It’s been a minute since I wrote about beer. But I got invited to the launch of a collab between The White Hag and Cloud Picker coffee in Tapped in Dublin, and it got me wanting to write again. It’s a long story why.
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But I’ve been on an odd cola buzz lately. With everything going on in the world, I’m trying to find some cola alternatives. One of my all-time favourites is the German Fritz Kola. Impossible to get in Ireland, I’ve started looking into making my old cola – not a big leap for a home brewer I’m guessing.
Fritz Kola is very caffeine forward with lots of coffee flavour. The likes of Fentimans Curiosity Cola and Soccer Special use so much vanilla that it’s just not for me, something Fritz doesn’t have. So it’s odd timing for this beer to come along.
Naturally, a pairing between some of Ireland’s leading beer makers and coffee makers is going to arrive at a coffee stout, a coffee stout called Nocturne. To be specific, this is a cold brew stout, more on the significance of that later. Nocturne is a more refreshing drink than you might expect from the stout category, perhaps thanks to the cola flavour.
While I sipped away on my pint in Tapped, Fritz Kola was in my mind. I was really enjoying this stout because it was satisfying many parts of my flavour brain. There’s a sweetness like cola but also that strong stout flavour, almost like imperial stout. But all of this means you get to enjoy that strong imperial experience at just 4.5%.
Nocturne is not being served on nitro and that’s a good thing. Sure enough, as you wander through Ireland’s pubs, you’ll hear the whisper of “creamy pints” on the wind. That creaminess comes from nitro and gives pints a smoothness. It also covers up a lot of toastiness. Nitro would absolutely destroy this drink, covering up the subtle notes that make it unique.
The brewing process for a beer like this involves a lot more science than some might thing. When you cold brew the coffee element of the recipe, you’re removing quite a bit of the bitterness that you’d expect from coffee. That bitterness is extracted from ground beans when hot to boiling water is poured over them. When you use cold water, you get a completely different flavour profile.
Overall, this is a fantastic stout. Me and the lads often say it isn’t stout weather, but this might be the way. Nocturne is available now in select bars, including Tapped and Underdog, and online from The White Hag and Craft Central.
