Odd beer ideas

[ctenidae]

Checking up on garden progress yesterday, I noticed I have a decent amount of mint growing, and aside from making mint juleps, don't really use much mint. Which made me think, what about brewing a mint julep beer? Thinking a barleywine to get the alcohol bite, plus some oak chips to simulate aged bourbon, a little sweet, and some mint.

This, combined with a bottle of Theobroma sitting at home waiting for me, got me thinking, what other "odd" beer combos do you think might actually be tasty? I lean towards the idea that beer ought to be "rustic" and use whatever's available, as it was way back in the day before mega breweries started turning out bland least-common-denominator swill. So, what do you have laying around the house that might actually make for a tasty beer addition?

 

[Geoff]

Checking up on garden progress yesterday, I noticed I have a decent amount of mint growing, and aside from making mint juleps, don't really use much mint. Which made me think, what about brewing a mint julep beer? Thinking a barleywine to get the alcohol bite, plus some oak chips to simulate aged bourbon, a little sweet, and some mint.

This, combined with a bottle of Theobroma sitting at home waiting for me, got me thinking, what other "odd" beer combos do you think might actually be tasty? I lean towards the idea that beer ought to be "rustic" and use whatever's available, as it was way back in the day before mega breweries started turning out bland least-common-denominator swill. So, what do you have laying around the house that might actually make for a tasty beer addition?

Why not simply toss a slightly crushed sprig of mint into your glass before you pour your beer? It would be like the Germans floating a thin slice of lemon in a weissbier.

 

[playoutside]

Not sure about the beer, but invite some friends over and make Mojitos!

 

[Paul]

Not sure about the beer, but invite some friends over and make Mojitos!

This

That's where the majority of my mint ends-up

 

[ctenidae]

Not sure about the beer, but invite some friends over and make Mojitos!

Well, yes, but that'd be a lot of mojitos. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you.

 

[tarponhead]

Checking up on garden progress yesterday, I noticed I have a decent amount of mint growing, and aside from making mint juleps, don't really use much mint. Which made me think, what about brewing a mint julep beer? Thinking a barleywine to get the alcohol bite, plus some oak chips to simulate aged bourbon, a little sweet, and some mint.

This, combined with a bottle of Theobroma sitting at home waiting for me, got me thinking, what other "odd" beer combos do you think might actually be tasty? I lean towards the idea that beer ought to be "rustic" and use whatever's available, as it was way back in the day before mega breweries started turning out bland least-common-denominator swill. So, what do you have laying around the house that might actually make for a tasty beer addition?

I brew a lot of beer and have added some strange things here and there. For the mint addition I would take a 1/2 cup of vodka and soak the mint leaves in there overnight (in the fridge). Remove the mint leaves and add the "tea" to your brew. This way garuntees against introducing infection (although BW strength helps there) and more importantly you don't have those leaves rotting in your brew. I use this technique successfully with hot peppers, vanilla extract and shrooms (yes schrooms: chanterelle mushroom extract in a belgian style ale. That was some killer stuff!)

Good luck and post in a year in how it turned out!

 

[ctenidae]

I brew a lot of beer and have added some strange things here and there. For the mint addition I would take a 1/2 cup of vodka and soak the mint leaves in there overnight (in the fridge). Remove the mint leaves and add the "tea" to your brew. This way garuntees against introducing infection (although BW strength helps there) and more importantly you don't have those leaves rotting in your brew. I use this technique successfully with hot peppers, vanilla extract and shrooms (yes schrooms: chanterelle mushroom extract in a belgian style ale. That was some killer stuff!)

Good luck and post in a year in how it turned out!

Mushrooms in a Belgian actually sounds pretty awesome.

The BW lag time is points against it, to be sure.

I like the vodka tip- nice one.

 

[deadheadskier]

I like the vodka tip- nice one.

Off topic, but I'm friends with the makers of Green Mountain Sunshine Vodka. For fun, they make all sorts of tinctures to bring to parties, mint being one of them.

 

[Beetlenut]

I once made a Barley wine from an Imperial Stout by adding a cup of Ameretto and refermenting for about a year. Very rich stuff, but tasty!

 

[ctenidae]

Off topic, but I'm friends with the makers of Green Mountain Sunshine Vodka. For fun, they make all sorts of tinctures to bring to parties, mint being one of them.

Whenever I have an extra bottle of vodka and an extra pineapple I put them together and stash in teh fridge. After a few weeks, even 100 proof vodka is sippable.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Whenever I have an extra bottle of vodka and an extra pineapple I put them together and stash in teh fridge. After a few weeks, even 100 proof vodka is sippable.

dang 100 proof vodka..what brand is that?

 

[Grassi21]

dang 100 proof vodka..what brand is that?

is this your first rodeo? seriously....

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

is this your first rodeo? seriously....

I always thought Vodka was just about always 80 proof..

 

[Beetlenut]

dang 100 proof vodka..what brand is that?

is this your first rodeo? seriously....

Oh leave the wanna-be-Mod man-boy alone! Guy has to start from somewhere, don't he?!

 

[ctenidae]

dang 100 proof vodka..what brand is that?

The one in the fridge right now is Absolut, but pretty much everyone makes one now.

Rodeo, his first time, it is.

 

[Grassi21]

I always thought Vodka was just about always 80 proof..

just busting your stones. as ct said, many brands put out a 100 proof option. i have also seen rumple minze in the 100 proof variety recently.

i like to use the 100 proof vodka when i make my own kahlua. mmmm, nice to shoot.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

The one in the fridge right now is Absolut, but pretty much everyone makes one now.

Rodeo, his first time, it is.

I never buy booze..I figured by the time I was almost 30, I'd have a liquor cabinet but then I'd just drink it so I just drink hard stuff at the bar..

 

[noski]

...uh...bacon? :???:

 

[tarponhead]

Another interesting beer is from a guy out on the west coast. Bourbon vanilla imperial porter.

Make your porter as strong as you like. Add vodka tea from whole vanilla beans (extract can taste medicinal in larger quantities, thats why use whole beans) and add bourbon to taste (I ended up adding ~0.5 L of good Jim Bean per 5 gal batch ). All of this obviously at the end of the fermentation.

Stuff weighed in at a touch over 8% ABV. Must brew again beccause that stuff was just plain fun!

I brew a lot. Got sacks of whole grain in the basement and three kegs on tap in the garage. Probably weigh 20lbs less if I gave up this silly hobby........

 

[ctenidae]

...uh...bacon? :???:

Thought of that one. I'm afraid the salt, nitrates, and other fun stuff might cause a little yeastocide.