5 Beers with Crazy Ingredients

We’re sure you’ve already seen fruit in beer. Even things such as coffee and chocolate are more commonplace these days than they were years ago. But what about vegetables in beer? Or chilis in your suds? Some brewers even create ales aged in wine barrels, which take on Cabernet Sauvignon flavors with sour tendencies. Some of these might be excellent, while others could be a complete train wreck. It’s up to you to decide.

Stone Smoked Porter – Another polarizing brew comes from the fantastic Stone Brewing Company in San Diego County, California. Robust, huge, and loaded with lush smoky, chewy flavors, this isn’t your typical American porter. The wildly smoky taste is shockingly unusual for the uninitiated, but can be quite pleasant if you give it a fighting chance.

Rogue Chipotle Ale – The consistently innovative Rogue Brewery went out on a limb with this one. While some more commercial companies produced some pretty awful chili brews, these guys took a craft approach to the genre. Created with deep, rich malts, and spiced with real Chipotle peppers, this ale is great example of a “love it or hate it” beer.

Russian River Consecration – This is truly unlike anything you’ve probably ever tasted before, if you can manage to locate a bottle. A brown ale aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels for six months with added currants, this massive beer cultivates a plethora of flavors, ranging from warm alcohol to pleasant sourness. It might be an acquired taste, but this is one of the best wild ales on the market.

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale – No, it’s not the same thing as Coors’ take on the pumpkin beer, Harvest Moon. Delaware’s Dogfish Head Brewery created this fall seasonal with real pumpkin to create a truly authentic, interesting flavor which also weighs in at a surprising 7% alcohol. Top it off with brown sugar, allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and you’ve got a true spice bomb in a bottle.

Left Hand Good Juju Ginger Ale – Certainly not the usual item you might pick up at the local liquor store, but Colorado’s Left Hand Brewing Company took a plunge with this ginger based ale. While it essentially begins as a pale ale, they added organic ginger root and a number of spices to create a truly unusual beer which is currently viewed as a rare treat by many.