Brütül Lagerhead makes pouring black & tans more turtley

The Brütül "Lagerhead" is a little turtle-shaped device that makes pouring a perfect black & tan simple. There's not much the Lagerhead does that an inverted spoon couldn't manage, but spoons don't have integrated beer openers and stubby little legs. It's ten bucks, which isn't awful for something so unnecessary. Perhaps I'm just being nice because I like turtles.

Product Page [Brutul.com via Coolest-Gadgets]

[#1 posted by mightymouse1584 , August 11, 2008 9:28 AM]

very cool, but i wish you could get it to sit a little deeper in the glass. The further you can get that spoon to rest in there the better.

[#2 posted by Thaddeus Smith , August 11, 2008 10:15 AM]

why is it always about the black and tan? why never a mention of the black velvet (or poor man's black velvet, especially tasty with a shot of black currant)?

better distinction in the layers and the mix of a good stout with the sweet cider, or traditionally champagne, is fantastic.

*shrug*

[#3 posted by proto , August 11, 2008 11:35 AM]

Starbucks at sunrise, black & tan at sunset -- all the rest is small stuff.

[#4 posted by pork musket , August 11, 2008 2:00 PM]

@2 - I'm a fan of a good snakebite myself, although I always have to specify lager and not stout because lots of places make it with stout. But a touch of blackcurrant is indeed fantastic.

[#5 posted by Moon , August 11, 2008 2:01 PM]

You are spending $10 on something to make a beer look pretty??

I'd rather have the beer.

[#6 posted by Thaddeus Smith , August 11, 2008 6:41 PM]

nay nay ..it is not to make the beer look pretty. i tried making the cider and stout version at home and it went horribly awry, mixing in an instant. the flavor is truly different between starting the sip with a stout and ending with a cider vs. a mix of stout and cider in a single swig.

[#7 posted by pupdog , August 12, 2008 2:48 AM]

It actually sits fairly deep in the glass, for this type of tool. The video has much better shots of it in use. I DO have issue with it being named the 'lagerhead'. Charming turtle-y puns aside, lager is not part of a black and tan, that's a half and half.

$10 isn't bad, but Bass was giving away 'Bass Brollys' for free earlier this year, to jump on the St. Pat's advertising train. My favorite barkeep (A native Dubliner) and I got quite a chuckle out of that.

[#8 posted by gobo , August 12, 2008 2:49 AM]

Or go to bass.com and get the free Bass Brolly to do the same thing.

[#9 posted by Anonymous , August 12, 2008 3:56 AM]

Why would anyone pollute good stout? And bother dying beer green?

[#10 posted by Anonymous , August 12, 2008 4:18 AM]

Alas, the Brolly is now a hefty $15 for a gadget that isn't nearly as cool. No longer free -- in the US, any way.

Guinness occasionally offers a beer spoon, too.

[#11 posted by tmccartney , August 12, 2008 5:18 AM]

Black & tan = stout + (lager or ale)
Snakebite = cider + (stout or lager or ale)

[#12 posted by Anonymous , August 12, 2008 5:49 AM]

I do wish you had not referred to a Black and Tan. The term has a long an ignoble sectarian history.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_and_tans.
I make a similar drink by mixing Guinness with Boddingtons bitter. We call it a Dudchester as its two constituents are respectively from Dublin, Republic of Ireland and Manchester, England.

[#13 posted by jkpenny , August 12, 2008 5:59 AM]

I have this kit and I love it. Definitely a lot less fuss than a spoon. And the turtle's pretty sweet to boot.

[#14 posted by Halloween Jack , August 12, 2008 9:22 AM]

Yes, there are all sorts of variations.

And, yes, #12, it's a name long associated with shame, as Brütül's own site helpfully points out. That, however, didn't keep me from enjoying Ben & Jerry's Black and Tan ice cream, or from being sad when they yanked the flavor after protests regarding the name.

[#15 posted by randomcat , August 12, 2008 5:09 PM]

Huh, I looked at the picture and thought, "why would they make it look like a squirrel that's been run over by a truck?"

Then I looked at the caption and realized I had confused the head with the tail. I still think it looks more like a flattened squirrel than a turtle, though.

[#16 posted by chef , August 13, 2008 12:38 AM]

OMG BEER NERDZ RUN

[#17 posted by jonrock , August 14, 2008 2:06 PM]

Layering the beers is a clever trick to justify overcharging the tourists. If you're going to experiment with blending beer, just do it. In fact, bring a long spoon for stirring. My favorite: Sierra Nevada Pale Porter.