How To Make A Black Velvet Cocktail Irish Drinks Tutorial

If you're looking for a simple, yet impressive cocktail, then a Black Velvet made with Guinness and champagne may be just what you need.

You might not be able to recreate the velveteen atmosphere of a trendy cocktail lounge, but you can certainly make one tasty drink!

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This tutorial shows you how to make a Black Velvet Cocktail, a mix of champagne and Guinness stout.

Origins of the Black Velvet Cocktail

This cocktail which is nowadays viewed as an Irish mix, was originally created in London. Its origins are linked to the time when Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, died of typhoid fever in 1861.

A steward at the Brooks’s Club in London supposedly combined the black stuff or Guinness with champagne, since he believed the whole country should be in mourning the death of Queen Victoria's husband, including the champagne. The dark stout was a somber addition to the light and sparkling champagne usually served at the club.

This unlikely combination was enjoyed by the Prince Consort's mourners at the Brook's Club, and was named after the black armbands they wore on their upper arms as a sign of mourning. This famous black velvet drink was born. It has been enjoyed ever since.

Ingredients for a Black Velvet

All you need for this simple cocktail are two ingredients. How easy is that.

• Guinness or stout beer
• Champagne

Substitutions and Tips

I like to use champagne for this cocktail, but you can use sparkling wine or Prosecco. Both work well.

Stout is a dark beer with a rich, coffee toned taste. Stout is made using water, barley, hops and yeast. The barley is roasted to give the stout its distinctive flavor. Guinness is the most famous stout in the world.

Porter is made with malted barley while stout is made from unmalted roasted barley.

Directions for Making A Black Velvet Beer Cocktail

This Irish mimosa is made with equal parts champagne and stout beer. Who needs orange juice when we've got Guinness!

A black velvet is usually made with Guinness, but any other stout will also work. Murphy's Stout is a good alternative to Guinness.

Ratio of Guinness to Champagne

One part Guinness to one part champagne - the ratio is as simple as that. The exact amount you need of each liquid is dependent on the size of the cocktail glasses you use.

Two bottles of Guinness and a bottle of champagne should yield a minimum of four cocktails.

A good black velvet consists of three beautiful layers that look best when the drink is made in a tall champagne flute.

You can use any glass you wish, but the taller the glass the more visible the cocktail layers will be.

The bottom layer consists of a base of dark stout. This is topped off with a layer of light champagne or sparkling wine. The third and final layer is a thin foamy head, that glistens on top of the cocktail.

This frothy head is different to the creamy layer usually created on top of a pint of Guinness.

The first step to making a good black velvet is to pour the Guinness into the cocktail glass first.

Half fill the glass. In order to limit the two liquids from mixing together, the secret is to pour the champagne on top of the Guinness over the back of a spoon.

Don't overfill the glass. You don't want there to be an overspill. Using a spoon to control the flow of the champagne decreases the risk of overspill.

Recipe Card for Black Velvet Cocktail

Here's the printable recipe card for this popular Irish cocktail.

This cocktail is perfect for brunch menus, and for celebrating special holidays such as New Year's Eve and Saint Patrick's Day.

I also think it's a good grown-up drink for Halloween parties, especially because of it's dark coloring, plus it's a shoutout to the Irish origins of Halloween.

Do you have a favorite Irish drink or cocktail?

Here are a few of my favorite Irish drinks so you can become your own bartender.

• Irish hot whiskey
• Irish coffee
• Scalteen

Thanks for checking out my Irish drinks tutorial.