Three cocktail experts share their go-to brews for knockoffs and beyond – and their picks might surprise you.

They say it takes a lot of beer to make great wine, but it clearly also plays a starring role in the creation of great cocktails. How? Ask any bartender for their favourite knock-off drink, and most will tell you it’s beer. And while it’s easy to assume they’re talking about niche beers brewed with obscure ingredients, that’s not always the case. At least, not if you ask Huw Griffiths of Melbourne’s Union Electric, Stefano Catino from Maybe Sammy in Sydney, or Wil Bickley from Adelaide’s Haines & Co.

These three hospo veterans know their way around a well-stocked bar and can whip up incredible cocktails on cue, but they still enjoy an ice-cold classic beer. We ask them about their post-shift picks, if these differ to their choices for other times, the venues where they enjoy a cold one, and how to use beer in cocktails (it’s inspiring – you’ll see).

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1. Huw Griffiths, Union Electric, Melbourne

Melbourne’s Huw Griffiths (pictured top left) doesn’t hesitate when asked to name his beers of choice. “I drink XXXX and Guinness,” he says. The famous Irish stout, we get – it’s been enjoying a revival for some time. But XXXX seems surprising for the owner of top CBD bar Union Electric. “XXXX isn’t over the top, but it’s still delicious,” he says. “Sometimes there’s a reason why the big brands are big.”

Huw estimates that 90% of orders at Union Electric are cocktails, which take their cues from tiki culture. But that doesn’t stop Huw and the team from reaching for a simple brew after work. “When I started as a cocktail bartender 20 years ago, we’d look for drinks that no one else knew about and pretend we enjoyed the stuff that no one else liked,” he says. Now, Huw is all about the classic, refreshing styles.

Still, Huw will often go for a craftier brew at other times, naming Garage Project, Hop Nation, Stomping Ground and The Mill among his favourite breweries. But he also has no issue turning up to a barbecue with XXXX for the occasion. And if he gets a chance to head out beyond his venue, he says Mr West is the place to go for beer, or if it’s a pub, he goes to The Lincoln in Carlton.

So, is there a place for beer in cocktails? Huw’s a big fan. A favourite mix is a Daiquiri poured over half a schooner of lager, but he also enjoys an old-school Shandy. “But it’s even better with hard lemonade,” he says. “Don’t sleep on Smirnoff Ice, especially the Double Black.”

Stefano Catino, Maybe Sammy, Sydney

With Maybe Sammy just named among the World’s 50 Best Bars for the seventh year running (at #42 this year), co-owner Stefano Catino (pictured top right) clearly knows fancy drinks. But after a long shift at the esteemed city bar, which is “inspired by 1950s and 1960s Hollywood glamour”, there’s only one drink for him. “Nothing beats a cold beer at the end of the night,” he says. “I usually ask my team what the coldest beer is in the fridge, but I do like Stone & Wood and crisp Asian lagers like Tsing Tao.”

When entertaining, however, things are a little different. Stefano will serve a Negroni to start, and his favourite cocktail is the Americano, but he’ll also offer beers. Originally from Italy, Stefano is partial to Italian brews. “I don’t mind a Menabrea – that would be my favourite mainstream beer, and I like Ichnusa, which is Sardinian,” he says. “People think bartenders want complex flavours, but we often want something simple.”

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When heading out on a night off, Stefano was recently impressed with Silver’s Motel in Enmore. “I ordered a Whiskey Sour and a cold beer, and they were delicious,” he says. Like Huw, Stefano believes beer has a great place in cocktails, especially as this lets him combine two of his favourite things. “I make an Americano, but I top it up with beer instead of soda,” he says. Coming from the guy behind the world’s number 42 bar, that definitely deserves a go.

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Wil Bickley, Haines & Co, Adelaide

Adelaide bar Haines & Co flings cocktails until 2am every day. Add to that about an hour to clean up and pack down, and it’s a late finish. After that, it’s no surprise that bar manager Wil Bickley tends to reach for a beer as his knock-off drink. “Beer is pretty much the go-to for the team,” he says. Despite running two rotating kegs of interesting brews, they’re all about clean, easy-drinking beers. “Part of that is about driving home. We often stock some crazy beers, but a 9% beer is not a driving beer. A favourite is the Mismatch Lager.”

Before becoming bar manager at Haines & Co, Wil curated the beer selection, so he’s not afraid of a quirky brew. However, when choosing beer for an occasion with friends, he says it pays to know your crowd because he’s been caught out before. “You’re never going to annoy anyone with a lager,” Wil says. “Take a six-pack of Asahi to a barbecue and no one will be mad.”

Wil is spoilt for choice with great venues in Adelaide when he feels like a beer. “I go to NOLA – they have about 14 or 16 taps there,” he says. There’s also Guinness on tap at Memphis Slim’s, which is next door to Haines & Co, and he’s a big fan of the Uraidla Hotel in the Adelaide Hills, home to the Uraidla Brewery. As for cocktails that incorporate beer, Wil recommends the Shaky Pete. “It’s a good slug of gin, with ginger syrup and lager, but it’s not overpowered by the beer.”

Want more insights from top bar people? We have all sorts of Hot Takes for you., from the best tequila for Margaritas to the one cocktail we should all know how to make.