February, aka Stout Month, is in full swing. There are still two weeks left to indulge in a world of stouts, from dry Irish stouts to barrel-aged stouts and everything in between. And I have two great suggestions for you today—the latest seasonals from Left Hand Brewing: Raspberry Milk Stout and Hard Wired Nitro Coffee Porter.
I was so excited when I first heard about Raspberry Milk Stout (5.7% ABV). Left Hand got creative with a new take on its award-winning Milk Stout by adding a crazy amount of raspberries, and the result is “a liquid raspberry truffle,” as they so perfectly sum it up. The raspberry isn’t subtle; it’s completely up front and in your face, which is how I like my fruited beers. I am absolutely in love with it! It’s only available now through March, so I’m going to stock up in order to have plenty to enjoy through spring, and I’ll stash some away for this fall too.
While not a stout, Hard Wired Nitro Coffee Porter (6% ABV) fits right in with its black as midnight color, medium to full body, and robust flavor. Brewed with Allegro Coffee, this nitro beer is smooth and easy drinking.
Not only are the beers are excellent to drink by themselves, they also pair very well with (and in) food. I whipped up a batch of Chocolate Stout Pretzel Peanut Butter Bars using Hard Wired Nitro, thanks to an awesome recipe from The Beeroness*. These bars are delicious, and this was the best beer possible to both use in the recipe and drink with the finished product.
And Raspberry Milk Stout and Girl Scout Cookies are a dream pairing; try the beer with Thin Mints or Trefolis for a delightful treat. Grab both the beer and cookies to create your own pairings while you still can!
Great job on your newest seasonal releases, Left Hand! Cheers!
*If you like beer and cooking and/or baking, I implore you to check out her cookbooks.
