Wine And Beer: Can You Enjoy Both?

There are many old wives' tales and folk beliefs about the order in which one should consume wine and beer. Some people believe that drinking wine after beer will make you feel weird, while others claim that drinking beer before wine is the key to avoiding a hangover. However, scientific studies have debunked these myths, finding no correlation between the order of drink consumption and the severity of hangover symptoms. What matters most is the total amount of alcohol consumed, and drinking in moderation is key to avoiding negative consequences such as feeling sick or having a hangover.

Cocktails made with wine or beer

There are many cocktails that can be made with wine or beer, and some that include both! Here are some recipes for cocktails made with wine or beer:

Wine Cocktails

• French 75: This cocktail is made with Champagne, Cava, or sparkling Chenin Blanc, and it's a festive way to celebrate a special occasion.
• Sangria: A classic Spanish tipple, sangria is made with red wine, sweet red vermouth, lemonade, and chopped fruit. It's a perfect summer drink and a great sharing cocktail.
• Kir Royale: A fixture at holiday celebrations and soirées, this cocktail is made with Champagne, Prosecco, Cava, or sparkling rosé, and crème de cassis.
• Hugo Spritz: A dry, elderflower spritz garnished with a healthy sprig of mint, making every sip feel cool and light.
• Aperol Spritz: A bright red amaro made with herbal ingredients that give it a distinct flavour. It's an amazing cocktail to drink in spring, made with Prosecco and a bit of soda water.
• Piscine: Add a little ice to your favourite glass of rosé—it's that simple!
• Americano: A simple drink with just three ingredients: Campari, club soda, and sweet vermouth, topped with an orange slice.
• Negroni: A classic Italian cocktail that amps up the notes of juniper in gin with sweet vermouth and herbaceous Campari. The best part? No crazy ratios to memorize: just stir equal parts of all three!

Beer Cocktails

• Black and Tan: A layered drink that pours half a pint of a pale ale and then tops it with a dark layer of Guinness Stout.
• Michelada: A spicy way to dress up beer. Add a few common kitchen ingredients to your favourite Mexican beer: lime, soy and Worcestershire sauces, and hot sauce.
• Chelada: A classic Mexican cocktail that's tangy and refreshing, infusing Mexican beer with the zing of fresh lime juice and a salty rim.
• Shandy: An equal mix of beer and lemonade. It becomes an entirely new experience with every beer you pour, but it's best not to go too dark or heavy.
• Black Velvet: An old-fashioned cocktail that pairs the bitterness and dark notes of a stout with the light, fruity bubbles of champagne.
• Spaghett: A fun drink that's a play on an Aperol spritz, with the bubbles coming from beer instead of Prosecco. It's lightly sweet, zingy, and refreshing.

Mixing alcohol types and hangovers

Mixing wine and beer is a common practice, and there are various cocktails that combine the two. For example, a German cocktail called the "gespritzter" is made by mixing lager beer with cola, and a "Colaweizen" is a southern German beer made with wheat and cola. Another German cocktail, the "kir," is made by pouring creme de cassis (blackcurrant liquor) into a wine glass and adding dry, acidic white wine.

While some people believe that mixing alcohol types can lead to worse hangovers, others claim that this is just an old wives' tale. One theory suggests that mixing alcohol types can fight palate fatigue and give the illusion that you have consumed less than you actually have, potentially leading to overconsumption and a worse hangover. However, the actual cause of hangovers is drinking too much alcohol and dehydration, which can occur regardless of whether you mix wine and beer or not.

Personal experiences vary, with some people reporting no hangover issues when mixing wine and beer, while others find that they overdoo it when mixing. It is important to note that the rate of drinking also plays a role, as drinking strong liquor too quickly can lead to a hangover.

To minimize the risk of a hangover, it is recommended to drink water along with your alcoholic beverages and to be mindful of your consumption rate. Ultimately, the key to avoiding hangovers is moderation and staying hydrated, regardless of the type of alcohol you consume.

In conclusion, while mixing wine and beer is perfectly safe and can create interesting flavour combinations, it is important to be mindful of your consumption and stay hydrated to avoid potential hangover symptoms.

German cocktails with beer and wine

There are several German cocktails that contain either beer or wine, and some that contain both. Here are some examples:

German Cocktails with Beer

• Radler: An equal mix of lager beer and lemonade or lemon-lime soda.
• Alsterwasser: Similar to a radler, but made with a pilsner.
• Berliner Weisse mit Schuss: Made from Berliner Weiβbier and a shot of flavoured sugar syrup. The syrup can be green (woodruff-flavoured), red (raspberry), or yellow (lemon).
• Altbierbowle: A mixture of altbier, fruit syrup, and fruit (such as raspberries and strawberries). It is typically served in a large snifter glass with a cocktail fork.
• Gespritzter: Lager beer mixed with cola.
• Colaweizen: A hefeweizen (southern German wheat beer) mixed with cola.
• Altbier Cola: A mix of altbier, cola, and a shot of cherry liqueur.
• Dark Beer Punch (Altbierbowle): A type of dark beer punch.
• Chilled Spiced Apple Beer Punch: A chilled punch made with apple, sugar, lemon, cinnamon, cloves, and light beer.
• German Mule: A twist on the classic mule cocktail, made with ice cubes, herbal liqueur, lime juice, and ginger beer.
• Goldfinger: A shot of gold-leaf-infused liquor with a beer chaser.
• Cold Gold: A combination of chilled gold-leaf-infused liquor with a beer on the side.
• Killepitsch Ice Cold: A shot of Killepitsch Herbal Liqueur served with a beer chaser.

German Cocktails with Wine

• Kir: A white wine cocktail made by pouring a small amount of creme de cassis (blackcurrant liquor) into the bottom of a wine glass and adding dry, acidic white wine.
• Kir Royale: Similar to a Kir, but made with champagne and sometimes served in a flute glass.
• Sweet Wine Spritzer: Uses Sprite or another lemon-flavoured soda with white wine.
• Sour Wine Spritzer: A more common variation that mixes sparkling water with white wine.
• Wine Spritzer: Can also refer to apple wine with lemon juice and/or sparkling water.
• Mulled Wine: A hot, spiced "glow wine" found in many winter destinations in Germany and Austria.
• Kirsch Royale: A cocktail made with kirsch (a clear, colourless brandy made from morello cherries), cherry syrup, and champagne or prosecco.
• Hugo: A cocktail made with elderflower liqueur, prosecco, and club soda.
• Elderflower Cocktail (Hugo): A cocktail made with elderflower liqueur, prosecco, and club soda.
• Wine Jelly Vodka Shot: A shot made with wine jelly and vodka.
• The Tyrolian Almdudler Spritzer: A spritzer cocktail.
• The Santa Claus Cocktail: A festive cocktail.
• Bourbon Orange Olenji: A cocktail made with bourbon and orange.
• Vice Grip: A cocktail made with blackberry liqueur, wheat beer, and lemon.
• Golden Kir: A cocktail made with gold-leaf-infused liquor, champagne, and creme de cassis.

German Cocktails with Both Beer and Wine

• Bavarian Coffee: A hot coffee cocktail made with brewed coffee, peppermint schnapps, cream, and coffee liqueur.
• Swimming Pool: A combination of pineapple juice, coconut, rum, and vodka with a turquoise blue colour.
• Hüttentee: Also called Jagertee, this cocktail features a combination of rum, black tea, citrus fruit, red wine, and winter spices such as cinnamon and cloves.

Non-Alcoholic German 'Cocktails'

• Spezi: A mixture of cola and orange soda.
• Apfelsaftschorle, or Apple Juice Spritzer: Apple juice mixed with sparkling water.

Please note that while some people enjoy mixing beer and wine, others believe that drinking them together can cause sickness. As with all drinking, it is important to consume alcohol in moderation and stay hydrated to avoid hangovers.

Vière: a combination of wine and beer

Mixing wine and beer is a controversial topic that many people are against. However, science suggests that it does not matter, and it is safe to mix the two as long as you drink in moderation. Mixing alcohol types does not cause hangovers, and it is not true that drinking wine before beer will make you "never be sicker". In fact, the carbonation in beer forces more alcohol into your body due to an increase in pressure on the stomach lining, so drinking beer after wine may make you feel drunker faster.

There are drinks on the market that mix beer and wine, called hybrids. The mixing of these two types of alcohol came out of a need to experiment, especially in the craft beer scene. The mixing of grapes and beer is not new, with traces of this combination dating back to the Bronze Age. In 1999, Dogfish brewed its own hybrid, Midas Touch, a mix of wine, mead, and beer. These hybrids include wine grapes in the mashing and fermentation process, and then the liquid ferments in barrels to impart a wine flavour. This results in a beer-looking but wine-tasting beverage.

Other examples of beer and wine hybrids include:

• Stillwater Artisanal Oude Bae: a mixture of sour beer and pinot noir grapes.
• Jester King Brewery Spon Muscat: a fermented beer that sits in oak barrels and features Muscat grapes.
• Victoria by Allagash Brewing Co.: a mixture of white wine and beer, featuring chardonnay grapes, pilsner malt, hops, and wine yeast.

In addition to these hybrids, there are also wine and beer cocktails, such as the Black Velvet, which features white wine and beer, and the Hangman's Blood cocktail, which includes Guinness, port, champagne, and shots of different spirits.

Beer before wine, you'll feel fine

There is a popular saying that goes "beer before wine, you'll feel fine; wine before beer, you'll feel queer". This saying is prevalent in many languages and cultures, with variations in different countries. For example, in the US, they say "beer before liquor, never been sicker; liquor before beer, you're in the clear", while in Belgium, the saying is "wijn na bier is plezier en bier na wijn is venijn", which has the same meaning.

The saying is based on the idea that beer is less strong than wine, so starting with beer will lead to less intoxication than starting with wine. It is also believed that carbonation increases alcohol absorption, so drinking beer after wine will cause the alcohol already in the stomach to rush into the small intestine, where it is absorbed more quickly. However, these beliefs have been disproven by scientific studies. A study conducted by the University of Cambridge found that the order of drinking beer and wine did not have a significant impact on hangover severity.

Despite the lack of scientific evidence, some people still stand by the saying based on their personal experiences. Some claim that drinking wine first impairs their judgment and leads to drinking more heavily later, while others find that starting with wine makes them drink beer more quickly, leading to feeling sick.

It is important to note that while the order of drinks may not affect hangovers, excessive alcohol consumption and dehydration are the main causes of hangovers. To prevent hangovers, it is advisable to drink responsibly and stay hydrated.

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