Making a coffee beer has always been tough but not for obvious reasons - it isn't like people don't enjoy foam, cappuccino has been around forever. Lipids in coffee just don't seem to make a lot of sense, though.
But without coffee and beer, science would grind to a halt - a $140 billion a year industry would be paralyzed - so it was only a matter of time before someone figured out how to put them together.
Loowit Brewing and Torque Coffee Roasters in Vancouver have been working on just such a coffee stout that they introduced at the "Drink This!" artisan beverage festival. Torque co-owner Ryan Palmer also created a coffee pale ale beer with Mt. Tabor Brewing's owner Eric Surface. A stout is a natural fit to get going on coffee-beer hybrid.
Credit and link: Columbian, Steven Lane
Cold brew coffee concentrate is made by soaking ground coffee at room temperature or colder for 12 to 24 hours. The method produces a very low acidic blend that's popular with those with stomach problems or those who want a smoother iced coffee flavor. Some put coffee grounds in their mash, which is part of the brewing process where grains and other parts of the beer are soaked in water. Others put coffee beans in a beer after it's made and let it soak.
Look for Whole Foods shoppers to demand it have special warning labels put on it - for being too awesome. Oh, and being science.
New coffee beer among drinks at artisan beverage festival by Sue Vorenberg, Columbian.com
