BoomerGirl Diary

As we warm up for this summer, I can't help but think about last year's party scene.

The end of the summer brought scorching heat and the last party of the season.

The bash took place at photographer Steve's house and I arrived with sangria and salmon cakes.

Boy, was it hot! The sangria helped, but it was still at least 90 degrees as the party wore on.

Enter Courtney with the perfect cool-down cocktail: the Pink Panty Pulldown!

Once we got over the name, we sank into the couch and sucked it up. A mixture of pink lemonade, vodka and beer, it was thirst-quenching, and it had a real kick. "They sneak up on you," says Courtney's aunt.

It had me thinking of beer in a whole new light. Usually I'm not much of a beer drinker, although I grew up on Corona and lime before everybody else discovered it.

But mixing things into beer to zip it up can be really smart. You get the thirst-quenching properties of the suds, combined with new flavors to keep things interesting. Sometimes spirits are added to fortify the drink and turn it into a whole new animal.

Not really new

Messing with your brew has been going on since colonial times, when Yanks added gin, eggs, spices and sugar to beer and mixed it by pouring it back and forth between two pitchers, hence its name: Flip.

In Britain and Canada, there are still a few popular and simple beer cocktails served in any pub. The most common is a half and half, or Black and Tan — that's Stout mixed with pale ale. Or a Black Velvet: Stout mixed with champagne.

Another is a lager and lime. The bartender puts a very small amount of Rose's Lime Juice in the bottom of the mug. It gives the drink a citrus-y lift.

There are also Boilermakers — that's beer and a whiskey shot chaser. Drop the shot into the glass and it's a Depth Charge.

Some other interesting traditional drinks include the Shandy (ale and ginger ale), which can be traced to the 17th century, according to thatsthespirit.com. Then there's the Snakebite: beer and cider. Not sweet apple cider, but alcoholic cider, which is much drier.

According to allaboutbeer.com, another twist on beer additives is catching on in the U.K.: lager and cassis, called the Liverpool Kiss. They say it's "vile purple in color," but no uglier I'm sure than beer with a Jaeger shot Depth Charge. In Japan, they drink beer and cola (called a Broadway), and that would be pretty unsightly, too.

Get juiced

Many domestic beers have such a mild flavor they mix well with lots of ingredients, particularly juices. Beer and tomato juice has always been popular, and beer and citrus is magic.

There are many recipes for beer and juice. Dark beer and orange juice? That's a Bee Sting.

The traditional version of the Pink Panty is made with regular lemonade. It's called Skip and Go Naked.

At my old gym, a hangout for middle-aged women who did more yakking and trading recipes than actual sweating, there were always new recipes exchanged for Beergaritas. That's beer mixed with margarita mix and other ingredients like vodka or tequila.

A hot new property is known as a Michelada. That's a Mexican cocktail that's loosely translated as "my cold one." It's beer in an ice-filled glass with lemon juice, soy sauce, Tabasco and Worcestershire. Sometimes a shot of tequila caps it off.

Mix and match

So you've got a beer bar with all kinds of cocktail ingredients at your party, or maybe you've just rolled out a batch of Pink Panty.

What do you serve it with?

Just about anything that goes with brewskis will go with your cocktails. Old standbys would include pretzels, popcorn, salted peanuts — wouldn't chili lime peanuts be great with Micheladas?

A tray of cold cuts is a classic and so is pizza or barbecue. This would be a great opportunity to serve any of your favorite cuisines that are difficult to pair with wines, like Mexican or Indian.

Just make sure you're not going too upscale! The drinks are casual and fun and the food shouldn't be a buzz kill. Nachos? Yeah! Crepes and Beef Wellington? No way!

Pink Panty Pulldown

½ gallon vodka (Your choice)

12 cans of beer (Your favorite, lite is OK)

4 (12-ounce) cans of pink lemonade concentrate (do NOT add water)

Throw the above ingredients into a large punch bowl or class containers with spouts.

Add ice and enjoy.

Note: You could also make it with regular lemonade concentrate, but then it's called "Skip and Go Naked."

(Source: Courtney Croitori)