Black and Gold: a specialty-beer combination that encompasses both the Irish spirit of Micky’s pub and the Hawkeye spirit of Iowa City.

Primary Alcohol: Guinness and hard cider

My experience with this drink came from a late-night visit to Micky’s with some of my older friends.

The “When in Rome” adage came, as everyone in my group was ordering this classic Iowa City drink.

The initial taste of this drink was basically straight Guinness. The obvious layers of the drink could have given that away, but the progression of the drink is very pleasant. Becaused I am not much of a dark-beer drinker, it is a good way to get the flavor I so often miss out on.

Appearance: Thick black beer for the top half with a golden cider sitting beneath it.

Taste: Starts very bitter, possibly unpleasant for those who have not acquired a taste for darker beer, with a progressively sweeter taste once the beer and cider mix.

Advice: A great drink once you have already acquired the buzz of the night and want to maintain engaging in conversation with friends. Ends with pure cider, which can be misleading on whether you want another.

— by Ben Verhille