Coffee and beer - a match or a flop? Exploring the myths about the famous combination

• How did the combination of coffee and beer appear?
• Is it true that coffee helps sober you up?
• Coffee with beer: harm or benefit?

Coffee and beer are drunk at different times and on different occasions, but they have much more in common than meets the eye. Beverages that were considered ordinary 10 years ago have now become gourmet products: craft beer and specialty coffee have won millions of fans. But what if you mix the two? Let’s find out how justified this combination is and what myths are associated with it.

How did the combination of coffee and beer appear?

Experiments with coffee and beer began in the middle of the XX century, when brewers and bartenders began to look for new flavors. But the real boom happened in the nineties and noughties due to the growing popularity of craft beer.

The first successful variants were coffee stouts and porters — dark brews with deep flavors that perfectly complemented the coffee notes. Brewers added coffee at various stages:

— during brewing — for a rich flavor;
— during fermentation — for softness;
— into the finished beer — as a cold coffee infusion.

A good example of such a recipe is the Japanese beer Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout, which can be tasted in Lambic beer restaurants. It’s a flavorful, dense ale brewed in the style of American imperial stouts with coffee beans added for espresso.

Bartenders, too, have contributed to popularizing this unusual combination, creating original cocktails from coffee and beer. The most popular is the Black & Tan, which includes stout, lager and espresso. Today, such mixes are part of the craft culture.

Is it true that coffee helps sober you up?

One of the main myths is that coffee supposedly neutralizes alcohol. In fact, caffeine only masks intoxication. It creates the illusion of liveliness, but coffee does not actually lower blood alcohol levels. In addition, a cocktail of coffee and beer can increase the strain on the heart.

If you drink coffee before alcohol, it will temporarily increase the activity of liver enzymes that break down ethanol. But this does not mean that it is necessary to increase the dose.

Coffee with beer: harm or benefit?

In moderate quantities, low-alcohol coffee beers (for example, stouts with 4-6% strength) are relatively safe.

If you want to try such a mix, choose drinks from quality ingredients. For example:

— Dark beer (porter, stout) and cold espresso.
— Lager or ale and light coffee syrup.

There are contraindications for such cocktails. Mixing coffee with beer is not recommended for people with hypertension, heart and GI diseases, as well as those who use drugs incompatible with caffeine.

The combination of coffee and beer is an interesting gastronomic experience, especially if you respect the measure. Come to Lambic — we will treat you to interesting drinks without harming your health!

Date: 20 May

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