Talk:Snakebite (drink)

message: Anyone know why it's called 'snakebite'?
: Probably because of the head-splitting hangover induced by mixing beer and cider alcohol. You won't die, but you may wish you were dead. --Tony Sidaway|Talk 23:05, 22 Jan 2005 (UTC)
replies: text:  Probably because (I think), the poison you suck out of a snake bite (or at least the majority of them) is the same colour (roughly) as the drink. Hence "snakebite". I might be completely wrong, but I remember having been told that.(128.243.220.21 12:18, 17 February 2007 (UTC)
replies: text:  For one, there is no physiological difference between the consumption of beer and cider together and individually.  Second, you can't "suck the poison" out of a snakebite, this is a silly myth perpetuated by old Westerns.  The name most likely arises either just because its a good name for a drink, or perhaps because the sweetness of the drink causes people to drink more and therefore end up with a hangover. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Philvarner (talk • contribs) 01:34, 18 February 2007 (UTC)

text: I heard tell, an apparently origin story from my dad..I had a quick look on search engines, and I can't find other instances of it;
he told me about a man who had the snakebite drink in a flask - when asked why it's called snakebite, he said it was a cure against snakebites.
When he was asked, "so why are you drinking it now?", he would point at his pouch, and pull a snake out.
I'm not sure if he made it up, or if it's an old tale he heard. To me, it sounds like something in the tale is missing; but at the same time, it's not much of a joke. 143.159.104.70 (talk) 18:16, 6 August 2016 (UTC)
thread_title: Name

message: Here it says that Snakebite with black is sometimes called the poor man's Black Velvet, but Black velvet is Stout (generally Guiness) with champagne, with Poor man's Black velvet being Stout with Cider. If no one opposes, I'm editing the page. this is jut an explanation why I'm changing it. And could people try to use the ~~~~ four tildes please, it was confusing reading that all just now. Jacobshaven3 04:03, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: No opposition here. I read that and wondered about it, too. Not wanting to make a bad situation worse, I left it alone (I know nothing about the drink). Since you seem interested in the topic, I'd encourage you to join the WikiProject Cocktails, or at least read and comment in the talk area. Thanks! --Willscrlt 04:16, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
replies: text:  Futher expanded this definition  Philvarner 08:33, 9 February 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Black Velvet comment 

message: I have added this commentary in as I was a student in London and Scotland from 1987 to 1992.  The Green Monster is half a lager, half a cider and a shot (or two) of Blue Curaçao in a pint glass.
I have drunk this in Gibraltar, London, Dundee, Edinburgh and various other places I can and cannot remember.
The Scottish had not heard of this so I assume it must be a drink invented elsewhere.
Part of the enjoyment of the Green Monster was the fact that the half lager/cider mix was yellow(ish) and Blue Curaçao is the most wonderful blue colour.
However, when the Blue Curaçao enters the pint glass, it turns green.  This is amazing in itself.
From what I remember it tasted vaguely like mouthwash but after 2 or 3 of these you just didn't care.
Here's to re-kindling the memories (or not) of the Green Monster!
=============================================================================
Since there has been no citation added I removed the text. As well as no citation, I personally have been to uni's in the north and south of england and have never heard of Green monster, and when I checked online I only could find cocktails called Green Monster, never a snakebite mixer (I found one on google.com, but since the text described it as a British drink I used google.co.uk) Jacobshaven3 19:42, 17 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I was a student in London in the 80s. A Snakebite with Blue Curacao was called a Green Monster in our hall of residence bar. I believe the comment was correct - but obv. a citation would still be needed before reintroducing the text. Ros0709 21:51, 4 September 2007 (UTC)

text: I've come across Green Monsters (or similar names e.g. Green Nasty) in a few places; the ingredient varies but it's essentially a way of turning snakebite a more outrageous colour and masking the taste a bit, basically a variation on snakebite and black (hence the similarity in alternate names). I doubt you'll find any citations, though, as it's likely to be one of those things that either spreads by word of mouth or separate places come up with independently. It's not too hard a concept to come up with, afterall! 212.50.184.130 12:26, 11 September 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: At a student bar at my Uni (Uni of Manchester, Bar at OP) they sell a drink called Green Monster, its a shot of something blue, a bottle of tropical reef, and then topped up to a pint with cider. Barnjo (talk) 18:14, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Back when I was a Penniless Student Oaf in the 80's, the result of mixing a snakebit with a Pernod & Black was known as a Purple Nasty.Mr Larrington (talk) 14:51, 17 June 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Removal of Green Monster 

message: Since there has been no citation added I removed the text. As well as no citation, I personally have been to uni's in the north and south of england and have never heard of Green monster, and when I checked online I only could find cocktails called Green Monster, never a snakebite mixer (I found one on google.com, but since the text described it as a British drink I used google.co.uk) Jacobshaven3 19:42, 17 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I was a student in London in the 80s. A Snakebite with Blue Curacao was called a Green Monster in our hall of residence bar. I believe the comment was correct - but obv. a citation would still be needed before reintroducing the text. Ros0709 21:51, 4 September 2007 (UTC)

text: I've come across Green Monsters (or similar names e.g. Green Nasty) in a few places; the ingredient varies but it's essentially a way of turning snakebite a more outrageous colour and masking the taste a bit, basically a variation on snakebite and black (hence the similarity in alternate names). I doubt you'll find any citations, though, as it's likely to be one of those things that either spreads by word of mouth or separate places come up with independently. It's not too hard a concept to come up with, afterall! 212.50.184.130 12:26, 11 September 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: At a student bar at my Uni (Uni of Manchester, Bar at OP) they sell a drink called Green Monster, its a shot of something blue, a bottle of tropical reef, and then topped up to a pint with cider. Barnjo (talk) 18:14, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Back when I was a Penniless Student Oaf in the 80's, the result of mixing a snakebit with a Pernod & Black was known as a Purple Nasty.Mr Larrington (talk) 14:51, 17 June 2010 (UTC)
thread_title: =================================================================

message: "Popular in the North East of England, this cocktail is known as either a "Blue Mod" or an "I supported Franco in the Spanish Civil War"."
I think that second name needs some explanation. Either that, or somebody's inserted it to be random.
I'm a Southerner, so to me it could be either. WikiReaderer 22:15, 8 September 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  OK... 

message: I would like to see this article split in two. Namely "Snakebite" and "Beer cocktail". Most of the drinks listed here have absolutely nothing to do with snakebite. Perhaps we could also take some of the nonsense out of the "Black velvet" article and put it into the "Beer cocktail" article as well. Thoughts anyone? TINYMark (Talk) 19:19, 1 December 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Oops! Did I say the "black velvet" article? I meant the Guinness article :-) TINYMark (Talk) 19:21, 1 December 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Split article 

message: I was informed by a bar manager that the reason many places will not serve it is because there is a chance of a rare allergic reaction to the mixture.  He said that he had read an article in the publicans magazine about this.  Anyone got any ideas on this?  217.44.106.142 (talk) 14:36, 26 January 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Allergy? 

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thread_title: [[WP:FOOD|WikiProject Food and drink]] Tagging

message: "Snakebite and Black is the drink of choice for field hockey players and supporters, especially during hockey festivals"  Can this be sourced?  It seems like this fact is probably based on a particular locality or even an inside joke...  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.174.89.93 (talk) 16:30, 14 August 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: It's also repeated for one or two other variations including a fruit flavoured addition. Grunners (talk) 17:45, 23 September 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Field Hockey 

message: It looks like someone is editorializing here:
"Guinness & Harp
This combination is commonly known as a Half and Half or, erroneously, Black and Tan, which is made with Guinness and bitter."
Black and Tan is a perfectly legitimate name, as is discussed on the Black and Tan page (along with citations from the OED). I think it's cute that someone tried to slip a little political statement in here, but this really isn't the place. 
Agatehawk (talk) 23:56, 20 April 2009 (UTC)
thread_title: Erroneously

message: As an avid consumer of snake bite (in moderation) I'd like to say:
1) Snakebite is better with a rougher cider - it should go a milky/cloudy white when mixed with the lager.
2) Usually, It's the actions of a snakebite sozzled drinker that cause the drink to be banned in pubs.
TTFN Chunner (talk) 20:27, 18 May 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  The Drinker, Not the Drink. 

message: In New Zealand, Snakebites typically come with a dash of raspberry cordial. We wouldn't call a cider/beer mixture a Snakebite unless it had the raspberry cordial. I've only ever had UK customers ask after the blackcurrant cordial version... maybe there should be a heading for country differences?  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.60.166.226 (talk) 00:58, 18 June 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: agreed Pjaymes (talk) 23:01, 30 October 2013 (UTC)
replies: text:  Do you have a citation for the NZ version with raspberry cordial? It would be good to add this to create a more worldwide view on this page. --Pjaymes (talk) 23:35, 30 October 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  Raspberry? 

message: Every definition of "shandy" outside wikipedia defines the term as a mix of beer and a non-alcoholic beverage, usually lemonade. Therefore a snakebite, being a mix of two alcoholic beverages, cannot be a shandy. Thus the erroneous name of this page needs to be has been changed and the reference to the erroneous definition of "shandy" removed. And yes, the wikipedia page on "Shandy" also has big issues. Pjaymes (talk) 23:00, 30 October 2013 (UTC)
replies: text: Note: Page name was later changed. Snakebite (drink) is I think a suitable NPOV description, no need for debates about whether it is a beer cocktail, shandy or anything else ----Pjaymes (talk) 00:10, 18 November 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  Snakebite is NOT a shandy 

message: Rather than polluting this snakebite article with the North American Liquor/Whiskey based shooters, create a new one "Snake Bite (shooter)" and maybe we can think of something to rename this one to that's more specific than "Snakebite (drink)", we can also add a distinguish tag to both. Pjaymes (talk) 02:22, 2 February 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  Yukon liquor based drink and other variants 

message: Hello fellow Wikipedians,
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*Added archive https://web.archive.org/20130930000139/http://www.delavals.com/blog-loz-horan/1-the-snakebite-myth/ to http://www.delavals.com/blog-loz-horan/1-the-snakebite-myth/
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thread_title:  External links modified 

message: Years ago I heard that the reason some places banned it was because "the two drinks combined make long chain alcohol, which can be poisonous to some and cause anti-social behaviour".  This page says nothing about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatty_alcohol
I've drunk it many many times (drinking it now!) and have never been swayed towards anti-social behaviour.  One experience that I can share though is that myself and work colleagues discovered (while working in Wiltshire) that if you have 2-3 pints of the local cider brews (typically around 7-8% ABV) and then have 1 pint of lager or ale, the lager or ale will hit you like a brick.  There is definitely something going on.  We found it much safer to just continue drinking the cider :) Yevad (talk) 19:05, 9 May 2016 (UTC)
replies: text: Please note that the alcohol in lager and the alcohol in cider is the same substance: ethanol.  The idea that mixing the two drinks together causes a chemical reaction is absolute nonsense - you're suggesting that ethanol reacts with itself!  Firstly, ethanol doesn't react easily at room temperature (which is why bottles of wine can remain in good condition for years and years), and secondly you cannot form long chain alcohols by reacting together short chain ones, unless you went down the route of some very complex multi-stage synthesis using various catalysts and intermediates at elevated temperature.  It would require a huge amount of time, expertise and complex equipment.  In short: there is NO CHEMICAL REACTION when cider and lager is mixed.  Why does the lager or ale hit you like a brick after 2-3 pints of 7-8% cider?  Simple.  2-3 pints of 7-8% cider contains the same amount of alcohol as about 6 pints of ale.  Follow that with a further pint of ale and you've consumed the equivalent of about 7 pints worth of ale, even though you have only consumed 3 or 4 pints of liquid.  That's why you suddenly feel hammered.  If you drank 7 pints of ale, you'd feel the same way by the time you'd worked your way through no.7.  No reaction though - no reaction.  Simon (chemist, 24 years Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry)'  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.33.117.205 (talk) 07:12, 22 July 2017 (UTC)
replies: text: Thanks for clarifying that for me Simon :) Yevad (talk) 20:52, 6 April 2018 (UTC)
thread_title: Long chain alcohol