Ok, I'll admit it: up until now the only beer mix I've ever had came in Irish Car Bomb form (you know, Guinness and Bailey's à la Jagerbomb.) So, suffice it to say that this month's Beer Blogging Friday topic of Traditional Beer Mixes--hosted by Boak and Bailey--is a long time coming for me.

I've personally never been a fan of drinking beer concoctions, nevermind those days in my early 20's when I thought I was so cool when drinking a Flaming Dr. Pepper (a glass of beer with a flaming shot of amaretto and vodka dropped in it.) I've always thought that mixing beers was only something that bar-hands should do with the dregs in the glasses when clearing the tables. Nevertheless, I'm slowly warming up to the idea of some of these traditional beer mixes. There must be a reason why they have stood the test of time, after all.

For those of you that don't know, I'm a Yank and I've only been living in the UK for a little over two years. I'm familiar with the likes of a black-and-tan and I guess we're seeing shandies showing up Stateside but I've never heard of most of this list of mixes: Blacksmith, Mother-in-law, Granny, Boilermaker? Just sounds like a boring party to me.

Be that as it may, this blogging session gives me the nudge I need to get out there and see what all the fuss is about and to see why people feel the need to mix their beers. Without further ado, here are my--admittedly quite skeptical--observations on my first-ever beer mix (that wasn't set on fire beforehand.)

I decided that I liked the sound of this adorably-named beer mix: an old and mild ale. To create this drink I selected the Ilkley Black and Robinson's Old Tom. Considering that both beers are pretty solid representatives of their respective styles, I figured that this would give me the best opportunity to look at beer mixes objectively.

Welp. I'm not sold. I don't get the point. It doesn't taste like anything bad. It just doesn't taste like, well, anything. I guess at most it mellows the flavors and intensity of the Robinson's Old Tom. Which I suppose would be a good thing if you're an old lady that needs to drive home. I shared my Granny (!) with my co-workers and we all agree: it's not bad, it actually quite grows on you. We just don't get the point.

So there you go: I wouldn't specifically head out and order any beer mix (although I'd consider the stout-and-barleywine mix Blacksmith) but I am happy to have found a reason to give this traditional beer mix a try.

--Maggie