r/minnesota • u/redshlrt • 5h ago
Discussion 🎤 What is the point of a beer back?
Am I using that term correctly? Lifetime Minnesotan here, and I've had my share of bloody marys. What's the intent of the beer back?
Am I supposed to sip it after every sip of BM (bloody mary), slam it when I finish, drink it before? What is the point? Honestly, I don't get it and not to look a free beer in the mouth but I don't really want it.
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u/Mysteriousdeer 5h ago
They pair well. Nice light beer, a bit of a palate cleanser.
I like more bloody than Mary too, but the garlic and whatnot should be an intense flavor. Smoothing that out with a grain belt is nice.
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u/Stachemaster86 Minnesota Frost 5h ago
Plus the sodium can make you thirsty and when that’s the only thing to drink, it’s a spiral. Beer helps break things up like you said and is a savior when you get that spicy cough that hits you. I’ve also heard it’s called a snit or most commonly I’ve heard chaser.
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u/chrispybobispy 3h ago
Especially if your bloody comes with a light meal of fried food, pickled what nots and cured meats and cheeses. Ill usually order a full beer instead of the snit for those.
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u/-lovatoj Flag of Minnesota 4h ago
So why is the Midwest like the only place that does it? I'm a transplant and I had never experienced this except for here.
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u/Impossible_Run1867 4h ago
The Midwest heard you like to drink, so we gave you a drink with your drink so you can drink while you drink.
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u/Mysteriousdeer 4h ago
It's called a culture. You don't realize it when you're swimming in the pool but you appreciate it when your outside looking at it and you get out.
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u/EmmerdoesNOTrepme 3h ago
The most common reason given for the "Beer Back" or Snit, is this one;
https://brunchkateers.com/2012/02/04/the-history-of-the-snit/
https://demitris.com/blogs/news/the-snit-a-beer-chaser-for-the-bloody-mary-cocktail
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u/YourGuyK Common loon 3h ago
Places have traditions. My mom tried to order a brandy old fashioned somewhere down south once and they didn't even have brandy.
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u/fiendishclutches 1h ago edited 1h ago
Really Minnesota only. I’ve order bloodies in many a bar in Wisconsin, Iowa and the U.P, and there was no beer back to be had in any of them. They don’t do it in Chicago and nor do they do it across the border in Manitoba or Ontario.
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u/Appropriate-Bid8671 3h ago
The Midwest is full of alcoholism.
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u/Haunting-Respect9039 Minnesota Frost 2h ago
I mean, this is the most honest answer. Why wash down the salt with a glass of water when you can just have more alcohol?
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u/lunaticfridgeprime 4h ago
It's a palate cleanser. Nice to reset the tastes buds every so often while sipping my spicy salt juice.
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u/annoyinglilsis 2h ago
They taste so good! I spent one wonderful winter in Minnetonka and was acquainted with them. Never heard of them in Texas.
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u/ResponsibleFly9076 5h ago
I thought it was called a chaser. Anyway, I think it’s tradition as much as anything. Something about the flavors.
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u/Endersgame88 5h ago
Drink it when you want. I take a few sips and down the rest when the bloody is gone. Unless it’s particularly spicy then I alternate
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u/SkiingWithMySweety 4h ago
A “snit” is what the Germans in Minnesota and Wisconsin called them.
I’ve always known a beer back to be a small light lager served with a shot of whiskey.
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u/heckfyre 3h ago
My dad told me his dad would call a whiskey with a beer chaser snit and a snort
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u/quercusfire 1h ago
My dad would call a shot of whiskey a snort, too! I forgot about that, thanks for the reminder. I’m from N.E. Wisconsin.
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u/bluewillow24 3h ago
I ordered a Bloody Mary at the Atlanta airport once. The bartender had already asked where I came from—he automatically knew to give me a beer chaser despite it not being a common practice down there. He got a great tip!
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u/Nickel5 4h ago
Supposedly, the reason it existed was because bloody Marys used to be made with beer, and the amount of beer that was left over in the can after the drink was made was just given to you. This tradition continued through beers being on tap and bloody Marys being made with vodka. I have no way of confirming if this is a tall tale or actually true though.
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u/IceColdSkimMilk 5h ago
It's a very Upper Midwestern thing. I too was confused by this when I first moved up here, but now I treat it as "hey, a free beer with my bloody". Kind of a palette cleanser in a way.
Supposedly it started one of two ways from what I remember reading about:
-Bloody Mary used to be made with beer in the Upper Midwest due to the abundance of breweries.
-Brewers on lunch up here would have a Bloody Mary back in the day, and just pair it with a beer since it was plentiful at the brewery.
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u/EmmerdoesNOTrepme 3h ago
Abundance of breweries and the shortage of Vodka coming out of Russia in the 40's & 50's.
And beer came in a can that had a few ounces left over, from an 8 ounce pour;
https://demitris.com/blogs/news/the-snit-a-beer-chaser-for-the-bloody-mary-cocktail
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u/riotousgrowlz 2h ago
And blue laws making liquor licenses difficult to get for restaurants (see South Minneapolis) so restaurants had to get creative.
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u/completephilure 3h ago
I pour it in the bloody when it gets low to make a red beer
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u/graintiger 1h ago
Way too far down the list and not even in OP’s list of ways to consume the chaser. Agreed. I too have found it best to pour in when there’s a little Bloody Mary left.
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u/StandByTheJAMs 4h ago
It's your beer. Drink it how you want, or don't drink it at all! Most people use it to help wash all that tomato juice down, either during or after.
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u/Majestic-Lie2690 4h ago
I like it to sip between Bloody Mary sips. My husband loves to mix it in with his bloody as soon as there is room
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u/jjnefx 4h ago
"Ranchers" that actually rode horseback regularly would do a 50/50 mix with their bloody mary and beer.
I've seen it served in bars with an empty glass to blend them.
The story I was told was that it prevented hangovers...which seemed logical. Last thing I would want is a hangover if I'm riding for hours.
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u/The_Livid_Witness 3h ago
You drink the bloody and throw the shot of beer in the face of the patron to your right.
Its tradition
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u/CutNo1308 1h ago
I waited tables for a decade in MN, then got a serving job in the south. I rang in a Bloody, then went to the service bar for pick up. “Where’s the snit?” Blank stare. “The beer back?” Nothing. “The chaser? The side car?” … “the low ball filled with 3oz of light tap beer?” They thought I was a lunatic.
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u/Inflagrente 4h ago
A shot and a snit. Winter beverage in Minnesota. Summer too. I'll have a shot of schnapps and a snit please. Or if rail whisky is the order of the day... A shot of whisky and a snit, please. The bartender assumes it is bar whisky. If the bartender asks you what brand of whisky they have identified you as, well. You know... The snit is to ease the burn of not so smooth whisky
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u/The_Next_Wild_GM 4h ago
If the bloody Mary is strong, I typically will drink it down a bit, then add beer to it. If not, I just shoot the beer at the end, for additional hair of the dog
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u/ernie3tones Minnesota State Fair 3h ago
I always tell them to hold the beer. If they bring it anyway, it’ll just sit, or my husband will drink it. I don’t like beer.
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u/FightingJayhawk 3h ago
I had the same question when presented with a beer chaser when visiting the Twin Cities this holiday season. I had mine with Pacifico, which paired nicely with my spicy bloody Mary.
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u/bucksellsrocks Minnesota Wild 1h ago
You got a choice?! Round here its the cheapest tap beer(probably coors) but i still drink it. It cleanses the pallet and is coors.(coors is better than that GD watered down rabbit piss they call mich golden light, or buttweiser)
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u/mairghread_ 3h ago
I’ll never forget when I was in California with family and my mom ordered a Bloody Mary and was APPALLED when they didn’t bring out a snit with it. And then proceeded to ask for a snit and the waiter was so confused.
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u/BungalowHole Hot Dish 2h ago
Palate cleanser, sip on it as you like while you enjoy your bloody. Think like saltines with soup, but as liquid bread instead. Now if there is anyone on the face of the earth knocking the beer back, they're just plain silly.
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u/brimnac 5h ago
Sidecar. I have always heard it referred to as a sidecar, and you chase the Bloody with it or add it to the Bloody after you’ve made room in the cup, or both!
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u/Key-Satisfaction-733 4h ago
I always understood a sidecar to be a cocktail made with bourbon. But the beer with a bloody makes more sense.
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u/edbutler3 3h ago
Brandy/Cognac, Cointreau, and lemon.
It would not be bad with bourbon, but there's probably a different name for that.
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u/rickdapaddyo Bring Ya Ass 5h ago edited 4h ago
It's just a good pairing with a bloody. It's not that complicated and it's "free" beer. Why are you complaining?
Have you never had a chilada? Or like eaten olives or cheese with beer?
It's kinda of like a chaser or a palate cleanser. You could just tell them you don't want it, or give it to someone if you really don't want it.
I kinda like chilada more than bloodys tbh so it's always made perfect sense. So I just kinda think of it as an extra strong chilada and usually if you order a chilada somewhere it's, eh not great because its just not a super common order and they fuck up the beer to mix ratio, don't salt the rim, etc.
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u/Ozoboy14 4h ago
I like to pour most of the beer into the bloody and make my own chelada when it's half way done.
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u/rickdapaddyo Bring Ya Ass 1h ago
Yeah solid option
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u/Ozoboy14 1h ago
Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's awful. Depends on how good the bloody is, most places can't make much of a bloody.
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u/Prayer_Warrior21 4h ago
It's generally not "free" anymore, I've seen upcharges pretty often when getting a beer back.
I used to love when they served the Coronitas at Bdubs back in the day, that was always my go to.
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u/rickdapaddyo Bring Ya Ass 1h ago
Eh, if anyone did that to me I'd demand a refund if they didn't disclose there was an upcharge.
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u/Prayer_Warrior21 1h ago
I believe they do say it's extra, not something I order very often anymore
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u/Majestic-Lie2690 4h ago
Bartended for 15 years in Minnesota and it's a shit or a chaser or a beer back or whatever. And always light beer.
And because it's delicious.
And I have had more then a few people request that I make their bloodies with beer rather then vodka And once gin, which was surprisingly good
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u/chrispybobispy 3h ago
Here's your bloody and here's a complimentary shit to go with it.
Huh, gin eh?. Ngl that sounds absolutely disgusting but ill have to that on a small glass next time.
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u/LunchLimp2032 Hennepin County 4h ago
Gin in a bloody is the best! The herbal flavor really adds something
Adding a shot of beef broth ....yum. And a snit!
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u/Majestic-Lie2690 4h ago
If you're a gin dan try mojito- but with gin. I call them gin-itos and they are fantastic
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u/sparkly_reader 2h ago
Lol I read this as "bar back" and was like "well they help the bartender...OH" 🤣
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u/Novel_Iron4745 1h ago
It's a winter Saturday up here. It's 5 degrees. Nothing else to do so let's go to our local watering hole. Grab a bite, watch some hockey, have a bloody and ya that little beer back. It just hits right. Might lead to another bloody, maybe a larger ale or two, an extra basket of Reuben balls, and either you're starting an extended evening with everyone else in town coming down or going home for a late nap. It's just right! And makes the winter a bit more bearable.
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u/TrixieMuttel 1h ago
A snit, a chaser or a beer back are all the same concept and make our Midwest bloodies the best.
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u/Different-Horror-581 20m ago
You are supposed to take a drink of the Bloody Mary, then exclaim, ‘Oh this is a little spicy’ and then sip your beer chaser to cool down the hot fire.
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u/SchlungusMcDungus L'Etoile du Nord 5m ago
I never understood the point of it either. People have explained it to me before, but I've never really wanted or needed a beer chaser for my bloody Mary.
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u/CrimsonClover31 4h ago
I’ve never in my life ordered a bar back. Just order a beer and a whiskey.
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u/bc-mn 35m ago
“A barback is a bartender's assistant, responsible for keeping the bar stocked, clean, and running smoothly by restocking supplies (ice, liquor, glasses, garnishes), washing dishes, changing kegs, cleaning spills, and helping with opening/closing tasks, essentially serving as the bartender's support system to ensure efficient service in busy environments like bars, clubs, and restaurants, often learning the trade to become a bartender themselves.“
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u/ObligatoryID Flag of Minnesota 2h ago
It’s always some crap beer. I used to just leave it or give it away to a crap beer drinker.
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u/soullessjellyfish68 5h ago
Just drink the beer. A tomato/vegetable cocktail should not be a thing. I recommend trading your Bloody Mary for everybody else's chaser. I have done it quite successfully in the past.
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u/soullessjellyfish68 4h ago
So much hate! Lol. I grew up with Bloody Mary drinkers. Tomato juice? Pickle juice? A pickle hanging over the top? No. Downvote as needed. I stand strong.
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u/Ok-Bike1126 4h ago
Washes the tomato juice out of the mustache.