Pastry stouts — sweet, saccharine, indulgent beers built on flavors more common to a bakery than a brewery — emerged toward the end of last decade as a coveted, if occasionally maligned, pseudo-style of craft beer. When they first hit the scene, many drinkers thought that the craft brewing industry had officially “jumped the shark,” but as it turned out, they were wrong. These syrupy, adjunct-heavy brews have captured the hearts and palates of many — so much so that the Brewers Association added “Dessert or Pastry Stout” as an official category to its Beer Style Guidelines in 2023.
But who can we thank for the advent of the modern marvel that is the pastry stout? Many trace the category’s rise to a Southern California brewer named Derek Gallanosa (currently: GOAL. Brewing, previously Moksa Brewing and Abnormal Beer Co.), who joins “Taplines” today to to recount the pastry stout’s humble beginnings and reflect on its sweet, surprising success with the American drinking public since. Tune in for more.
