23 Bizarre Beers At Beer Advocate’s Extreme Beer Fest Feb. 1 & 2
In a couple of weekends, thousands of craft beer enthusiasts will flock to Boston for a chance to indulge in hundreds of so-called extreme beers: those that push the boundaries of brewing, often using extravagant ingredients like coconut, caviar, or even hot peppers. Sushi beer anyone? This year’s most intriguing concoctions include brews featuring pickles, pork rub, Kimchi, and one with burnt weenies. And don’t worry, hopheads will find their share of Double, Milkshake, and Sour IPAs as well.
If you’ve never been, you’re missing out on one of the best festivals in the country, and it’s one of the few that we most look forward to each year. Believe it or not, tickets are still available for the Friday night session. We hope to see you there. If you want to find us and say hi, here are 23 booths we plan to be at for samples of some of the most extreme beers of the weekend.
Blueberry Acai San Marco Foeder, a 6.5% Foeder fermented Blonde Ale conditioned on blueberries and açaí, from Aardwolf Brewing in Florida
Double Pineapple Coconut Creamsicle, an 8.8% New England Style IPA made with toasted coconut, vanilla and pineapple from New York’s Beer Tree Brew Co.
Burnt Weeny Sandwich, a 4.5% Smoked Cream Ale with mustard seed, toasted hot dog buns and charred kosher beef hot dogs, from legendary Massachusetts brewpub Cambridge Brewing Company
Banana Bread Privyet, an 11.4% Russian Imperial Stout with a banana bread infusion, from Destihl in Illinois
Brownie Inception, a 6% Brown Ale brewed with brownies that were made with brown ale, from Black Hog Brewing in Conecticut
Lemon Drop Cupcake, an 8% American IPA conditioned on Meyer lemons and vanilla, from Dewey Beer Co. in Delaware
Mister Cho’s Kimchi Gose, a 5% spicey Gose with handmade Kimchi, from Everett’s Down The Road Beer Co.
Carina Peach Sour Ale, a 5.5% sour ale aged on rum with cinnamon and vanilla, from Ecleptic Brewing in Oregon
Cake!, a 6.5% pastry beer brewed with cinnamon coffee cake and coffee, from Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing in Framingham
Pickle, a 5% cucumber and pickle spice sour ale, from Foolproof in Rhode Island
Waffle Star, a 9% Imperial Stout with lactose, coffee, and aged on toasted waffles and bourbon barrel aged maple syrup, by Four Quarters Brewing in Vermont
Hot Rebellion Anti-Imperial Stout, a 2.5% small stout brewed with lactose, cocoa nibs, and Habanero peppers, from Gneiss Brewing in Maine
Related: A Brewery Taproom Is Coming To Boston Public Market
A World Lit Only By Fire, a 6.8% Sour IPA with pineapple, mango, and tear gas, from Henry and Fran in West Boylston
Wrath of Kaiju, an 11.5% Russian Imperial Stout with black tutupi and Hiratake mushrooms, from Japas Cervejaria in Brazil
Calle de Pina, a 6.5% American Wild Ale aged and refermented in a hot sauce barrel with 25 pineapples, from Long Trail in Vermont
Caviar Godmother, a 12% American Imperial Stout kissed with kilos of caviar, from Lord Hobo in Woburn
Milk of the Gods Strawberry Cheesecake IPA, an 8% Milkshake IPA, by Mortalis Brewing in New York
In The Dunes Pina Colada Hefe, a 4.2% Pina Colada inspired fruit beer with coconut flakes, from Naukabout Beer in Mashpee
Acrimony, a 65 Golden Sour Ale with Apricots, from New England Brewing in Connecticut
Sushi Saison, a 5.6% Belgian Saison brewed with seaweed, cucumber, avocado, wasabi powder, and pickled ginger, from Otter Creek Brewing in Vermont
Pear Bear, a 3.2% Brut IPA with Norwegian yeast, starch converter enzyme, and pear puree, from Somerville Brewing (Slumbrew)
BBQ Camp Fire, a 6.4% BBQ pork rub-infused Smoked Robust Porter, from Throwback Brewery in New Hampshire
Key Lime Pie Berliner, a 4% Berliner Weiss brewed with 250 lbs of key limes, lactose and vanilla, and a hint of graham cracker, from WeldWorks in Colorado.
Garlic-Herb Gose Gruite, a 6% Gruit Saison with garlic, sea salt, and herbs soured to a pleasant acidity, from Urban Farm Fermentory in Maine
Related: 5 Charity Beers You Should Seek Out And Support
New England is well represented at this year’s festival, with 41 brewers from the region accepting invites. Here’s a breakdown of who will be there.
Connecticut: Athletic Brewing, Black Hog, New England Brewing, OEC Brewing, Relic, These Guys Brewing, Two Roads.
Maine: Allagash, Banded Brewing, Barreled Souls, Baxter, Gneiss, Monhegan Brewing, Urban Farm Fermentory Gruit Brewing.
Massachusetts: Bent Water, Brewmaster Jack, Cambridge Brewing, Down The Road, Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing, Greater Good Imperials, Henry and Fran, Jack’s Abby, Lamplighter, Lord Hobo, Naukabout, Night Shift, Sam Adams, Somerville Brewing (Slumbrew), Springdale, Vanished Valley.
New Hampshire: Branch and Blade, Earth Eagle, Garrison City Beerworks, Rockingham Brewing, Throwback Brewery.
Rhode Island: Foolproof.
Vermont: Foam Brewers, Four Quarters, Long Trail, Otter Creek.
