Pretty cool article from Paste Magazine online about some truly err...interesting beers.
"Water, barley, hops and yeast—that’s all it takes to brew beer, right? While these four cornerstone ingredients have remained the foundation of the brewing process for hundreds of years, the enormous boom of craft brewers around the globe has seen the process take on an entirely new meaning. As the industry continues to evolve, brewers are constantly experimenting with a cornucopia of unusual and inventive ingredients, including fruits, vegetables, herbs and much more."
1. Short’s Bloody Beer
City: Bellaire, Mich.
ABV: 7%
The Bloody Mary. While you might be more accustomed to seeing this popularcocktail served alongside a scrumptious brunch or as a lifesaving hangovercure, Short’s Brewing Company of Bellair, Michigan has something else in storefor us. Fermented with Roma tomatoes, then spiced with dill, horseradish,peppercorns, and celery seed, they recreated the Bloody Mary experience in abrand new, beery format. Sure, this sounds a little imposing, but don’t beafraid to take a chance on something from one of the bravest brewers in theindustry.
2. Cigar City Cucumber Saison
City: Tampa, Fla.
ABV: 6%
Refreshing, light-bodied and invigorating, Cigar City’s Cucumber Saison is aplay on a classic Belgian brewing style with the addition of the one and onlycucumber. Designed to keep Tampa locals cool during the scorching hot summermonths, this takes the vegetable out of the garden and into the brew to createa truly unique profile. Help yourself to an extra serving of veggies with CigarCity’s combination of citrusy, fruity, hoppy and ‘cucumbery’ flavors.
3. Midnight Sun Berserker
City: Ankorage, Alaska
ABV: 12.7%
The aptly titled Berserker hails from America’s final frontier, delivering amonstrously delicious imperial stout drinking experience all the way fromAnchorage, Alaska. As bold and fearless as the Norse warriors themselves, thisviscous beer is brewed with maple syrup and molasses, then aged in bourbon andred wine barrels. After months of slumber in the boozy oak, Berserker isunleashed at nearly 13% abv, dropping a rich, decadent beat down of flavor thatwill leave your senses aching for more.
4. Twisted Pine Ghost Face Killah
City: Boulder, Colo.
ABV: 5%
This one has it all – Wu-Tang references, smoky chilies and the spiciest pepperon earth. A ridiculous 200 times hotter than our friend the Jalapeno, GhostPeppers are so intense they’ve even been considered for use in hand grenadesand defense sprays. Combined with a potent cocktail of Anaheim, Fresno,Jalapeno, Serrano and Habanero chilies, Ghost Face Killah is one of the mostintense bottles of beer on the market, making up for its lower alcohol contentwith a flamethrower-like blast of peppery heat.
5. Mamma Mia Pizza Beer
City: Campton Township, Ill.
ABV: 4.7%
A homebrewing experiment turned novelty sensation; the Seefurth family’s MammaMia Pizza Beer is one of the most notorious experimental brews lingering onshelves from coast to coast. Created by adding a margherita pizza to the mash,this utilizes everything from basil and oregano to tomato and garlic in anattempt to truly liquefy America’s pizza obsession.
6. Hardywood Gingerbread Stout
City: Richmond, Va.
ABV: 9.2%
The famous holiday cookie is officially drinkable, thanks to Richmond,Virginia’s Hardywood Park Craft Brewery. Brewers used Madagascar bourbonvanilla beans, Vietnamese cinnamon and milk sugar, combined with a sampling oflocal ingredients such as baby ginger and wildflower honey to transform theGingerbread Man into a super smooth, robust stout. Settle in, kick off yourshoes and enjoy the notes of chocolate, vanilla, gingery spice and warmth.
7. The Bruery / Dogfish Head Faster, Bigger,Better, Bolder
City: Placentia, Calif.
ABV: 8.25%
Originally brewed and inspired by the earthquake that hit Japan in 2011, thiscollaboration between two of the country’s most popular and experimentalbreweries contained a wild mash-up of ingredients and styles from Eastern andWestern culture. The base beer was created with rice, and then brewed with atraditional Japanese spice blend containing ginger, cayenne, white sesameseeds, black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and nori. Finally, they added citrusykumquats and fermented this crazy concoction with a blend of sake yeast tofinish off their exceedingly complex recipe.
Pipeworks Pastrami on Rye
City: Chicago
ABV: 8.5%
No, you haven’t stumbled into the local corner deli; this is one of Chicago’snewer craft creations from Pipeworks Brewing Company. A nod to the traditionaldeli sandwich, brewers used a blend of 11 herbs and spices typically used tocure pastrami to create their sandwich-inspired beer. Mustard seed, bay leaf,red pepper, coriander, ginger, allspice, clove, caraway seed, Tellicherry blackpeppercorn, cinnamon, nutmeg, rye, dark candi sugar and smoked malt all jointhe party here, creating a potent strong dark ale with a complex, confoundingprofile.
Short’s PB & J Stout
City: Bellaire, Mich.
ABV: 8%
The team at Short’s has consistently tested the limits of brewing since opening their doors in 2004, building up an enormous lineup of specialty beers, including their PB & J Stout. Created by blending Uber Goober (imperial oatmeal stout made with peanut puree) and The Soft Parade (fruit rye ale with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries), this is a deliciously adult version of the popular childhood sandwich.
http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2013/04/9-beers-with-unexpected-ingredients.html
"Water, barley, hops and yeast—that’s all it takes to brew beer, right? While these four cornerstone ingredients have remained the foundation of the brewing process for hundreds of years, the enormous boom of craft brewers around the globe has seen the process take on an entirely new meaning. As the industry continues to evolve, brewers are constantly experimenting with a cornucopia of unusual and inventive ingredients, including fruits, vegetables, herbs and much more."
1. Short’s Bloody Beer
City: Bellaire, Mich.
ABV: 7%
The Bloody Mary. While you might be more accustomed to seeing this popularcocktail served alongside a scrumptious brunch or as a lifesaving hangovercure, Short’s Brewing Company of Bellair, Michigan has something else in storefor us. Fermented with Roma tomatoes, then spiced with dill, horseradish,peppercorns, and celery seed, they recreated the Bloody Mary experience in abrand new, beery format. Sure, this sounds a little imposing, but don’t beafraid to take a chance on something from one of the bravest brewers in theindustry.
2. Cigar City Cucumber Saison
City: Tampa, Fla.
ABV: 6%
Refreshing, light-bodied and invigorating, Cigar City’s Cucumber Saison is aplay on a classic Belgian brewing style with the addition of the one and onlycucumber. Designed to keep Tampa locals cool during the scorching hot summermonths, this takes the vegetable out of the garden and into the brew to createa truly unique profile. Help yourself to an extra serving of veggies with CigarCity’s combination of citrusy, fruity, hoppy and ‘cucumbery’ flavors.
3. Midnight Sun Berserker
City: Ankorage, Alaska
ABV: 12.7%
The aptly titled Berserker hails from America’s final frontier, delivering amonstrously delicious imperial stout drinking experience all the way fromAnchorage, Alaska. As bold and fearless as the Norse warriors themselves, thisviscous beer is brewed with maple syrup and molasses, then aged in bourbon andred wine barrels. After months of slumber in the boozy oak, Berserker isunleashed at nearly 13% abv, dropping a rich, decadent beat down of flavor thatwill leave your senses aching for more.
4. Twisted Pine Ghost Face Killah
City: Boulder, Colo.
ABV: 5%
This one has it all – Wu-Tang references, smoky chilies and the spiciest pepperon earth. A ridiculous 200 times hotter than our friend the Jalapeno, GhostPeppers are so intense they’ve even been considered for use in hand grenadesand defense sprays. Combined with a potent cocktail of Anaheim, Fresno,Jalapeno, Serrano and Habanero chilies, Ghost Face Killah is one of the mostintense bottles of beer on the market, making up for its lower alcohol contentwith a flamethrower-like blast of peppery heat.
5. Mamma Mia Pizza Beer
City: Campton Township, Ill.
ABV: 4.7%
A homebrewing experiment turned novelty sensation; the Seefurth family’s MammaMia Pizza Beer is one of the most notorious experimental brews lingering onshelves from coast to coast. Created by adding a margherita pizza to the mash,this utilizes everything from basil and oregano to tomato and garlic in anattempt to truly liquefy America’s pizza obsession.
6. Hardywood Gingerbread Stout
City: Richmond, Va.
ABV: 9.2%
The famous holiday cookie is officially drinkable, thanks to Richmond,Virginia’s Hardywood Park Craft Brewery. Brewers used Madagascar bourbonvanilla beans, Vietnamese cinnamon and milk sugar, combined with a sampling oflocal ingredients such as baby ginger and wildflower honey to transform theGingerbread Man into a super smooth, robust stout. Settle in, kick off yourshoes and enjoy the notes of chocolate, vanilla, gingery spice and warmth.
7. The Bruery / Dogfish Head Faster, Bigger,Better, Bolder
City: Placentia, Calif.
ABV: 8.25%
Originally brewed and inspired by the earthquake that hit Japan in 2011, thiscollaboration between two of the country’s most popular and experimentalbreweries contained a wild mash-up of ingredients and styles from Eastern andWestern culture. The base beer was created with rice, and then brewed with atraditional Japanese spice blend containing ginger, cayenne, white sesameseeds, black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and nori. Finally, they added citrusykumquats and fermented this crazy concoction with a blend of sake yeast tofinish off their exceedingly complex recipe.
Pipeworks Pastrami on Rye
City: Chicago
ABV: 8.5%
No, you haven’t stumbled into the local corner deli; this is one of Chicago’snewer craft creations from Pipeworks Brewing Company. A nod to the traditionaldeli sandwich, brewers used a blend of 11 herbs and spices typically used tocure pastrami to create their sandwich-inspired beer. Mustard seed, bay leaf,red pepper, coriander, ginger, allspice, clove, caraway seed, Tellicherry blackpeppercorn, cinnamon, nutmeg, rye, dark candi sugar and smoked malt all jointhe party here, creating a potent strong dark ale with a complex, confoundingprofile.
Short’s PB & J Stout
City: Bellaire, Mich.
ABV: 8%
The team at Short’s has consistently tested the limits of brewing since opening their doors in 2004, building up an enormous lineup of specialty beers, including their PB & J Stout. Created by blending Uber Goober (imperial oatmeal stout made with peanut puree) and The Soft Parade (fruit rye ale with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries), this is a deliciously adult version of the popular childhood sandwich.
http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2013/04/9-beers-with-unexpected-ingredients.html
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