Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

The 17 Best Coffee-Infused Beers To Flip All the Switches

Mark Stock
By
Male group clinking glasses of dark and light beer on brick wall background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Sometimes a downer is made all the better with an upper. We’re not talking about the heart-racing, stay-up-all-night kinda way a round of Red Bull Vodka’s or Four Loko’s might inspire. More like a pleasant coffee-infused beer. The two realms play really well together. Coffee, with its nutty, earthy, citrusy, roasted elements, and an excellent craft beer with its infinite alignments of grain and hops. Because the flavor spectrums are so broad for each element, though, matching the two requires a bit of skill.

In the old days of craft, it was hard to find much beyond a porter or stout being given the roasted bean treatment. Today, coffee is playing award-winning cameos in IPAs and golden ales and showing up in other styles in the forms of cold brew, espresso, and more. Brewers and roasters from all over the country are teaming up to show how their very specific recipes and coffee bean types can combine to create something else entirely. Here are a few worthy of some space in your fridge.

Recommended Videos

Related Reading:

Pfriem Golden Coffee Ale

Pfriem Golden Coffee Ale
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Made with Kenyan coffee roasted by Portland outfit Coava Coffee, this beer is bright, nutty, and backed by friendly fruit flavors. This Pfriem beer is not the bottom of the pot, teeth-staining dregs kind of coffee addition. Instead, the beer shows quality coffee’s lighter, more elegant side.

Related

Cigar City Cubano Espresso

Cigar City Cubano Espresso
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This brown ale from Tampa marries coffee with cacao nibs and lactose. It’s a nod to Cuban culture, incorporating beans from area roaster Buddy Brew Coffee. It’s like a grown-up malted milkshake without too much richness.

Founder’s Breakfast Stout

Founder’s Breakfast Stout
Image used with permission by copyright holder

A go-to in the craft community for some time, this imperial stout is a stand-alone Sunday brunch. Made with two kinds of coffee, flaked oats, and an array of chocolate, it harks back to your favorite childhood cereal while providing the adult kick (8.3% ABV) you may or may not need, depending on the time of day.

Flying Fish Exit 15 Coffee IPA

Flying Fish Exit 15 Coffee IPA
Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s said that this beer, from one of the OG New Jersey breweries, is named after the Hoboken turnpike exit where a Maxwell House coffee factory once stood. Cold-brew coffee plays off of Cascade, Citra, and Centennial hops for a nice blend of citrus zest and toasty, toffee-like flavors.

Stone Brewing Xocoveza

Stone Brewing Xocoveza
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Calfornia’s Stone Brewing is not known for shy beers that keep to themselves. The Xocoveza is no exception, made in collaboration with home-brewer Chris Banker. Inspired by Mexican hot chocolate, the stout throws enticing heaps of cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and coffee notes at your palate.

Rogue Cold Brew IPA

rogue cold brew ipa
Image used with permission by copyright holder

No stranger to bold flavors, Rogue uses 200 pounds of Stumptown Coffee’s cold brew per batch of this hoppy brew. On the nose, you get loads of coffee notes, as you do on the palate, but those palate notes are also mixed with big hop flavors thanks to the Liberty, Rebel, Freedom, and Simcoe hops.

Firestone Walker Mocha Merlin

Firestone Walker Mocha Merlin coffee beer.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Made by the esteemed brewers at California’s Firestone Walker, this buzz-worthy beer is a milk stout, meaning it’s about as smooth as they come. It’s made with a complex malt bill that affords equal parts toasty-ness and sweetness. There’s noticeable oatmeal notes as well, an ideal companion to the common stout.

Avery Out of Mind Coffee Stout

Avery Out of Mind beer and glass.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Sometimes bold and in your face is just what the doctor ordered. This intense stout kicks hard, made with a house ale strain of yeast and an outspoken malt bill. It’s a great nightcap, either as a standalone dessert or sipped alongside some vanilla ice cream or a chocolate chip cookie.

Oakshire Overcast Espresso Stout

Oakshire Overcast Espresso Stout can.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Another option dreamed up with the addition of cold brew, this beer from the Willamette Valley drinks like a perfectly-made Americano, plus a little alcohol. The name is perfect, conjuring up the oft-cloudy days of the Pacific Northwest. And it’s the perfect sipper for just such weather (or, if it’s hot as hell where you are, to transport you somewhere cooler).

Modern Times Black House

Modern Times Black House coffee beer can.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Hit with a tasty dose of Ethiopian and Sumatran coffee, this coffee stout smells as good or better than your favorite morning cup of Joe. There’s real ownership to this beer too as the brewery not only selects the beans it uses but roasts them in-house as well. We can’t blame you if you crack one in the A.M.

21st Amendment 1966 Coffee IPA

21st Amendment 1966 coffee beer can.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Coffee IPAs are delicious and we think there should be more of them. This one incorporates Peet’s Ethiopian Supernatural coffee, which plays off of the hop bill very nicely. It’s complex, flexing nutty and herbal notes, along with a bit of sweet grass. You’ll have a new respect for how bitter (black coffee) plays off of bitter (four different hops).

Goose Island Bourbon County

Goose Island Bourbon County beer bottle.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

While there’s not always coffee used in the making of this perennial special release from Goose Island, you tend to pick up a lot of coffee notes. That’s due largely to the choice whiskey barrels the stout ages in, which imparts flavors and aromatics as well as rounds the whole thing out. One sip and you’ll see why the beed pundits love this release and get very excited by it each and every year.

Boulevard Early Riser

Boulevard Early Riser Coffee Porter display.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

From Tank 7 to a host of experimental ales, we love what Boulevard Brewing is up to. The Early Riser is an excellent coffee porter made with a blend of beans from three different coffee-growing regions. The Early Riser is easy drinking, unlike some of the more dominant stouts out there. Those looking for an intro option if just getting into the coffee beer style should seek this one out.

Surly Coffee Bender

Surly Coffee Bender beer can.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This coffee bender out of Minneapolis mixes up Columbus and Willamette hops with six malt varieties for a deep brown beer with just a hint of bitterness. The English Ale yeast keeps it from being too overpowering. In fact, overall it’s a surprisingly refreshing beer, coming it at just 5.5% ABV with pronounced and intriguing notes offered by the Guatemalan coffee employed.

Learn More

Sierra Nevada Coffee Stout

Sierra Nevada Coffee Stout bottle.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The craft legends at Sierra Nevada have created a real competitor with this coffee stout. It’s a bittersweet affair, made with cold brew coffee and some rich and nutty malt options. The result is a balanced beer with caramel and dark chocolate notes.

Learn More

Claremont Coffee Del

Claremont Coffee Del
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Made from Colombian Giraldo coffee from southern California’s Klatch Roasting, Claremont’s take is invitingly spicy. Try it in a tulip glass to really take in the aromatics or pair it with some nutty biscotti after dinner.

Learn More

St. Arnold Icon Blue

St. Arnold Icon Blue
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Part of the Houston brewery’s Icon series, the blue is a chocolate milk stout featuring Mexican chocolate tablets from area chef Hugo Ortega. It’s sweet, but dialed-in thanks to a one-two counterpunch of bitterness thrown by the hops and the coffee. And at 5.6% ABV, that punch won’t leave you floored.

Learn More

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Mark Stock
Mark Stock
Contributor
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
The Best Weight Loss Meal Delivery Kits for Diets and Beyond in 2023
Man wanting to lose weight with healthy meals.

Diabetes, obesity, celiac disease, and high cholesterol are just a few reasons why you might suddenly be more health-conscious when it comes to your meal choices. But also, maybe you just want to lose a few pounds for summer or just to feel a little better? If any of these describe you, then you probably know it's challenging trying to find an easy-prep, hassle-free meal option -- there are so many unhealthy, preservative-laden foods out there! Some of the best meal kits are an excellent place to start, because often they ship complete meal packs right to your doorstep and require very little prep if any at all. They also give you access to fresh, healthy ingredients that are compatible with your food requirements, whether that's something like gluten-free options, Paleo, or just healthier choices all around.

Rather than scoping out the market yourself, we've put together a convenient list of all the best weight-loss-friendly meal kits out there. From ready-to-heat-and-eat gourmet meals prepared by real chefs to DIY-ready meals that you can quickly put together in your kitchen, there's sure to be something here for everyone, so take a look below.

Read more
Are Mushrooms the Next Trendy Coffee Alternative?
Foraging mushrooms basket

Since 2020, the market for coffee-replacing/supplementing mushroom mixes has been slowly growing. It's two years later, and there are tons of options on the shelf for alternative drinks to supply energy and concentration. These include emerging mushroom mixes. Instead of causing sugar crashes and bodily imbalances, these fungi-forged drinks can help fuel your day with a positive focus.

If you’re not sure where to start looking for these options, The Manual can help guide you to this surprisingly varied marketplace to find the right mushroom mix alternative to fit your particular needs — including taste. The best mushroom mixes lose the fungal flavor and taste like coffee or canned beverages, which begs the question, "Are mushrooms the next trendy coffee alternative?"

Read more
The Best Fruit Beers to Enjoy This Summer
Golden Road Brewing mango cart can on the ground.

Fruit and beer like each other a great deal. And it's no wonder, given that the right fruit can perfectly offset the bitterness of hops or enhance the beer's inherent citrusy, tropical, or piney notes.

Back in the dark ages of the craft beer movement, as in just a couple of decades ago, brewers would throw all kinds of fresh produce in the vat and hope for the best. Sometimes it worked out, but more times than not it didn't. Fortunately, we're in a much better place now, bolstered by the recent success of sour beers and other non-traditional styles. Producers are experimenting more than ever, not only with adjunct ingredients like fruit but new yeast strains and hop varieties.

Read more