Coffee Infused Beer Is a Drinking Gamechanger

Here’s some stellar news for those among us who run on coffee by day and beer by night: your favorite beer brewers and coffee roasters are collaborating to create the ne plus ultra of the beverage world. And while the two have a long-established rapport that goes beyond a seasonal special at a monopolizing beverage franchise, the introduction of Starbucks’ "Dark Barrel Latte" may be an indicator that the relationship between craft beer and coffee is being tapped by mainstream markets. As Matt Viser at the Boston Globe points out, “Some of the hottest names among connoisseurs of both products are joining forces. Among beer and coffee snobs, it’s as if the Red Sox and the Patriots fielded a team together.” For those of you who aren’t sports enthusiasts, that’s basically baseball jargon for a literal gift from god.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a self-proclaimed foodie who doesn’t also take interest in at least some aspect of beverage culture, be it carefully crafted espresso drinks, locally brewed artisanal beers, or mixology and cocktails. There’s been crossover between the three since the birth of booze, but the recent popularity in coffee-infused artisanal brews has seen marriages between some of the best on the market, creating new exotic flavors for the taste aficionado. Here’re some of the highlights, as reported by Viser:

• Chicago's popular roaster Intelligentsia has partnered with Good Beer Hunting to host a series of tasting events called "Uppers and Downers," which is described on their website as "a collaboration exploring the intersection of coffee and beer making."
• Portland, Oregon's delicious Stumptown roaster recently teamed up with Six Point Brewery in Brooklyn, and have since collaborated with Captain Lawrence on their Hopsomniac IPA.
• Across the way in the other Portland (Maine), Allagash commissioned a brew with local roaster James Bean.
• This year, Providence's Narragansett is bringing back their popular milk coffee stout with Autocrat Coffee.

And at this point you’re probably thinking you’d like to sip every one those. Consider this your friendly reminder to drink responsibly (however feel free to do so while consuming any or all of the aforementioned alcoholic beverages).