In this version of a Boilermaker, a shot glass of whiskey is dropped right into the beer glass, producing a Depth Charge.

Beer 'cocktails'

But as with wines and whiskeys, beers have long been blended to balance flavors, to mask unfavorable characteristics, or to create something wholly new that is greater than the sum of its parts. Kihm Winship writes about the practice in the March issue of All About Beer Magazine. Here are a few of the concoctions he discusses:

Flip
(A popular drink in Colonial American)

A single serving began with two quarts of beer and a half-pint of gin, to which were added four beaten eggs and four ounces of sugar. The mixture was poured back and forth from one pitcher to another to make it foam, then served in a large (!) glass and topped with nutmeg. Flip could also be mulled with a red-hot iron poker (a loggerhead) from the fireplace, creating an agreeably burnt flavor, and then topped with rum.

Broadway

In Japan, beer and cola is known as a Broadway, a mix that has enjoyed popularity with young professionals. Other beer-based treats for those with the yen to try them include the Caribbean Night, which is beer and coffee liqueur, and the South Wind, beer and melon liqueur. The Japanese also enjoy a Red Eye, beer and tomato juice, but that is a fairly universal combination also known as Tomato Beer, a Red Rooster, and, when hit with Tabasco sauce, a Ruddy Mary.

Shandy & Snakebite

In England, two traditional although somewhat passŽ beer blends are Shandy, ale mixed with ginger beer, and Lager and Lime, a light lager with lime juice. A twist on the latter, which is currently turning heads in the United Kingdom, is Lager and Blackcurrent. According to Newcastle-upon-Tyneâs Lindsay Marshall, it is a vile purple in color, equally vile in taste, but everyone looks at you when you order it, thus saving time in the initial stages of the mating process. Snakebite, a mix of beer and cider, is said to speed inebriation, but it is open to debate whether the added velocity is worth the taste. A special version of Snakebite is Guinness stout and Woodpecker cider, known to those with the courage to order it aloud as a Black Pecker.

Boilermaker

The Boilermaker, a shot of whiskey in a glass of beer, gained its popularity at bars adjoining factories where a lot of alcohol needed to be sucked up in a short time. The Depth Charge -- a shot glass of whiskey dropped right into the beer glass -- was no doubt invented by a clever dentist.

Skip and Go Naked

The American fraternity party classic is made with beer, lemon juice and gin, and a dash of grenadine for color. (Imagine the drinkâs color without the grenadine.) Tom Tiemann, today a professor of economics, notes that to be authentic, this undergraduate classic should be made in a clean garbage can and mixed with a ski pole. "This was a great punch to have with a band. Somebody doing Motown covers and a lot of Skip and Goâs it was 19-year-old heaven."

Micro mixes

Judy Ashworth, publican of Lyonâs Brewery of Dublin, CA, is a pioneer and perhaps the leading alchemist in the blending of microbrewed beers to produce combinations the brewers, as talented as they are, never dreamed of. And the names of her creations are as romantic and evocative as the drinks themselves. Imagine "A Foggy Night in the Sierras," a blend of Anchorâs Old Foghorn and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Prepare to get "Lost in the Orchard Again," with Pyramid Apricot Ale and Old Foghorn. For the holidays, consider a "Drunken Turkey," a blend of Foghorn and Cranberry Ale from San Andreas Brewing in Hollister, CA. Or brace yourself for "The Ultimate Hop Head Ale," Sierra Nevada Bigfoot in the same glass with Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, a wildly hoppy blend available only in January when both are on tap. Ashworthâs patriotic creation, "Paul Revereâs Last Ride," three quarters Liberty Ale and one quarter OldFoghorn, has gained national popularity and is also referred to as a "Foggerty."

"You just have to be very careful," Ashworth says, "that you respect the two beers and that their flavors enhance one another." For example, with "Anchorâs Aweigh," a splash of Old Foghorn tops off a pint of Anchor Wheat Beer. Riding on a lemon wheel, the darker barley wine swirls gracefully down through the pale beer, like the first tendrils of fog rolling onto San Francisco Bay, and imparts just the right touch of flavor on its way. For those with a sweet tooth, Ashworthâs Raspberry Stout starts with a small amount of Raspberry Ale carefully topped with an Imperial Stout; as the ale rises through the stout, it is said to taste just like a raspberry chocolate truffle.