Black and tans are one of my favorite cocktails of any kind, much less a beer cocktail. I still had a couple cans of Guinness in the fridge along with a local brew from Zipline called Copper Alt. So, why not make a black and… copper.

Since I don’t have a proper spoon, it was a little messy. And of course, since it’s Cascadia Day, why not make it in my Mt. Rainier (aka Tacoma) glass? Over all, not a bad first take.

Name: Caramel Apple Cider
Style: Cider
Brewer: Glacial Till - Palmyra, NE
ABV: 5.5%
IBU: -
Rating: 4.2/5
Notes: Basically what you’d expect, which means they got it right.

Name: Bridges in the Sky
Style: IPA
Brewer: Cosmic Eye - Lincoln, NE
ABV: 6.2%
IBU: -
Rating: 4/5
Notes: Clean and citrusy.

Name: Apple Spice Gose
Style: Gose
Brewer: Crane - Raytown, MO
ABV: 4.5%
IBU: -
Rating: 4.2/5
Notes: It’s basically apple crisp in a glass.

Name: 40th Hoppy Anniversary Ale
Style: American IPA
Brewer: Sierra Nevada - Chico, CA
ABV: 6%
IBU: 65
Rating: 3.8/5
Notes: Nothing terribly exciting. A little on the dank side, but not at all overpowering.

Name: ‘19 JubelAle
Style: Winter Ale
Brewer: Deschutes - Bend, OR
ABV: 6.7%
IBU: 65
Rating: 3.8/5
Notes: Classic spiced winter ale, but not over-spiced like some. I could see this paring well with Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

Name: Chocolate Orange Porter
Style: Porter
Brewer: Thunderhead - Kearney, NE
ABV: 6%
IBU: -
Rating: 3.5/5
Notes: It’s dark chocolate more than anything else. I can smell the orange in it but I’m not really tasting it. I’m kinda bummed by that, to be honest. When you name something “chocolate orange”, I expect one of those chocolate oranges you see at Christmas time.

Name: Beer Geek Brunch
Style: Imperial Oatmeal Stout
Brewer: Mikkeller - København, Denmark
ABV: 10.9%
IBU: 25
Rating: 4.25/5
Notes: This is basically really good chocolate in a glass.

Name: Red Ale
Style: Red Ale
Brewer: Code - Lincoln, Nebraska
ABV: 6.2%
IBU: 48
Rating: 3.7/5
Notes: Definitely malty. Not a bad effort though.

Name: Witchamacallit
Style: Oatmeal Stout
Brewer: Stone Hallow - Beatrice, NE
ABV: 6.4%
IBU: 32
Rating: 4/5
Notes: It’s an oatmeal stout, but kinda sweet.

Name: Don’t Blink
Style: Pale Ale
Brewer: Belching Beaver - Vista, CA
ABV: 5%
IBU: -
Rating: 3.8/5
Notes: I could drink this for a while. A little grapefruit happening here.

Name: Permanent Saturday
Style: IPA
Brewer: White Elm - Lincoln, NE
ABV: 5.8%
IBU: -
Rating: 4/5
Notes: Plugged as a key lime pie IPA, it’s more key lime than pie. That said, it’s delicious. I want this around the home.

Name: Scoop
Style: Nitro Golden Ale
Brewer: White Elm - Lincoln, NE
ABV: 5.7%
IBU: -
Rating: 3.5/5
Notes: Easy drinking, obviously smoothed out from being nitro’d. Almost has a honey flavor on the backend.

Name: Milkshake
Style: IPA
Brewer: Left Hand - Longmont, CO
ABV: 7%
IBU: -
Rating: 4/5
Notes: Advertised as having orange and vanilla flavors, I pick up the orange more. Overall smooth.

Name: Twilight Summer Ale
Style: Pale Ale
Brewer: Deschutes - Bend, OR
ABV: 5%
IBU: 38
Rating: 4/5
Notes: Clean. A very easy drinking brew.

Name: Summer Fest
Style: Lager
Brewer: Sierra Nevada - Chico, CA
ABV: 5%
IBU: -
Rating: 3.5/5
Notes: It’s kinda dank on the nose, which I wasn’t expecting. It’s clean tasting, though the smell of it seems to pair with a slight hoppiness on the front end.

Name: Nut Crusher Peanut Butter Amber
Style: Red Ale
Brewer: Kinkader - Lincoln, NE
ABV: 5%
IBU: 23
Rating: 4.3/5
Notes: It’s a freaking peanut butter cup in a glass. First peanut butter brew I’ve had that wasn’t a stout. It’s very tasty though.

Name: Hemperor
Style: American Pale Ale
Brewer: New Belgium - Fort Collins, Colorado
ABV: 7%
IBU: 55
Rating: 4/5
Notes: I shit you not, this beer smells like Cheech & Chong’s basement. It tastes pretty good though.

Name: ’19 P.M.A.
Style: Pale Ale
Brewer: White Elm - Lincoln, Nebraska
ABV: 5.9%
IBU: -
Rating: 4/5
Notes: Just a little citrusy. Very smooth. I could see this being a good warm weather beer.

Name: All Cats Are Gray in the Dark
Style: White Stout
Brewer: Fat Orange Cat - East Hampton, Connecticut
ABV: 7.4%
IBU: 50
Rating: 3.7/5
Notes: Malty & smooth. Just slightly sweet.

Name: Tropical Pale Ale
Style: Pale Ale
Brewer: Boulevard - Kansas City, MO
ABV: 5.9%
IBU: -
Rating: 3.8/5
Notes: I had this while at the Mariners-Royals game in Kansas City. A little hoppy, but the tropical fruit flavors compliment that hoppyness well. I could see this being a nice summer day beer.

Name: Kriek
Style: Lambic - Kriek
Brewer: Boon - Lambeek, Belgium
ABV: 6%
IBU: 11
Rating: 4.5/5
Notes: This is alcoholic black cheery Kool-Aid.

Name: Key Lime Pie
Style: IPA
Brewer: Evil Twin - Brooklyn, NY
ABV: 7%
IBU: -
Rating: 4/5
Notes: I’ve had mother key lime pie beer in the past, and it was straight up what you would imagine key lime pie tasting like. This one leaned more on the key lime than the graham cracker part. It fits in well with the New England style of IPAs.

Name: Punk Lemonade
Style: Hard Cider
Brewer: B. Nektar - Ferndale, Michigan
ABV: 6.3%
IBU: -
Rating: 4/5
Notes: For being called lemonade, I pick up on the raspberry flavor of it more. A little sour, but not too much.

Name: Daaang!
Style: American IPA
Brewer: Zipline - Lincoln, Nebraska
ABV: 7.6%
IBU: 50
Rating: 3.7/5
Notes: Listed as an American IPA. I wasn’t really sure what that meant, but it appears it’s just a calm Northwest IPA, as it’s not as hoppy. That said, it’s good. I could see it as a summertime sipper.