Beeramos: Lord of the Creamsicle
This is a riff on a Ramos gin fizz for my submission to the @homebarawards challenge this month. My mind quickly went to alternatives to soda for the bubbles as a starting point. I love beer in cocktails, and it led me to the awesome word combo of Beer + Ramos = Beeramos. This name evoked regal, epic, almost mythical-like qualities to me, thus the ridiculous(ly awesome) full title.
I chose a local cream ale as my anchor point— a malty, smooth, low-abv thirst-quencher— and paired it with the classic orange creamsicle flavor profile. The base uses a lighter bourbon with genever, adding to the malty depth but retaining some of the OG gin botanicals that go nicely with the orange. The citrus here is (duh) orange juice, adjusted with citric acid (I used 3.5g acid / 100g juice, mix of clementine + Cara Cara). The sweetness comes from orange liqueur and Licor 43, which works perfectly here for its heavy vanilla flavor and citrusy leanings. Lastly, there is a hint of chocolate via bitters, which serves as the subtle-but-defining focal point analogous to the orange flower water in the OG.
This drink is absolutely delicious. It reads unmistakably as orange creamsicle, with an incredible malty depth. It’s boozy, but balanced, rich but refreshing. The chocolate is easy to overlook (the point is subtlety), but it pokes its head out just enough in between drinks to be noticed.
Recipe
1oz bourbon (I recommend a lighter option like @penelopebourbon, gifted)
1oz Genever (@bolscocktailsusa )
0.75oz Acidified orange juice
0.5oz Cointreau
0.5oz Licor 43
0.5oz Cream
1 dash chocolate bitters (@scrappysbitters, gifted)
1 large egg white
Cream ale (@eurekaheights Buckle Bunny)
Happy to discuss detailed process but the simple version: dry shake, long wet shake (1 large and 2 small cubes), pour over 2-3oz beer, then top with more beer for the magical lift. Garnish with a (optional but awesome) lemon thyme laurel. Cheers!!
