It seems like everyone is adding funky flavors to their beers lately. Peanut butter, bacon, carrots, cucumbers, the hits just keep on coming. Countless breweries have attempted the foodie beer thing but no one has mastered it like Jared Rouben.
The former head brew master at Goose Island in Chicago, Rouben quit his job to start his own brewery and introduce the world to a new concept: “culinary brewing.” As a graduate of the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) Rouben knows a thing or two about food. And he’s always had a passion for beer, adding it to any recipe he could while he was in school. So it’s only natural that this food/beer genius would combine his two loves and open Moody Tongue Brewing Company.
Rouben’s plan for Moody Tongue is to take “culinary brewing” to the extreme. So what exactly is it? He describes it as, “taking advantage of fresh ingredients a chef uses to make the most flavorful beer possible.” He’s breaking the barrier between brewer and chef by using ingredients like fruits, vegetables and spices. You name it; Rouben will be experimenting with it. The first three beers from the brewery are a Bubblegum Plum Belgian Blonde, Brandied Blackberry Belgian Dubbel and Gingerbread Chocolate Milk Stout. The culinary-inspired beers will be released by December 2013 and a taproom will open at the Chicago location early next year.
So how do you feel about food-flavored beer? We’ve had our share and the jury’s still out. Let us know what you think below.