with pale ale or lager, allowing a small head.[web:1][web:3][web:5][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>3</td>
      <td>Position spoon</td>
      <td>Hold spoon rounded side up, tip against inside of glass just above beer.[web:1][web:2][web:3][web:7][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>4</td>
      <td>Pour stout</td>
      <td>Slowly pour Guinness over back of spoon to form dark top layer.[web:1][web:2][web:3][web:5][web:7][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>5</td>
      <td>Serve</td>
      <td>Two distinct layers: light bottom, dark top; serve immediately.[web:1][web:2][web:3][web:6][web:8]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

TL;DR: Pour pale ale into a chilled glass, then very slowly pour Guinness over the back of a spoon so it floats on top, creating a dark-over-light layered beer. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.