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Leave it to two Brooklyn brothers to find quirky, historically rooted uses for cocoa beans. After hot-brewing chocolate like coffee and serving it to New Yorkers in the morning à la java, Michael and Rick Mast of Mast Brothers Chocolate Makers have found a new—and even better—way to drink chocolate: In beer form.
While the term "chocolate beer" is a bit misleading (there are no hops and it's nonalcoholic), it's treated in a similar way to suds. Once the globally sourced beans are roasted in house at the flagship chocolate factory, they're shelled and then cold-brewed for 24 hours in stainless steel fermentation tanks typically used for wine or small-batch beer. There is nothing else added to the brew—not even sugar.
Later, CO2 is added for carbonation and the "beer" is syphoned into kegs. As it's poured from the tap, nitrogen is added to the brew to bring out its creamy, cocoa butter notes and give it a nice frothy head.
The cocoa beer is offered in two styles: The brand's hallmark "Brooklyn Blend" with hints of allspice, and the "Vanilla and Smoke" hailing from Madagascar. There will soon be two other varietals, including one from Tanzania and another from Peru, which will show off lime and cinnamon flavors. Each 12-ounce draft is a little nutty, very rich and buttery, and even lends some warm caramel notes.
If you want to turn the virgin chocolate drink into a cocktail, the brothers suggest pairing with bourbon, rye, or rum and amaro. Because what's beer without the buzz?
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