Stout Fellow cocktail recipe

The Stout Fellow was created in 2013 by Matthew Coates, a UK bartender, as part of a competition for London Cocktail Week. He named the drink a Stout Fellow because “it's strong and hearty but also warming and friendly”, and we think you'll agree. The name is also a throwback to Guinness's iconic 20th-century advertisements, which featured the tagline 'Guinness for Strength' along with pictures of old-timey men performing amazing feats of strength – lifting ships, chopping trees, pulling a horse in a cart. You get the idea.

Though the Guinness advertisements may be somewhat exaggerated, the deliciousness of the Stout Fellow is not. The cocktail brings together rum, stout, coffee and creme de cacao to make a smooth, dark drink that's similar in texture to an Espresso Martini, yet completely different in taste. It'll appeal to anyone who loves coffee, rum or stout beer, with all three popping up in the final flavour profile. The stout beer brings sweetness to the table, balancing the charred or spicy notes of the dark rum. In the end, the Stout Fellow is definitely a winter cocktail, sure to warm  you and your guests when the evening takes on a chill.

It’s the ultimate cocktail dilemma: shaken or stirred? Both work, but we recommend shaking so the ingredients mix properly. Just be sure to take care when opening the shaker, as stout beer can be a little volatile, and the last thing you want is for your Stout Fellow to spill all over the ground.

As with any cocktail, switching up ingredients can make subtle differences to the final result. Your choice of dark rum will bring different flavours to the glass, as will the beer you use. There are plenty of classic stout beers, with more and more modern craft examples available, so you'll be spoiled for choice. If you're after a really creamy head or a slight flavour twist on the cocktail, opt for a nitro stout, which is carbonated with nitrogen for a thicker head and also often come with fruity flavour infusions.