Burger-flavored brew brings some grill-kissed umami to your beer
The hamburger obsession isn't going anywhere, people. From the original meaty versions to newfangled vegetarian options, people just love burgers.
Now you can have your burger and drink it, too.
Red Robin's Grilled Pineapple golden ale (debuting at the Great American Beer Festival on Oct. 6 in Denver, Co.) isn't just made to complement burgers...it's actually meant to taste like them.
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This particular beer (which contains no beef) is modeled after Red Robin's Banzai Burger, which has a teriyaki glaze and grilled pineapple as a topping.
The restaurant chain's beverage development manager Katie Burkle tells Mashable there were other burgers on the menu considered as flavor inspiration, but none measured up to the "unique flavor profile" of the Banzai.
The Golden Ale style brew is made in conjunction with New Belgium Brewing Company. Dave Glor, Innovation Brewer at New Belgium, said the brew is infused with molasses, pineapple and, "apple smoked malt to give the beer its umami and meaty-ness."
The beer will be available for a limited time at Colorado-area Red Robin eateries, though Burkle says, "if it turns out they [consumers] love having their burger and drinking it too there’s always the possibility of “crafting” another innovation in the future!"
The beer is vegetarian, has an "umami" taste and considering how many other oddball beers have followings, this could be the the next big news in burgers.
Or would that be the next big news in beer? It seems like a tasty line to blur.
Sarah Spigelman Richter is a contributor to Mashable's Food channel. Sarah covers everything edible, from the food industry to D.I.Y. recipes. She was previously the community manager for Tastemade NYC and her writing has been seen on The Today Show's food blog, Refinery 29, the Food Network, and Gothamist. She has also developed recipes for Tabasco and other nationally recognized brands and has blogged for 5 years at "Fritos and Foie Gras." Sarah is obsessed with "Orphan Black" and chili-cheese Fritos and is still depressed that Loehmann's closed.
