Knocking back a cold one with your meal may seem redundant since the advent of beef in your beer. Samuel Adams/Boston Beer Company have little qualms about mixing meat into their brew and clearly label their larger as containing 20 pounds of grilled sliced beef hearts.
Experimenting with queer-beer pairing is nothing new, earlier this year Aussie brew master Mark Zable introduced deep fried beer in a Texas cooking contest. Zable successfully fried the liquid by cooking doughy-beer in oil heated at 375-degrees for only 20 seconds, apparently it tastes like taking a bite of hot pretzel dough and chasing it with a drink of beer.
Going beyond batter to add beef in beer elevates the stakes somewhat, off putting for vegetarians and meat eaters alike.
Company founder Jim Koch and New York City chef David Burke describe their carnivorous concoction as salty and savory with a “big spice hit up front” and a distinctive beef heart “finish.” Besides beef the mix incorporates a pungent autumnal spice blend of clove, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
Currently available at David Burke Townhouse, David Burke at Bloomingdale’s, and Fishtail among other Burke restaurant establishments but only with a government-required Statement of Process detailing exactly what it is composed of.
Taking time to read the label in this case could save you a strong distaste, better still choose your beer from Barnivore the vegan wine and beer guide!
Where this company was up-front with customers, many others choose to disguise their ingredients using innovative labelling. This means avoiding animal by-products requires attention to detail, as in the following examples:
- Rennet enzymes extracted from the fourth stomach chamber of unweaned cow, lamb and goat calves (used in the cheese making process)
- Animal hair/feather-derived amino L-cysteine (used in baked goods)
- Animal bone-derived gelatin (a main ingredient in Jell-O, dietary supplements in gel-cap form, margarine, marshmallows, lowfat sour cream/yogurt, countless chewy candies and gummy-like confections)
- Isinglass or fish bladder (a common fining agent that filters/clarifies wine)
Source: This Dish is Vegetarian
