Drinking beer on Australia Day is about as Australian as you can get. It’s the best way to celebrate our national day, but that doesn’t mean you have to drink beer and forsake all other beverages.

I first heard of a beer cocktail a year or two ago in a rooftop bar in Sydney. Initially, I was appalled. The mixing of two drinking worlds scared and confused me.

But the Hunky Dory Social Club – sadly no longer open – served ‘the Captain’s Mug’, which put flight to my fears to flight.

Here’s my interpretation of Hunky Dory’s masterpiece. I call it the Aussie Sailor, and I think this is the perfect way to see the 26th of January through in style!

And if you’re not much of an ale drinker, this makes a beer more palatable. Mrs romance was impressed with this drink. She enjoys only the occasional lager, but she enjoyed sipping on this little number.

The Aussie Sailor

Here’s what you need:

1 x golden rum

1 x Aperol

1.5 x pineapple juice

1 x lychee liqueur

3 x shakes of Angostura Bitters

Top up with Coopers pale Ale

Here’s what you do:

Put the rum, Aperol, pineapple juice, lychee liqueur and bitters in a shaker with ice.

Shake hard for 30 seconds.

Pour into a half pint mug.

Drop in four or five ice cubes.

Top up with Coopers pale Ale.

Garnish with maraschino cherry.

The sweetness of the pineapple and the lychee liqueur are nicely balanced by the rum, and bitters, which also give the drink a botanical mid-taste, and the Coopers adds its own magical flavour and give the drink a refreshing fizz.

The Aperol adds a colour, sweetness and bitterness all of its own. We love Aperol – check out our Aperativo hour spritz Aperol post!

This is a surprisingly refreshing drink that goes down easily. perfect for an Australia Day celebration.

And if you want to make this even more of an Australian drink, use Bundaberg rum!

Cheers, everybody! What will you be drinking this Australia Day? tell us in the comments!

Images by Mrs Romance.