Best Nut Beers
Brewers are going nuts for nuts
Beer drinkers today have an overwhelming variety of choices. There's fruit beer, ramen beer and—for better or worse—fried chicken beer. Now it's time to add another varietal to the list: nut beer. Be it pistachio, pecan or good old-fashioned peanut butter, nuts have found a home in brewing, lending their characteristic flavors to beer of all kinds. Here are six brews that are making nuts work for them.
(512) Brewing Company, (512) Double Pecan Porter
Austin-based (512) Brewing Company has married a dark and chocolaty porter with locally sourced pecans, and what we want to know is why it didn't do it sooner. Sweet, smooth and full bodied, this porter is comfort food drink in a glass.
Photo: The Beer Hall via Facebook
Terrapin Beer Co., Liquid Bliss Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter
Yes, you read that correctly. The beer maestros at Georgia-based brewery Terrapin have succumbed to their sweet-tooth with Liquid Bliss, a roasty porter flavored with peanut and chocolate. If the Peanut Butter Cup has taught us anything, we already know this is a good match. Enjoy it with glazed pork ribs or aged cheese for a beer pairing you won't soon forget.
Photo: Terrapin via Facebook
Stevens Point Brewery, Snow Pilot Pistachio Nut Brown Ale
It works well in ice cream, so why wouldn't pistachio work in beer, too? That's what Stevens Point Brewery is asking with its Snow Pilot Pistachio Nut Brown Ale, which is brewed with heaps of the crushed nut. "You could say we've gone nuts," the brewery says, but we know mad genius when we see it.
Photo: Grubalub via Facebook
Brouwerij Oud Beersel, Oud Beersel Green Walnut Lambic
If you've never had a lambic beer, add it to your must-drink list. Often brewed with whole fruit, no other style can offer the intense, tart flavor that the lambic style can. In this case, Belgium-based Brouwerij Oud Beersel ditches the traditional lambic fruit choices, like cherries or raspberries, for green walnuts. Pick this one up for a dry and spicy Belgian brew.
Photo: Humlejuice.se via Facebook
Bristol Brewing Company, Cheyenne Cañon Piñon Nut Brown Ale
The humble pine nut is a true team player. We already owe it considerably for its role in pesto, and now the piñon is leaping into the world of brewing as part of Bristol Brewing Company's Cheyenne Cañon Piñon Nut Brown. Brewed with these ever-aromatic seeds, Cañon Piñon is a bold and drinkable brown ale. Even better, 100 percent of the profits from this beer go to supporting Colorado's North Cheyenne Canyon Park.
Photo: Bristol Brewing Company via Facebook
Catawba Brewing Co., Peanut Butter Jelly Time
How does Catawba Brewing Co. go about getting the flavor of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich into a beer? Simple, brewers barrel it with raspberries and peanuts for weeks, imbuing it with the signature flavors we come to expect from a PB&J. It's the adult version of a childhood favorite, so go ahead and crack open a bottle of nostalgia.
Photo: Catawba Brewing Co. via Facebook