For years, the city of Seattle has been recognized around the world for its coffee culture. Nobody likes coffee as much as a Seattleite. You can always count on finding a great cup of coffee there but it’s not hard to find a delicious pint of craft beer either. So why not showcase the best of both worlds in one delicious drink? Well, that’s exactly what our friends from Elysian Brewing decided to do. The result is the Elysian Split Shot Espresso Milk Stout.
The Split Shot was the feature beer for this year’s Seattle Beer Week. As a matter of fact, it was the first non “hop forward” beer to be the feature beer of the festival in years.
This cold infused Espresso Milk Stout combines the talents of Elysian Brewing and Lighthouse Roasters. They “brewed” the coffee with a cold extraction known as toddy. Freshly roasted coffee, coarsely ground and mixed with cold water sits chilled for 48 hours. Then the toddy was separated from the grounds and added to the chilled fermenter after the yeast was removed. Apparently it’s not hard to make a toddy on a small scale but according to one of the brewers at Elysian, Dano, it was quite the nightmare for this particular application (picture a 50ft 1 ½ hose packed with coffee grounds. But we both agreed that it was completely worth it. Vancouver Craft Beer. Elysian Brewing reps in Vancouver BC
The Split Shot Espresso Milk Stout has a radically complicated malt bill, with a wide variety of dark malts and flaked oats. It’s bittered with Magnum hops and slightly sweetened with milk sugar. It pours the same colour as the dark side of the moon and it produces a tan coloured head. It has a rich aroma of roasted coffee with a hint of chocolate. Mildly carbonated, light to medium-bodied, and it tastes like sweetened espresso. You definitely taste the milk sugar on the aftertaste.
Overall the Elysian Split Shot Espresso Milk Stout is a fantastic brew that combines the best of both worlds: craft beer and coffee. It’s currently available on tap at Portland Craft, The Hub Restaurant and Lounge, St. Augustine’s, Alibi Room and Fogg N Sudds. You can find bottles of this espresso goodness at most craft beer forward private liquor stores in Vancouver, the Lower Mainland and Victoria BC. BC Craft Beer, Craft Beer BC. Vancouver Beer Blog.
Cheers!
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