All You Need To Turn Beer Into A Cocktail Is A Splash Of Grenadine

Can't decide between a beer and a cocktail? Luckily, you don't have to because there's a wide range of beer cocktail recipes out there that combine the best of both worlds. You may already be familiar with the Michelada, a beer-based version of the classic Bloody Mary that swaps in your favorite brew for vodka. Well, there's another beer cocktail named after yet another Mary that's even easier to make, with just two ingredients: the Queen Mary. 

All you need to add to your beer is a splash of grenadine, a sweet and tart syrup made from pomegranate juice that will turn the resulting mixture a reddish pink and lend a fruity sweetness that cuts through the bitterness of most beers. Said to have been named after Mary of Teck, the consort of King George V of the United Kingdom, the Queen Mary cocktail is considered a North American drink, insofar as its name is concerned, since the drink is more commonly known as a Tango in certain parts of Europe, such as in France and Belgium.

How much grenadine to add to your Queen Mary will depend on how sweet you want the resulting beer cocktail to be, with some recipes calling for as little as 1 to 2 teaspoons and others calling for up to a shot's worth, or 1.5 ounces. You can use your choice of beer, but lighter options such as lagers, pilsners, and blond beers typically work well. Some people like to use Corona beer specifically, in which case it's sometimes referred to as a Candy Corona. 

You can mix the beer and grenadine in a pint glass or add the grenadine directly to a bottle of beer. Whatever you choose, be sure to serve the drink very cold by chilling both components ahead of time. If you don't have any grenadine on hand, it's really easy to make your own using this simple grenadine recipe with just three ingredients. Or, for a tangier version, swap out the pomegranate juice for cranberry juice. The beauty of making your own grenadine is that you'll avoid the sickly sweet and largely artificially flavored grenadine typically available commercially. 

Garnish your cocktail with a maraschino cherry, or swap them out for Luxardo or Amarena cherries instead. If you are ordering a Queen Mary at a bar, be aware that several other cocktails also bear the name, including a gin-based cocktail and a Cognac-based cocktail, so it might be best to specify the version that you want by describing it as a beer with a bit of grenadine.