From the Beer Writer: Speedway Stout, a coffee-imperial stout produced by (my current employer) AleSmith Brewing Company, has long been one of my favorite beers. Since the first time I tasted it roughly a decade ago, I’ve been hooked. I consider it a standard-bearer for all big coffee-laden stouts and, before the Miramar brewery started producing one-offs, I thought it impossible to improve on. I was wrong. For years now, the brewery has used different types of coffee, including the famed kopi luwak variety requiring the availability of a well-regulated Southeast Asian rodent, to add diversity and additional flavor to Speedway Stout. More recently, AleSmith has issued variants of the beer that are culturally and regionally specific. First it was Hawaiian Speedway Stout, which included Ka’u coffee, toasted coconut and vanilla beans. That beer was as sultry as a hula girl, and its success led AleSmith’s brew crew to take on another geographic region and its culinary delights. Enter Mexican Speedway Stout, a blend of fresh and aged imperial stout matured in añejo tequila-soaked oak barrels. Bittersweet chocolate and cinnamon are added to the mix for extra depth and a symbiotic flavor profile that is truly special and worthy of coveting. This beer was produced in very small batches. Bottles of it are currently on-sale online, and the beer will go on-tap exclusively at AleSmith’s Miramar tasting room starting at the Mexican Speedway release party, starting at 11 a.m., tomorrow.
From the Brewer: “The idea for Mexican Speedway Stout came about when we first decided to age our imperial stout in añejo tequila barrels. As the stout aged and the flavors matured, we couldn’t help but think of a champurrado—a classic Mexican beverage that showcases chocolate and cinnamon. So we decided to take this beer one step further as an homage to those flavors. The result is a rich, flavorful, barrel-aged imperial stout that combines cinnamon, Mexican coffee, chocolate and the oaky essence of the tequila barrels in which it was aged. Velvety notes of vanilla and chocolate combine with the spicy flavors of the cinnamon and tequila to create a beer that is as subtly balanced as it is opulent.”—Ryan Crisp, Director of Brewery Operations, AleSmith Brewing Company
From the Bottle: Our Southern California hometown of San Diego has been heavily influenced by our South-of-the-Border neighbors. In many senses, it’s nearly impossible to discern where Mexican culture ends and San Diegans’ begins. So it is with great pride that we endeavored to bring bold flavors and ingredients inspired by our cross-border muses in the form of the latest ambitious variation of our coffee-studded vanguard, Speedway Stout. We started by storing our imperial stout in tequila barrels, then blending it with fresh Speedway infused with a special blend of Mexican coffee beans and fine bittersweet chocolate balanced by warming, earthy cinnamon. The result is a smooth and tantalizing beer that drinks like Mexican hot chocolate and comes across as a brilliant display of hand-crafted cultural fusion.
Disclosure: When not pounding out articles on the local craft-beer scene, you can find me working hard as the Marketing Manager for AleSmith. But know this…I wouldn’t dare tell you this beer was awesome if it wasn’t truly awesome. I hope you enjoy it!