Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US) a strong alcoholic drink, usu. cheap but strong whisky; also attrib.

1913		Day Book (Chicago) 12 Nov. 8/2: Nix on the old hooch [...] I’ve done canned the snake-bite nectar.
1928		Daily Express 12 Dec. 10/5: It is not really bad wine... It is an acquired taste, but it is better than the ‘snake-bite’ contraband whisky or the synthetic gin [OED].
1931		Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld) 3 June 9/2: He came out of the bar filled up with ‘snake bite’.
1961		G.L. Coon Meanwhile, Back at the Front (1962) 104: From his hip pocket he brought out a pint bottle of Old Snake Bite, three-quarters full.

2. an injection of heroin and morphine; thus snakebit, addicted.

1962		(con. 1950s) H. Simmons Man Walking On Eggshells 167: She hooked him, she had him snakebit, and all he could think about was [...] another fix.
1989		(con. 1950s–60s) in G. Tremlett Little Legs 198: viper a euphemism for snake-bite, an injection of morphine and heroin.

3. a ‘cocktail’ of cider mixed with lager.

1994		Guardian 18 Nov. 38/3: Blokes in posh keks drinking snakebite.
2000		Indep. Mag. 18 Mar. 30: She’s drinking snakebite.
2004		(con. 1980) N. ‘Razor’ Smith A Few Kind Words and a Loaded Gun 220: He couldn’t handle his drink; two pints of snakebite and he wanted to fight the world.
2005		Chicago Trib. 8 June 7/2: Snakebite: half hard cider and half lager.