A couple decades ago, the Black and Tan was served mixed. These days, it’s more common to see it layered. If you serve it that way, add the ale first and top it with the stout, poured slowly over the back of a spoon.
We hemmed and hawwed over whether or not we should keep the original name of this drink. It’s called a “Half and Half” in Ireland, where the phrase “Black and Tan” conjures up images of the Royal Irish Constabulatory Police force, a paramilitary force of mostly-British soldiers that did terrible things to Irish citizens during the Irish War of Independence in the early 1920s.
Unfortunately, the new name hasn’t seen much pickup in nations less-familiar with this facet of Atlantic history, and in America specifically it could be confused with half-and-half, a name for sweet cream and an ingredient in our app. For now, we’re sticking with the original name – but perhaps the story will inspire you, dear drinker, to think a kind thought of the Irish and their travails as you sip.
