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Cocktail History
The Hot Ale Flip is a beer cocktail that was created in the late 1600s, making it one of the first known mixed drinks. This version by author Jassy Davis and published in her book Winter Warmers: 60 Cosy Cocktails for Autumn & Winter uses the classic’s template of ale, rum, brown sugar syrup, and egg, but it adds a hint of sweet citrus juice and grated nutmeg for more fall flavor and complexity.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Brown Ale: This is a type of beer made in England with hops, malts, yeast, and water. We used Breckenridge Brewery Autumn Ale because it has a full-bodied malt flavor with notes of nut. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Celestial Sin Non-Alcoholic Brown Ale in place of the beer.
Dark Rum: This is a type of rum made with sugarcane, spices, and water that has been barrel aged for an extended period of time. We used Ron Cihuatán 8 Year Indigo Rumbecause it has sweet notes of vanilla, dark chocolate, coffee, hazelnut, and artisanal dulce de leche. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Caleño Non-Alcoholic Dark & Spicy Tropical Spirit in place of the rum.
Demerara Syrup: This is a sweetener made with Demerara sugar and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Egg White & Yolk: This is both the clear liquid and yellow portion in an egg. We used fresh egg white and yolk because they add a rich, silky smooth texture.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. We used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Grated Nutmeg: This is a spice made from the seed of a nutmeg tree. We used whole nutmeg from the bulk section at our local grocery store.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Saucepan: This is used to warm the ingredients. We used the Cuisinart 3-Quart Stainless Steel Saucepan with Cover.
Spoon: This is used to stir the ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips Silicone Spoon.
Ladle: This is used to transfer the drink to cups. We used the OXO Good Grips Silicone Everyday Ladle.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Grater: This is used to grate spices or citrus peel. We used the OXO Good Grips Grater.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2024-10-14.
Tasting Notes
The Hot Ale Flip teases a nutmeg aroma and begins with a thick, malty flavor distinctly comprised of sugar-sweetened ale with a tinge of funk from the rum before finishing with a caramel-like and spirituous aftertaste with the warm beer’s unmistakable malted flavor.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Our opinions of this one were fairly similar, with both of us enjoying and respecting the recipe for what it is, but neither of us expect to crave the Hot Ale Flip again, mostly because heated egg and beer is somewhat of a lukewarm concept for us.
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“I was excited to try my first hot flip recipe. I’ve known about the template’s history for a while, but we had yet to try it until this cocktail landed on our calendar this fall. I’ll be honest, I found it tasty, but it wasn’t my favorite. That’s because I already don’t care much for beer cocktails though, and heating it up didn’t fix that for me. The mix of rum, citrus, and egg into the malty beverage was an interesting experience, but I don’t think I’d whip this up again… at least not until I come to enjoy ale a bit more. Granted, I’ve also recently discovered I’m likely allergic to hops, so that might never happen. If you like beer though, this is worth a try!”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Winter Warmers: 60 Cosy Cocktails for Autumn & Winter by Jassy Davis.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2024-10-14.
Hot Ale Flip
The Hot Ale Flip is a beer cocktail that was created in the late 1600s, making it one of the first known mixed drinks. This version by author Jassy Davis and published in her book Winter Warmers: 60 Cosy Cocktails for Autumn & Winter uses the classic’s template of ale, rum, brown sugar syrup, and egg, but it adds a hint of sweet citrus juice and grated nutmeg for more fall flavor and complexity.
Ingredients
Method
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Add beer, rum, rich Demerara syrup, lemon juice, egg white, and egg yolk to a saucepan.
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Cook over medium high heat for 5-7 minutes while stirring until warmed through.
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Pour into a beer mug.
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Garnish with grated nutmeg.
