Yes, beer and vodka can go together.
This weekend I tried beer cocktails with my friend Rebecca. She made lasagna while I mixed the alcohol. “A beer cocktail is a mixed drink similar to a true cocktail. It is made predominantlywith beer (including ales, such as stouts, or lagers, such as pilsners), into which distilled alcohol (like vodka, gin, rum, tequila, etc.) or other drink mixer is combined.”
"The distinction between a beer cocktail and a cocktail with beer are the relative amounts of the various alcohols. In a beer cocktail, the beer product is the primary alcohol by volume compared to the distilled alcohol or mixer.”
Several of the drinks listed on the beer cocktail Wikipedia page called for similar ingredients, so I thought experimenting with beer, vodka, and lemonade was a safe bet.
Skippy’s called for one part beer, one part vodka, and one part lemonade. Force and Hunch Punch are other names for this beer cocktail.
I used Bud Light ($5.39 for a six pack at Kroger), Burnett's vodka ($8.47 at Johnnie Ganem's), and Minute Maid Lemonade ($1.00 at Kroger) to make our Skippy's beer cocktails.
The first batch was heavy on the lemonade and light on the beer, as we hadn't eaten yet.
“Cheers to Skippy,” we clink beer mugs and reluctantly sip.
“It tastes like freshman year,” Rebecca says.
“Yeah, it does. You can definitely taste the vodka.”
We both agree that Skippy’s is pretty good. You can easily identify the taste of each contributing ingredient, but they actually compliment each other.
While drinking a glass of Skippy’s is just as pleasant as drinking a glass of unaltered lemonade, don’t be deceived. This beer cocktail is strong, and if you don’t drink it slowly you will feel its effects.
Fortunately the lasagna was ready by the time we finished our drinks.
After we ate, I made a second batch of Skippy’s. This time Rebecca suggested I use more beer and less lemonade and I think it improved the taste.
By the third and fourth rounds, we were running low on vodka, so Skippy’s became more of a beer and lemonade drink. We thought we found the perfect ratio, but maybe we just stopped caring.
