Health
If you are a true beer connoisseur, you are probably of the opinion that the best beer is beer that has a natural fresh taste. However, the Japanese believe that the best beer can also have foreign flavors. Like the taste of… chocolate.
At the end of January, a new masterpiece of the beer industry appeared on the Japanese market specifically for Valentine's Day: chocolate beer. Produced by Sankt Gallen Brewery (Kanagawa Prefecture), chocolate beer isn't actually made from real chocolate or cocoa beans.
This beer is made from a mixture of chocolate malt roasted at high temperatures and regular malt, which gives the drink a rich rich taste and dark chocolate color, unlike the usual golden one the beer color we're used to.
Chocolate beer is actually a strong porter, which is prepared with the addition of special chocolate malt
The creators of this strange drink used an interesting marketing ploy. It is known that on February 14, it is customary in Japan to give chocolate as sweet gifts to lovers, and chocolate is mainly hunted by women who sweep away the shelves of candy stores.
Since men are the main recipients of these sweet gifts, they might be more excited to receive alcohol as a gift. As a result, chocolate beer is two in one: both chocolate and drink.
Chocolate beer varieties: orange and vanilla flavours
Chocolate beer producers convince consumers that their new product changes its taste depending on temperature. If you take the ice beer out of the fridge and let it stand at room temperature, it will taste milder, as it does with red wine.
Sankt Gallen has prepared another surprise for Valentine's Day and offers to taste a new drink in a specially made… chocolate glass. An edible glass and a bottle of beer are included. Chocolate beer tastes somewhat bitter, so a sweet snack with it is the right thing, say company representatives. However, mixing beer with sweets is a matter of taste.
What is chocolate-flavored beer made of?
As trite as it may seem, chocolate beer is made from almost the same products as ordinary beer — from sprouted barley grains and malt. Chocolate malt is nothing more than normal malt, but roasted at high temperatures to a dark color. This harsh processing allows the drink to get a taste similar to that of chocolate. To enhance the taste, producers add real chocolate to beer.
This is what chocolate malt looks like, which vaguely resembles coffee and chocolate in taste
Color comparison between chocolate malt (bottom), common malt (left) and caramel malt (right)
High quality water is required to produce a drink. Hot water is added to malt in large containers and the product is left to ferment. The slightest difference in water temperature at this stage affects the taste of the final drink.
In the brewery, all ingredients are carefully weighed and processed. It is very important to preserve the recipe and monitor the temperature
Real fruits are used in the production process to obtain additional fruit flavors, such as orange flavor. Oranges are cut into slices with the peel, cooked over low heat, added to the malt and go through the fermentation stages along with it.
Other unusual beers with different flavors
Beer producers often wonder how to surprise a modern consumer who has probably already tried everything in the world. Chocolate is far from the only unusual taste that can sometimes be present in beer. What do you think about pizza-flavored beer?
A beer called Mamma Mia! It was invented not in Italy, where pizza is usually washed down with wine, but in America. In addition to the main ingredients, producers use tomatoes, garlic and basil in its production. Apparently, they are used to ordering pizza with these ingredients.
Original beer for dogs
Another unusual beer is beef-flavored beer for… dogs. Whether four-legged pets appreciate this drink is unknown, but caring owners are now forced to shell out not only for their beer, but also for dog beer.
This unusual beer was invented in Holland by a pet shop owner in Gelderland. By the way, the animal lover decided to make the product non-alcoholic after all. It is also quite suitable for two-legged gourmets.
Beer with milk
Bilk (from English. Beer+Milk) is an original beer that consists of 30 percent milk. The Japanese inventors of this strange drink thought that if milk is added to tea, coffee and other drinks, why not add it to beer?
The manufacturer claims that Bilk beer cannot be obtained by mixing regular beer with milk. In fact, its production is much more complicated than it might seem. Those who have tried this beer claim that it tastes more fruity than milky.
The original beer was invented by American Jen Mueller. He uses… oysters to make his drink. However, if you don't particularly like seafood, you won't like this type of beer.
Pepper beer
Chili Beer is a peppered beer for those who like spicier foods. It tastes like ordinary beer, but with the addition of hot peppers and other seasonings. It is produced in Arizona, USA. Producers offer Mexican snacks, nachos, chips and enchiladas.
Another bitter beer, but based on wasabi horseradish, is Wasabi Dry beer, which was invented in Japan. The seasoning gives the drink not only its characteristic taste, but also colors it greenish.
Dogfish Head beer is a real bouquet of various flavors. This is chicory root, pumpkin, coffee, and cloves. All these ingredients are added to the drink during its preparation, so the end product is more than strange. It is difficult to describe its taste, you should try it!
