First Posted: 9/21/2014
As the fall season is now firmly in place around us and many drinkers have loaded themselves up with pumpkin beers. It is time to examine a different growing trend amongst craft brewers. That trend is not only delicious but invokes a feeling that is perfect for this time of year, beers infused with peanut butter.
We all remember that joy of coming home after an evening of trick or treating and dumping our goodies all over the floor and picking out our favorite candies (after our parents ransacked it first of course). The favorites tended to be those full of peanut butter goodness.
Thankfully as grownups we can still find that joy in many of the fantastic craft beers that are widely available to us. Some have even gone so far as to combine chocolate and peanut together for us in one tasty treat.
The styles that are typically used in peanut butter ales are either porters or stouts. The flavors of both naturally have hints of chocolate and coffee which meld perfectly with the infusion of peanut butter. Though there are of course those which buck the trend.
One of the most popular peanut butter beers on the market right now is Sweet Baby Jesus from DuClaw Brewing Company. The beer has strong notes in aroma and taste of milk chocolate and peanut butter that combine perfectly with one another. The 6.5 percent ABV will quickly sneak up on you though and leave you feeling like a kid, so be careful!
Another one that is fast growing in popularity is from the Pennsylvania brewery Spring House Brewing Company. The brewery’s extremely popular Big Gruesome Peanut Butter Chocolate Stout is an Imperial Stout that comes in at 8 percent ABV and imparts very strong notes of chocolate and peanut butter with a very smooth easy drinking mouthfeel. An absolute must try for stout fans and another reason to be thankful with live in PA to have such great brewers available.
Spring House Brewing Company also has another great entry in the category with their Lil’ Gruesome Peanut Butter Jelly Stout. The 7 percent stout drinks like a deliciously balanced PB&J and does not leave behind any strong lingering sweetness.
Local brewpub Marley’s Brewery and Grille located in Bloomsburg also has a delicious entry to add. The brewpub actually won a bronze medal at last year’s GABF award for their Pack Dog Peanut Butter Ale. As opposed to the other beers on the list this is not a stout and instead is more in line with the amber ale style imbued with loads of peanut butter.
There are numerous other peanut butter ales available as well, some others to note are: AleSmith Brewing Company- Speedway Stout w/ PB Cup & Vietnamese Coffee, Terrapin Beer Company- Liquid Bliss, and Rouge Ales- Voodoo Doughnut Chocolate, Banana, & Peanut Butter Ale.
So do yourself a favor and while enjoying your delicious pumpkin ales this time of year pick up some of these wonderful peanut butter ales for yourself. While the kids enjoy their sweet haul on Halloween you can enjoy yours every night!
