Right now, conservationists are up in arms about an Icelandic beer that the creators say contains whale meal. The traditional Reinheitsgebot laws in Germany said that the only ingredients allowed in beer were water, barley, and hops, though things certainly have changed over the years. Whether trying to out-hop one another or brew beers from beards, no ingredients are off limits now. So casting all Reinheitsgebot laws aside, here are some of the more bizarre brews we found.
| 1. | Williams Bros. Brewing Co. Kelpie Seaweed |
Traditional Scottish ales were brewed with ingredients from fields fertilized with seaweed. To recreate this, Williams Bros. Brewing added seaweed to the mash of this beer, giving it a unique flavor and aroma.
| 2. | Sam Adams Oyster Stout |
Every year at the Wellfleet Oysterfest, Sam Adams reveals this annual beer brewed with oysters. The bivalve beer is limited in availability, so for year-round offerings, look for Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout by Flying Dog Brewery.
| 3. | Nightshift Viva Habanera |
Nightshift Brewery in Everett is always brewing something creative, and Viva Habanera definitely intrigues the senses. This rye malt ale is brewed with a hefty amount of habanero peppers that make your throat tingle and cheeks flush.
| 4. | Earth Eagle Porter Cochon |
Earth Eagle is a nanobrewery located in the back of a homebrew shop in Portsmouth, N.H. It makes several small batch beers with foraged and ancient ingredients, including Porter Cochon, a porter brewed with broth from a smoked hog’s head.
| 5. | Rogue Voodoo Series |
When the Portland, Ore., Rogue brewery paired up with Voodoo Donuts for a collaboration, the results were interesting, to say the least. The duo released two doughnut-themed beers: Chocolate Peanut Butter and Banana Ale, and Bacon Maple Ale. Curious? They taste exactly like the names suggest, and we aren’t sure that’s a good thing.
| 6. | Rogue The Beard Beer |
OK, sure, you’ve probably noticed that Rogue is constantly pushing the limits on what they can put into a beer. They can’t get pushed much further than this. The Beard Beer is exactly what it sounds like, wild yeast discovered in brewmaster John Maier’s beard (pictured). To be fair, wild yeast has been used since the beginning of beer and Maier has been brewing and bearded since 1983.
| 7. | Rogue White Whale Ale |
Rogue makes the list again. Forged from an unexpected collaboration between Rogue and Powell’s Books, the two created “White Whale Ale,” infused with pages from Moby Dick. Which brings us to the next beer…
| 8. | Steojar Whale Beer |
Icelandic brewery Steojar paired up with whaling company Hvalur to create a beer for a winter festival honoring Thor. The beer, which is rumored to make drinkers a true Viking, contains whale meal. Yes, dead whale. The protein rich and low fat beer has environmentalists and conservationists in an outrage.
| 9. | Brewdog The End of History |
It isn’t always what’s on the inside that counts. This 55-percent ABV Belgian Blond made with Juniper berries comes in a bottle sewn inside of a taxidermied stoat (a weasel variety) or grey squirrel. All of the animals are roadkill, now eternally memorialized in perhaps the creepiest coozie ever.
