Beer Coffee

– Everybody’s Dream Come True –

How about some beer coffee?

If you would have to combine two beverages people love. Which ones would it be?

Many of us would choose coffee and beer.

Beer craft breweries around the world have already been experimenting with this fascinating mix of beverages for generations.

What is something, which nearly every beer brewery has in common? Surprisingly, it is coffee.

Yes, it’s the morning’s best friend for many coffee lovers of us. And, yes, it’s the evening’s best friend for countless beer lovers of us.

So, why not combine these two?

Numerous beer coffee styles have been created in breweries. Coffee has become such a prominent ingredient for many of these.

In fact, it is far more difficult to point out any remaining brewery that has not included coffee in its beverage-making repertoire by now.

It seems like the perfect marriage.

Beer Coffee – A Perfect Couple

How did coffee become a center piece of the beer brewing world?

Well, it goes back to the beer craft maker’s endless pursuit of experimenting in the hope of discovering the next big thing.

Especially coffee turned out to be a remarkably versatile ingredient. Not only does it lend a roasted punch to your beer. But it also adds fruity or citrus-like undertones depending on the beans and the roast.

The addition of coffee to beer made nothing but delicious sense. A new beverage was born and is not going anywhere anymore. It is here to stay for good.

Roasted coffee beans mingle perfectly with the roasted grains in the beer’s mash.

Let alone in the US, there are around 7.000 beer breweries experimenting with coffee. It all started with inky black beers. Further additions with lighter and darker beer styles followed quickly.

What is so great about beer coffee?

There is a ton of varieties of coffee beans out there. Additionally, there are countless methods of roasting those beans. Hence, the available range of coffee flavors is vast and exponential.

The same can be said for beer. Enter any shop and you will find a vast collection of different beer types.

This allows coffee to be successfully worked into just about any style of beer.

It seems that there is perfect coffee bean match for every beer type out there.

Putting the Beans in Beer

First and mostly, you will want to have a steady product.

Once you have finished your ultimate beer coffee creating. You need to ensure that the taste, flavor and its ingredients will never really alter anymore.

Hence, you will need to pick a type of coffee bean, which is available on a regular basis and sufficient steady amount.

When you have secured your steady and reliable coffee bean supply chain. You can move on to the next stage, namely the brewing.

To be honest, not many breweries like to openly share their specific methods. They rather prefer to keep their secret how they are adding coffee to beer.

But eventually, each producer has to cite how its beverage is put together. Otherwise, there will be no approved product license to eventually sell it.

As a result, there are not really any huge secrets in the beer brewing world.

The Essence of Beer Coffee

Almost universally, the process known as ‘cold toddy’ has been proven to work the best. When it comes to adding coffee flavor to beers.

Most commonly, all great things and flavors from coffee are extracted by using hot water. However, in order to make beer coffee, brewers prefer to work with cold water.

Brewers will typically steep the coffee grounds in cold brewing water for between 24 to 48 hours.

It allows the water to filter the rich coffee aroma and flavor. And, it is then blended with the beer.

More advanced techniques use beer water right away, instead of water. One way or the other, the final product will be cold-pressed coffee.

Essentially, it is the ‘cold toddy’ method that allows you to smell that the beer was made with coffee. It is almost like opening a fresh bag of coffee beans. Just before the grind. Pretty delicious and sense-awaking, if you would ask me.

Some brewers will use already prepared and ground coffee in bags. Others will work with original beans themselves. Furthermore, these brewing factories will have their own coffee bean roasting machines then.

Most beer coffee brewers agree that the taste and aroma comes from the ‘cold toddy’ method the best. This cold-brew method on coffee releases less acid from the beans.

Less acid means a minimal impact on the overall flavor of the combined beer itself.

Hot-brewed coffee added to a beer would bring out much more dominant acidic flavor notes.

The Other Way Around

Of course, sooner or later this question will come up.

If brewers are able to put coffee in beer. Why can coffee roasters not put beer in their coffee?

What do you think?

Well, sure they can do so as well.

It is hard to say if coffee or beer has more diverse flavors around the world. But when you compare with what other ingredients coffee is mixed. Coffee might be the ultimate winner here.

From pumpkin or cinnamon spices, to vanilla and nuts, there are countless options.

Again, it was only a matter of time until someone tried. Quite a lot of roasters experimented how to impart flavors of beer into their beloved coffee beans.

A new type of beverage e was born.

It’s all About the Grind

When you want to drink coffee, you need to grind your coffee beans, first.

While grinding, you basically mix anything with your beans.

So, why not try with some beer grains as well?

That sounds pretty simple but is actually not the most exquisite way to do it.

Some very creative brewers try to grow coffee beans together with beer hops. And, when you grind these two direct neighbors after. You will end up with a special coffee experience.

A smooth malty coffee that has a hop nose.

Now, you have created a truly exclusive and limited product. There are even beer coffee batches, that state what year the beans were grown.

All of these steps and innovations are happening quite natural. In fact, if you look at the cultural evolution of coffee itself. You will remember quickly that historically, coffee was blended with chicory or malt for many generations before already.

Because, a couple of centuries ago, coffee still used to be a rare and quite expensive product.

Beyond the ‘Dark Side’ of Beer Coffee

It is difficult to exactly determine where and when this drink  first left its ‘dark path’.

Like everything, maybe it just happened naturally over time.

If breweries make beer coffee. Because of the similarities between these two, most breweries tend to use a porter or stout for a base.

A stout is a dark, top-fermented beer type. There are several variations, like dry stout, Baltic porter, milk stout, and imperial stout, for example.

Generally the term ‘stout beer’ stands for strong beer.

The name ‘porter’ first came up in London in 1721. It describes a dark brown beer that is being made with roasted malts.

Over the years, more and more beer types were mixed with coffee. Especially the use Citra Hops is very popular today.

These hops are the most citrusy-like aroma hops in the world of beer.

Nice lemony flavor notes will come out in your beer coffee then. The end product will be bright and punchy.

Overall, additional flavors and brighter notes such as Citra Hops further paved the success and increasing popularity of beer coffee.

Beyond the Making of Beer Coffee

Are you still reading? This can only mean two things.

You love coffee. And, you also do love beer.

On top, you are probably eager to try a beer coffee yourself, now.

Here are a few options for you, in case you can not find any near you

Rise Up Stout by Evolution Craft Brewing Co. 

This coffee beer is from Salisbury, Maryland, USA. It is opaque and nearly black in the glass. In other words, it is not transparent and you can not see through. Just the way a proper stout beer brew should look like.

You would best serve it with a few degrees above normal refrigerator temperature.

If you will allow it to further warm up a touch. You can discover how its cocoa and coffee flavors really develop themselves.

The Rise Up Stout brings out a great balance of sweet and bitter flavors.

Mocha Merlin by Firestone Walker

The next one is probably one of the most popular ones out there.

This cocoa- and java-infused oatmeal stout from California brings everything nicely together. It’s bursting with roasted espresso aromas.

The aroma mixes nicely with flavors of vanilla, chocolate, and spice.

Such beer coffee is definitely worth a try.

Hotbox Porter by Oskar Blues Brewing Co.

This one gets its coffee beans from  Mexico and Brazil.

You will taste chocolate and blueberry flavors. I personally would describe it as a complex, endlessly satisfying brew.

Unlike for many other products, the java coffee notes are not too overpowering any other flavor.

Founders’ Breakfast Stout

When you think of perfect beer coffee stouts, this could easily be the prototype of all.

Sumatra and Kona coffee beans make this one a very creamy and complex brew. It is a perfect mix of bitter coffee notes and dark chocolate flavor with a malty, oaty sweetness.

What can I say? It is really delicious.

The Bottom Line

So, there you go.

I am hoping that this will give you a good head start when it comes to beer coffee.

If you have not tried any beer coffee yet. And, if you do love coffee and beer like many of us.

Then there is no way around.

Go ahead and make that very special coffee and beer experience yourself.

Sooner or later, beer coffee will also be sold in your nearby stores, bars or coffee shops. Even Starbucks is already testing the first of its own beer coffee product introductions.

Please let us know what you think. Have you tried this fascinating combination already?

What is your favorite type? Do you prefer a dark or bright brew?

Coffee in the morning and beer in the evening. Seems like we no longer have to separate these two.

But better to just combine our usual coffee mornings and beer evenings on our days off.

Or, what would you say?

Cheers to beer, coffee and you!