Arf and Arf

Recommended The Bar-Tender's Guide by Jerry Thomas (1862, p.85) — Jerry Thomas 1862

1. In the London manner, mix half porter and half ale.
2. In the American manner, mix half new and half old ale.

Nose

Fresh malt and light fermentation notes define the nose.

Palate

It is simple, malty, and service-led, with the appeal resting in blend and freshness rather than seasoning.

Finish

The finish is short, cool, and beery.

Summary

A blending drink whose value lies in regional service habit rather than in complex composition.

Arf and Arf matters because it preserves a transatlantic difference in what looked like the same named service. That is exactly the kind of small but meaningful divergence that later comparative work can build on.

The drink depends entirely on the quality and freshness of the beers. There is nowhere for stale character to hide.

This is one of the clearest examples in Thomas of a drink name carrying different local meanings, which makes it very useful for provenance-sensitive ontology work.

Recommended How to Mix Drinks; or, The Bon-Vivant's Companion by Jerry Thomas (1876, p.87) — Jerry Thomas 1876

1. In the London manner, mix half porter and half ale.
2. In the American manner, mix half new and half old ale.

Nose

Fresh malt and light fermentation notes define the nose.

Palate

It is simple, malty, and service-led, with the appeal resting in blend and freshness rather than seasoning.

Finish

The finish is short, cool, and beery.

Summary

A blending drink whose value lies in regional service habit rather than in complex composition.

Arf and Arf matters because it preserves a transatlantic difference in what looked like the same named service. That is exactly the kind of small but meaningful divergence that later comparative work can build on.

The drink depends entirely on the quality and freshness of the beers. There is nowhere for stale character to hide.

This is one of the clearest examples in Thomas of a drink name carrying different local meanings, which makes it very useful for provenance-sensitive ontology work.

The Modern Bartenders' Guide by O. H. Byron (1884, p.10) — Black and Tan

1. Build equal parts old ale and new ale in a large ale glass.

Wehman's Bartender's Guide by Henry J. Wehman (1891, p.59) — Henry J. Wehman 1891

1. Ask the customer how he desires the proportions if needed.
2. Pour half porter and half ale into a large ale glass and serve.

Nose

Roasted porter and fresher ale aromatics meet directly in the glass.

Palate

The drink is all about contrast and blending between darker malt depth and lighter ale freshness.

Finish

The finish is malty, mildly bitter, and cooling.

Summary

A classic mixed-beer serve preserving the everyday beer-service side of the barroom world.

Arf and Arf matters because it records not only the English name but also a local American adaptation in the choice of ales. That sort of service translation is exactly the kind of detail a family-tree ontology should retain.

This is a blend rather than a shaken or muddled drink. The bartender's judgement around the customer's preference is part of the service knowledge.

The Mixicologist by C. F. Lawlor (1895, p.55) — C. F. Lawlor 1895

1. Mix porter or stout with ale in equal quantities, or in proportions to suit the taste.

Nose

Dark malt and lighter ale aromatics meet in the mug.

Palate

It is fuller and darker than Half and Half, but still firmly in the realm of practical mixed beer service.

Finish

The finish is malty, dark, and plainspoken.

Summary

An English beer-blending service that broadens the ontology beyond spirits and wine.

Lawlor's note that this is the English method is exactly the kind of small service distinction worth preserving. It helps map regional everyday drinking alongside famous cocktails.

The instruction that the ale usually goes first is a tiny but meaningful service detail.

Compared with Half and Half, this is darker and more robust. Compared with Shandy Gaff, it belongs to a much less softened beer-mixing branch.

The Complete Buffet Guide by V. B. Lewis (1903, p.17) — Lewis Service Note

1. Prepare the mixture according to the customer's preference, as Lewis advises asking how he desires it.

Nose

The aroma depends on the chosen beer pair, but roasted and malty notes dominate.

Palate

This is valuable evidence of customer-choice service and unstable naming inside the beer-mixture tradition.

Finish

The finish varies by chosen mix but remains firmly malty and beer-led.

Summary

A customer-defined beer-mixture service preserved as social practice as much as formula.

Lewis explicitly says it is always best to ask the customer how he desires it.

Drinks as They Are Mixed by Paul E. Lowe (1904, p.13) — Lowe 1904

1. Fill an ale glass or bar mug half with porter and half with ale.
2. Alternative customer-led forms may use stout with ale, or old and new ale.

Nose

Fresh malt and roast notes sit together.

Palate

Lowe's value here lies in the explicit flexibility: Arf and Arf is a service idea as much as a single recipe, shaped by customer choice and local habit.

Finish

The finish is brisk, malty, and dry.

Summary

A flexible beer-mixture service from the customer-shaped mixed-beer branch.

Stuart's Fancy Drinks and How To Mix Them by Thos. Stuart (1904, p.10) — Stuart 1904, opening service section

1. Mix equal parts porter and ale, or old ale and new ale; source advises asking the customer how it is desired.

Ice: None

Jack's Manual by J. A. Grohusko (1910, p.34)

1. Combine the porter and ale in a glass and serve.

Bartenders' Guide: How to Mix Drinks by Wehman Bros. (1912, p.8)

1. Layer or combine half old ale and half new ale in a large ale glass and serve according to the customer's preference.

The note contrasting the English half-porter, half-ale version with the American old-ale and new-ale service makes this a useful witness to transatlantic adaptation.

Home Brewed Wines and Beers and Bartenders' Guide by Johnson Smith & Company (1918) — 1918 Home Brewed, Black and Tan

1. Serve half porter and half ale, or porter/stout with ale, asking the customer how it is desired.

Ice: None

Julian's Recipes by Julian Anderson (1919, p.20)

1. Fill half the glass with porter and the other half with old ale.
2. Serve.