McMenamins brews more than 250 of their own McMenamins recipes and one of the best ways to drink a McMenamins beer (or cider) is in a McMenamins blend! Also known as a 50/50, a McMenamins blend is a mix of two McMenamins beers.  More recently ciders have been introduced into the McMenamins blends and now there are so many great options!

McMenamins has 24 breweries across Oregon and Washington. McMenamins brews certain classic recipes – think Terminator Stout, Ruby, and Apple Cider- as well as limited edition and seasonal recipes. The seasonal brews and crafted ciders are some of my favorite, but since they only come around once in a while, you will definitely need to plan ahead to try them all. 

I am not sure how the McMenamins blends started, but clearly by some genius who decided they couldn’t pick just one. You can really mix any two McMenamins beers and/or ciders to make a 50/50 blend, but here are the ten BEST McMenamins blends!

You can always check out everything McMenamins has on tap here: McMenamins What’s On Tap!

Heading to the McMenamins hotels and looking for a great beverage? Or maybe you want to try all the blends you can during your stay? Be sure to check out my Ultimate Ranking for Every McMenamins Hotel before you book!

10 Best McMenamins Beer (and Cider!) 50/50 Blends

Rubinator

A classic, and probably the most well known 50/50 blend, the Rubinator is 50% Ruby and 50% Terminator. The mix of a deep rich stout and the light, crispy, and fruit forward Ruby make the perfect balance. This was the first McMenamins blend I ever tried and it is still one of the best. I am not a stout drinker by any means, but once it is cut with the Ruby, it is light enough for me to enjoy.

McMenamins Ruby is brewed with raspberries and the Terminator is a true stout with coffee and chocolate flavors. I think a Rubinator tastes like a chocolate covered raspberry and I am all for it.

Purpetrator

The Purpetrator is my preferred 50/50 beer blend because it mixes one of my favorite McMenamins seasonal beers – Purple Haze – with the Terminator Stout. I prefer Purple Haze over the Ruby so this is a clear winner for me. That said, Purple Haze is a more limited beer and it is not served all year or at all locations. If you find yourself at a location with Purple Haze, I highly recommend you give the Purpetrator a try.

Purple Haze is made with boysenberries and is a bit more fruity than the Ruby. 

Imperial Purpetrator

The Imperial Purpetrator is a 50/50 blend of Purple Haze and the Imperial Purple Haze and Terminator. Imperial Purple Haze is an even more limited beer and is a more tart and full bodied version of the Purple Haze. This McMenamins blend is a bit heavier than the Rubinator and Purpetrator, but still totally drinkable even if you aren’t super into stouts.

Pill Hopper

With one of the best names, the Pill Hopper is a McMenamins 50/50 blend made with a McMenamins IPA and a McMenamins Pilsner. McMenamins brews more than one IPA and more than one Pilsner. You can find the Hop Bouquet IPA all year round and at almost all locations so this is an easy pick for this blend, but if you happen to see a limited or seasonal IPA on the menu – go for it! White Tiger IPA and Sunflower IPA are a great one for this blend.

For the Pilsner 50% you will need to look for a limited or seasonal brew since there is no Pilsner on the McMenamins classic (aka standard) brew list. It is also not one of the more common seasonal brews, like Purple Haze, so this is definitely one to try when you happen to see a Pilsner on the list!

Copperhead / Moon Hammer

Most people have heard of the Rubberhead, but the Cooperhead is another great McMenamins blend. I have seen this McMenamins blend with two different names – the Copperhead and the Moon Hammer – I tend to call it a Copperhead but to order you should be able to use either!

The Copperhead is made with the Copper Moon and Hammerhead. The Hammerhead is a classic McMenamins brew that you can find almost anywhere and is a Northwest Pale Ale (not an IPA). Copper Moon on the other hand is a very limited brew. 

Copper Head is a summertime Pale Ale that is pretty hop forward. Based on the season for Copper Moon it makes sense that this one is a really light and drinkable pale ale blend. Be sure to add this on your list for summer McMenamins stops!

Rubberhead

The Rubberhead is one of the most well known McMenamins blends, but not quite as famous as the Rubinator. Rubberhead is a blend of Hammerhead and Ruby – two classics. Since this McMenamins 50/50 blend mixes two classic McMenamins beers you can score this one all year round and at almost all locations. This is a really refreshing one and I highly recommend this as one of your soaking pool beverages (Oregon locations only)!

Rippa

Rippa, as in Kelly, is a McMenamins blend for IPA fans who also like a touch of sweet. This McMenamins blend is a mix of Ruby and a McMenamins IPA. You can take your pick of IPA’s based on the menu, but since the Hop Bouquet is an all year round option, that is an easy pick.

If you want to try something different, you can make you Rippa with a Ruby and one of the following:

• White Tiger IPA
• 5th Floor IPA
• Jam Session IPA
• Lola’s Hazy IPA
• Sunflower IPA
• Pigpens IPA
• 33rd State IPA
• Sabertooth Haze IPA
• Any other McMenamins IPA!

50/50 Blackberry & Terminator

So I promised cider and I will deliver. I am not aware of any fun names for these two cider McMenamins blends yet, but I am sure they are coming. 

This is my absolute favorite McMenamins blend – a 50/50 blend of Blackberry Cider and Terminator! I will call this Berrynator, because I can. I love cider and sweet so the McMenamins Blackberry Cider, which just got promoted to a year round classic, is delicious to me. But it can be really sweet! This means that the Terminator is the perfect way to cut the sweet.

Tasting like a chocolate blackberry, with a much more fruit forward and tart taste, this McMenamins blend takes my personal top spot. You can drink it in the summer, because blackberry, but also in the dead of winter, because Terminator! 

Although I learned about this scrumptious McMenamins Blend from a bartender at Ahles Point Cabin at Kalama Harbor Lodge, it does not have a formal name as far as I know. Thankfully, my friend Alexis, a two time Cosmic Tripster, helped me out and we have named it – Meet the Berrynator!  

50/50 Hawthorne Kolsh and Apple Cider

One more delicious beer and cider 50/50 McMenamins blends is the Kolsh and the McMenamins Apple Cider. While you can find the McMenamins Apple Cider year around and at most locations, the Kolsh is a seasonal so this has a limited time window.  The Hawthorne Kolsh is brewed at the Edgefield Brewery, which happens to be where the McMenamins Apple Cider is made too – it was destiny!

This is another great mix of sweet with a touch of hoppy. I tried this one on a whim when the smaller McMenamins bar did not have any of my usuals and I was pleasantly surprised. This is a great pick for a hot day or just when you want a cider but do not want it too sweet. 

50/50 Ciders

This might seem obvious, but it wasn’t to me. You can mix any two McMenamins ciders for a delicious 50/50 blend! To order this I just ask for a 50/50 blend of…and name the two ciders I want. Be careful mixing two sweet ciders, it can be really sweet. One of my favorite ciders to mix in a McMenamins blend is the TriPPPy Cider, which is seasonal and made with peach and pineapple, and the Pear, which is also seasonal. 

This is a great gluten free option and I promise cider fans will not be disappointed. The two McMenamins ciders you can get all year round are Apple and Blackberry – so these are great for the first 50%. When it comes to the other, be creative! I have yet to have a McMenamins 50/50 cider blend I didn’t enjoy.

Thirsty yet? Did you learn any new McMenamins blends from my list? What McMenamins blends did I miss that are a MUST try? Let me know in Comments and Cheers!