Half and half

For the sitcom, see Half & Half.

Half and half refers to various beverages or liquid foods made of an equal-parts mixture of two substances, including dairy products, alcoholic beverages, and soft drinks. The United States dairy product known as half and half is a mixture of one part milk to one part cream.

Alcoholic beverages

Australia

In New South Wales a "half and half" (also known as a "fifties") consists of half Tooheys New (a draught) and half Tooheys Old (a dark ale). In pubs where Tooheys New is not available, Carlton Draught may be substituted. This is commonly known as a "Flaming Carlo", (From Carlton and Old)
Other combinations are:
Tooheys Old & Fosters Light = "Bruiser"
Carlton & Fosters Light = "Tutti Fruitti"
Carlton & Lift with Iceblocks = "Swamp Water" or "Swampie"

Belgium

In some cafés in Brussels, a "half en half" (Dutch for "half and half") is a mixture of white wine and champagne.

Originally it was a mixture of 2 different typical beer types from Brussels: 50% lambic and 50% faro.

Ireland, England and North America

See also: Black and Tan

In Ireland and England, a half and half is a combination of Guinness draught and Harp Lager, with the Guinness in a layer on top.

In England, a half and half may also mean a mixture of mild ale and bitter.

In the North East of England, a request for a half and half would more commonly produce a combination of Scotch ale and India Pale Ale (IPA). This drink fell from favour when the Scottish & Newcastle brewery were obliged to sell many of their tied public houses and McEwan's Scotch and IPA disappeared from public bars across the North East.

In the United States and Canada, a capitalized Half & Half is Guinness draught and Harp lager. A lower case half & half is generic for Guinness draught. Black and tan is a more ubiquitous term used to describe any lager/ale that will support the Guinness draught. (Note that you can only get away with this in the Americas; in Ireland, it refers to the Black and Tans, one of the auxiliary paramilitary divisions of the Royal Irish Constabulary, thus referring to the drink as such may cause offense. But even in the US the term black and tan can anger Irish customers.)

Scotland

In Scotland, a half and a half is a dram of whisky and a half-pint of heavy as a 'chaser'[1].

Switzerland

In Switzerland, and more particularly in Valais, a half & half is a mixture of dry and sweet liquor of the same fruit. In Romandy, a moitié-moitié (lit. half-half) can refer to coffee mixed with an equal amount of milk. Moitié-moitié also refers to a cheese fondue made with half Gruyère (cheese) and half Vacherin Fribourgeois (cheese).

Non-alcoholic Beverages

The Arnold Palmer, also known as a half and half, is popular in the Southern United States. The drink consists of 1 part lemonade and 1 part iced tea.

Some coffee shops in colder climates serve a half and half drink consisting of half coffee and half hot chocolate.

Half & Half might refer to a flavor of soda which combines the flavors of grapefruit and lemon.

Dairy

In the United States, half and half (known as "half cream" in the United Kingdom) almost always refers to a very light cream typically used in coffee. The name refers to the liquid's content of half milk and half cream. Its butterfat content is about 12.5%, which makes it low-calorie and more stable in coffee. It is widely available in the United States, both in individual-serving containers and in bulk (usually not requiring refrigeration). It is also used to make ice cream. Non-fat versions of the product are also available, containing corn syrup and other ingredients.

Food

The term 'Half and half' is used in canteens on construction sites. Workers use the term frequently between themselves to describe an order selection to be served to a worker. Often there will be a choice of meal where one can select the 'half and half' combination and one need only say when ordering the term 'half and half' to convey a well understood order.

Half and half is commonly understood to be a bed of half chips (French fries in the US) and half rice. A classic selection would be 'chicken curry half and half' or 'chili con carne half and half'. However, slight variations do apply. For example, 'spaghetti half and half' would be spaghetti bolognese served on a bed of chips.

In the Netherlands "half om half gehakt" (half for half) is commonly used for minced meat, a mixture of beef and pork (or lamb in Islamic butchers). The term "Gehacktes halb und halb" is used in Germany, also referring to minced meat.

A 'Half and half' pizza comprises one half of a pizza with a certain variety, for example Hawaiian, and the other half of another variety, such as Vegetarian.

Tobacco

Half and Half is an Owensboro, Kentucky-based tobacco company.