Spirits: Pabstmosa

I've been into beer cocktails ever since I did research for a recent column. In that piece, I made the case that they had finally moved beyond such rudimentary, rough examples as the Boilermaker (that would be a shot of cheap whiskey dropped into beer). The Oranj-a-Bloom, from Rachel Sergi at Againn, for instance, is a world away from the old-time beer cocktail.

But just last week in Louisville, I ran into one that may have set back the beer cocktail movement just a little: the Pabstmosa.

Yes, that would be a mimosa made with Pabst Blue Ribbon beer instead of sparkling wine. As if a mimosa, the scourge of brunch, wasn't already bad enough. Yes, hipsters, you now have a morning cocktail to call your very own.

Actually, it was my new friend Matthew Rowley, a food historian and author of "Moonshine!," who introduced me to the Pabstmosa, which I ordered during a very strange last night in Kentucky. On his blog, Rowley's Whiskey Forge, he tells the hilarious tale of how he was introduced to the Pabstmosa by a woman named Deb, who ordered the concoction even though the bartender pleaded with her not to do so.

Rowley writes: "Deb assures me that Pabstmosas are good any time of day. I’m glad to have ordered one. I’m glad for the subsequent conversations it sparked in which I learned about Arkansas martinis and Monkeywrench martinis (beers with an olive or a maraschino cherry, respectively). I was even glad to see the same bartender serving more later that night. But mostly? Mostly, I’m glad that’s the last Pabstmosa I’ll ever order."

-- Jason Wilson (Follow me on Twitter.)

Pabstmosa
1 serving

From Matthew Rowley, author of "Moonshine!" (Lark, 2007).

12 ounces Pabst Blue Ribbon beer
4 ounces orange juice

Pour the beer into a large glass, and top with the orange juice.

Per serving: 210 calories, 0 g protein, 25 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 10 g sugar