FOOD NEWS
Dessert Beers Are Becoming The New Post-Dinner Night Cap
By Elaina Friedman
Beer is steadily shedding its mainstream reputation as wine's less refined counterpart, and has proved its place beyond savory food. It's now socially acceptable to enjoy a nice beer with a slice of cake or a bar of chocolate, and a new class of stout brews allows you to get your dessert fix and your nightcap fix in one.
A pastry stout, according to Hoax Brewing Co.’s Sean Ricci, is a “big, thick, higher-ABV stout packed with tons of fun dessert flavors, most commonly imitating flavors of pastries and snacks.” While it's become known among the craft beer community, the term hasn't yet been recognized by organizations like the Great American Beer Festival.
The lack of an official designation might be due to the pastry stout’s hazy definition, as people can't seem to agree on whether or not a pastry stout has lactose in it. For now, founder of Trillium Brewing Co. J.C. Tetreault says that a pastry stout is characterized by its “culinary ingredients that drive home the impression of rich dessert flavors.”