When I was in elementary school I realized that there were two kinds of people in this world, those who ate healthy breakfast cereal and those ate eat sugary breakfast cereal. Those who ate the healthy breakfast cereal would humbly support why they did so with reasonable facts, and those who did not, were found throwing rocks at the basketball hoops during recess. I am glad my parents raised me on the latter (points to arm muscle). Either way, by now most people should be familiar with the flavors of popular cereal brands. Throughout the years I have tried beers with flavors that brought me back to my childhood cereal bowl. Here are some of my favorite cereal flavors, in beer form.
Leinenkugels Sunset Wheat (Year-round, 4.9% ABV) Tastes like, Post's Fruity Pebbles. This beer might as well advertise being brewed by the Flintstones. This beer has an underground popularity for it's similarity to Fruity Pebbles, but you won't find any of our favorite characters from Bedrock on the label. Brewed in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, this beer is brought to us by the 7th oldest brewery in the United States. This "sunset in a glass" has the expectant aromas of coriander, orange peel and wheat, which are a precise indicator of it's taste. The flavors from the wheat and pale malts come through first, followed by marmalade and yeast. A smoothly unoffensive Witbier that will have you aching for summer, if not your childhood.
Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager (Early spring, 4.2% ABV) Tastes like, Cap'n Crunch Crunch Berries. I was so excited the first time I tried this beer. Not only has it opened my eyes towards other fruit infused ales, but it tastes like my Cap'ns favorite cereal. Abita uses real Louisiana strawberries that are picked late in the season, when they are the sweetest (and I am very thankful they do!) No artificial taste in this brew, just an aroma of strawberry fields as you sip away. The good amount of carbonation increases the body of this light lager, making it creamier and delicious. In the short time this beer has been around it has gained quite the reputation, so snag it while you can!
Southampton Publick House Imperial Porter (Winter, 7.2% ABV) Tastes like, GM Cocoa Puffs. You are bound to go Coo Coo for this Porter. Southampton brewed this Baltic-style Porter keeping in mind the old styles of Great Britain and Eastern Europe in the late 18th - 19th century. Back then, they were known for ales that were strong in alcohol and rich in flavor (and taking down the Holy Roman Empire). This velvety smooth porter has rich notes of chocolate, caramel and dark fruit. The alcohol hides well with this one with flavors of molasses, dark malts, a slight tartness with hints of coffee at the end. This beer is dangerously drinkable and could be a great substitute for milk in the morning. (And if you're near Long Island, check out Southampton Publick House, it's the only Microbrewery/Restaurant on the East End of the Island!)
Not only are there beers that taste like your favorite cereals, but there are beers that are actually brewed with them. You can check out one guys experiment here, as well as find dozens and dozens of other examples on your own. If you think beer and cereal should be separate, well then you were obviously one of those twig eatin' breakfast kids. Try brewing a batch of cereal beer on your own, whatever the outcome, be proud of your own boozy creation. Enjoy!
