Both beer and coffee are always included in the top 5 list of most consumed beverages worldwide yearly. In fact, they often go head to head against each other, with coffee being ahead of beer most of the time. No matter what website or study you look at, you can clearly see that these beverages have been extremely popular to consumers.
For beer, alcohol is the main ingredient responsible for making it that appealing to consumers, but its malty, bitter taste and tingly mouthfeel are also reasons why people love drinking it. Describing the flavor of beers can sometimes be difficult, especially if it’s a craft brew, because their qualities vary on the brewer that produced them. In fact, everything about beer is so difficult to describe that there are numerous websites dedicated to helping people find the right words to best describe the qualities of beer.
For coffee, caffeine is the primary ingredient that turns it into a beverage that consumers just can’t get enough of. As a stimulant to the central nervous system, the power of caffeine is very helpful for individuals who need to remove morning sleepiness or stay sharp at work. Caffeine is also one of the main ingredients of energy drinks and, according to Monster Energy distributor, this ingredient is arguably the main reason why consumers are hooked on energy-boosting beverages.
Now, what would happen if we add coffee’s best ingredient to beer?
The answer: caffeinated beer.
Caffeinated beer, or coffee beer, had been fairly popular back in the previous decade, but its rise had been hampered by both state attorney generals and the FDA out of health concerns regarding alcoholic energy drinks. But thanks to the innovative minds of some craft brewers, the beverage is starting to pick up some steam again and is being brewed from all over the world.
Because of the unusual combination of caffeine and alcohol, chugging down a bottle or can of caffeinated beer takes the consumer to a truly unique drinking experience which can be best described as amazing. The caffeine and alcohol contents of each coffee beer vary on the brewery, but craft brewers tend to experiment more by switching up the caffeine levels and ABV of their specialty brews from time to time.
However, due to restrictions by state and national laws, brewers are required to practice extreme caution whenever they brew a batch of caffeinated beer. These restrictions were set because of a number of state attorney generals who were concerned about alcoholic energy drinks and how they present many potential health hazards to consumers. In fact, a number of manufacturers were given a mandate to remove the potentially harmful ingredient combination in their drinks back in 2010.
While coffee beer is an incredible beverage that is capable of giving both coffee and beer lovers the buzz they are looking for, it’s important for consumers to be responsible with their consumption to avoid the health risks presented by caffeine and alcohol. Also, craft brewers should be responsible when putting in ingredients to each batch they produce.