Craft beer distilleries are making beers inspired by classic cocktails like the Negroni, Margarita, Old Fashioned, and more.
Any comparisons between craft beer and cocktails or spirits have long been quite basic — uninspired, even. They’re often flavor descriptors that drinkers stumble upon after the fact, like realizing a fruited sour has some-adjacent notes. Or, the simple similarities are printed right on the label: “This bourbon barrel-aged stout has notes of bourbon.
So, what does this cocktail-to-beer translation process look like? To capture Boulevardier flavors without actually adding its signature ingredient of redgrape must, Angelica root, and bitter orange peel, which also nails the cocktail’s garnish. To channel the whiskey's warmth, the 9.5% ABV ale is aged in bourbon barrels for eight weeks.