The 10% ABV Tiramisu Imperial Stout was brewed in October in collaboration with US brewing company Cigar City in Tampa Bay, Florida.
Hawkshead head brewer Matt Clarke told The Morning Advertiser: “I always enjoyed beers brewed with coffee, but I’ve never tried an imperial milk stout that was inspired by tiramisu.
“The idea came from my partner, Michelle, who is a chef. She suggested we brewed a dessert-inspired beer when collaborating with Cigar City Brewery.”
‘Endless possibilities with beer’
The drink was made with coffee beans, eight varieties of malt and lactose to resemble the thick, layered consistency of the dessert.
Clarke added: “The feedback has been tremendous, it's like having pudding in a glass.”
“It's been quite amazing. The beer has been on sale for only a short amount of time. We have sold out on draft and we only have a few bottles left.”
Clarke said many brewing companies in the UK were producing pale ales based on desserts, such as Buxton Brewery’s Ice Cream Brown Ale.
He added: “The whole brewing method is not too dissimilar to cooking. A lot of inspirations comes from combining different ingredients. There are endless possibilities with what you can create with beer nowadays.”
Canned goods
Hawkshead released its first two beers — 7% ABV American-style IPA and 3.5% ABV Session New Zealand Pale Ale — in cans last month.
The brewery was also given multiple awards at the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) North West Beer Competition in Bolton, Greater Manchester.
Limited-edition beer, Tonka, was crowned overall winner after beating 81 small pack (bottle and canned) beers, while Windermere Pale came second.