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[1] Coffee stout float. The recipe is below (Gemini Photo).
[2] Xocoveza, a coffee stout from Stone Brewing, has been described as “a liquid Christmas cookie” (photo © Gear Patrol).
[3] Amaro Obsidian Coffee Stout from Deschutes Brewery.
[4] Breakfast Stout from Founders Brewing is a milk stout with coffee, although adding it to a bowl of cereal is a personal choice.
[5] The simplest nibble with a glass of stout: salted nuts (photo courtesy McCormick).
[6] Stout pairs beautifully with oysters on the half shell (photo © Whole Foods Market).
[7] Treat yourself to a coffee stout float. The recipe, from Eat Wisconsin Cheese, is below.
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November 5th is World Stout Day. Stout is the darkest and heartiest of beers (porter is in second place).
And if you like coffee too, we have a recipe for dessert: a coffee stout float. The recipe is below.
We begin with the different types of stout, but first, for your perusal:
> The year’s 40+ beer holidays.
> The year’s 14 American-specific beer holidays.
> See the many different types of beer in our beer photo glossary.
> The history of beer.
> The history of craft beer.
> The history of stout is below.
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF STOUT
There are several categories of stout, a beer that has natural coffee and chocolate flavors from the types of malt used.
Chocolate Stout is a sub-category that uses different malts for an even more pronounced chocolate flavor. These days, some brewers add actual chocolate into the brew, or brew over cacao beans, or both.
Coffee Stout uses dark roasted malts to add a bitter coffee flavor. With the tandem growth of interest in microbrews and fine coffee, craft brewers have added specific ground beans to create, for example, “Breakfast Coffee Stout (photo #3),” “Espresso Stout” and “Guatemalan Coffee Stout.”
Cream Stout, Milk Stout or Sweet Stout is a style made sweeter with non-fermentable lactose (milk sugar). The majority of stouts made are this style.
Dry Stout or Irish Stout is very dark and toasty or coffee-note style, exemplified by the world-famous Guinness.
Imperial Stout or Russian Stout or Russian Imperial Stout has more of a rich, roasted quality and a higher level of alcohol. These are potent beers that can be almost as thickly textured as liqueur. Examples include Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout at 7% alcohol and Brooklyn Brewery’s Black Chocolate Stout (a Russian Imperial), at 8.7% alcohol. The alcohol content of imperial stouts can go up to 9% and 10%.
Irish Dry Stout uses unmalted roasted barley and bittering hops (rather than those that emphasize flavor or aroma), with a small amount of sour malt to add character.
Oatmeal Stout adds oatmeal to the mash, which gives a smoothness and creaminess to the stout. It has more restrained flavors and less alcohol than Imperial stout. Samuel Smith makes a benchmark oatmeal stout, with notes of fruit, licorice, chocolate and toffee.
Other variations can be developed by a particular brewer. Caraway stout, for example, includes caraway seeds in the mash.
It’s hard to pick one style from the list, so allow us to suggest a coffee stout. With the ascendancy of coffee as a craft drink in the U.S., combining it with stout is a natural.
Beyond stout, coffee can be added to every style of beer. Here’s a list of the 18 “best” coffee beers from Gear Patrol, and 27 coffee beer recommendations from Thrillist.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF STOUT
Stout is top fermented, which makes it an ale. Both stout and porter, its historic predecessor, are differentiated from conventional ale by their brown-black color, fuller body and stronger flavors.
Stout originated in Ireland, where traditional stouts are very rich, yet sharp and slightly bitter. It followed the creation of porter, a strong, dark ale, higher in alcohol, that originated in London in the early 1720s.
Large amounts of porter were subsequently exported to Ireland. By 1776, Arthur Guinness was brewing it at his St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin. Guinness Stout appeared by 1820.
In the 19th century, porter evolved, creating the new category of stout, meaning strong. It was first called stout porter (stronger porter); later, the porter reference was dropped.
Stout had a black color through the use of black patent malt and more roasted malts. It had a stronger in flavor than port. The alcohol level edged up, too.
This is achieved by brewing with barley that has been dark-roasted to the point of charring (think of espresso beans, compared to a medium-roast coffee). It is thus both darker and maltier than porter, has a more pronounced hop aroma, and may reach an alcoholic content of 6% to 7%.
While stout declined in popularity in the latter half of the 20th century, it has been resurrected by artisan brewers. A craft beer retailer should have a good selection.
STOUT FOOD PAIRINGS
Stout pairs well with strong, spicy and salty flavors:
Barbecued, grilled, roasted and smoked foods
Chocolate, including candy, cake, ice cream (photo #4), mousse and pudding
Desserts, especially fruity desserts (pies, tarts) and spicy ones like gingerbread/gingerbread brownies (recipe)
International cuisines: Indian, Middle Eastern, Szechuan
Rich braises and stews
Salty foods, like chips, nuts, pretzels and Roquefort cheese
Shellfish*: crab, oysters on the half shell, and other shellfish
Strong cheeses
Spicy sausages such as Andouille
RECIPE: COFFEE STOUT FLOAT
For an easy dessert, whip up a coffee stout float with just two ingredients: stout and ice cream.
If you can’t get coffee stout, use any cream/milk stout plus coffee ice cream.
Ingredients
Coffee stout
Ice cream: chocolate, coffee or vanilla
Preparation
1. PLACE two scoops of ice cream in a pint glass or other large glass.
2. Slowly pour the stout over the ice cream, to fill the glass.
3. SERVE with a straw and a spoon.
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*Although shellfish is not strong, spicy or salty, the pairing works—especially with Irish dry stout. Serve the shellfish simply.
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