Have you noticed that there is a National Day for just about anything these days? This past Saturday, September 27th was National Beer Drinking Day, not to be confused with National Beer Day, National Drink A Beer Day and National Craft Beer Day. The fact is, you can either make fun of the influx of national days that have been created, by whomever, or you can go with the flow and have some fricking fun with it all.
I went in search of the latter, and stumbled upon a date, that I’m no longer allowed to celebrate – National Cake Day. See, a few years back I got sick and the result was diabetes. So, no cake for me, and yes I have to be careful about how much craft beer I drink. It’s all about balance. That said, that should not stop you from having your cake and eating too.
So, as I began to formulate ideas for a story about the best beers for those who like to drink their last course, otherwise known as cake-inspired beers, I stumbled upon one that is out right now in cans and on draft. It was too good to wait on.
Charleville’s newest beer, German Chocolate Cake Stout debuted recently and is quickly becoming a brewery favorite.
The Back Story
The beer is new to cans but has been around for several years. Tait Russell says the beer was first brewed as a birthday gift for his father, whose favorite cake is German Chocolate. For the past 6 or 7 years, small batches were brewed for draft consumption, but the beer’s popularity over time grew increasingly fast, and this year they made the move to add cans to the portfolio.
The Label
Since announcing the move to cans only, Charleville’s labels have certainly got noticed, and the label for German Chocolate Cake Stout is no exception. The artwork here is purely a family affair. Created by North Carolina artist Jamie Allen, a cousin of Tait Russells, the main character of the label art is a Jack rabbit presenting you with a healthy slice of German Chocolate Cake while having a party among what appears to be a vineyard.
“My father’s name is Jack so she decided to make the animal a Jack Rabbit! The background is our vineyard hillside with my folk’s house on it!
Tasting Notes
German Chocolate Cake Stout is a fairly big beer, coming in at 6.3% ABV.
