Could Coffee Be The Next Trend In Craft Beer If this is true what coffee beers should I be exploring in the state of Minnesota?
Coffee Bender - Surly Cold Press Black - Bent Paddle Double Shot Double Black - Bent Paddle (annual release) Stonehouse Coffee Stout - Big Axe (full disclosure, i'm a bit of a homer for this place, but while some of their other stuff is sub-par, this is very solid)
I'd add a couple unorthodox ones to that list: Banshee Cutter Golden Ale - Insight First Call Coffee Lager - Modist
Coffee in beer itself is no new trend. Putting coffee in beer styles other than Stouts and Porters is however and this article seemingly fails to make that distinction. Funny enough my first coffee beer was Meantime Coffee Porter from England. Plus Drew Carey was making a non-dark coffee beer in 1996.
That Summit Dark Infusion blew my mind last year. Wish that would come back again ! NON-MN Sierra Nevada coffee stout was good , that may be back this year in their variety pack. MN could use some more year round ones , nothing better in a cold snow storm.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/42558/195377/ Birch's On The Lake 'Golden Coffee Chocolate Ale' https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/46325/298491/ Wild Mind Artisan Ales 'Weekend at Bernie's'
Fulton's War & Peace. Damn fine beer. And personally, I haven't found a non-stout/porter coffee beer that worked for me yet. But I'll keep trying.
They're not as common, but I like coffee beers that play into the more acidic and fruity components I enjoy in brighter coffees. Far too often brewers concentrate on the roasty toasty flavors that work well in a stout but are a little redundant and uninspired. There have been a few barrel aged coffee beers I've had that have used more acidic beans that have more compelling profiles to me but still have yet to have many that really venture out of stout or blonde/pale bases. I need to make a trip to Chicago for Uppers and Downers to try a wider variety of coffee beers as well as coffee itself just because I love both so much and think the intersection could be so much more interesting than what it typically is.
I'll throw Lupine's Three Bandits porter in the mix. Also, not MN but Central Water's Brewhouse Coffee Stout is probably my favorite cheap (~$5) bomber to buy.
Waconia Brewing also do a Chocolate Coffee Golden Ale. Not going to say it is a copy of this beer, but they are very comparable.
If anyone makes it out to Schram they have a fine coffee beer called Mocha Monkey. Hayes in Buffalo also has a nice one called Dullahan.
I really like the First Call from Modist. I also remember liking Coffee Bender from Surly, but have not had that for some time. This also came across the ol' Twittersphere this morning..
Fulton announced today that sometime soon they're releasing Drinking Buddies Irish Coffee Stout in collaboration with Jameson Caskmates. Sign me up!
Love Coffee Bender and Cold Press Black. The coffee in non stout or porter beers is just something I can't get behind. Maybe someone will make a good one, but so far they just don't do it for me.
