Tiramisu in a can? Veneto is back and bringing dessert

There are beers you sip, and there are beers you remember. For a certain stripe of St. Louis beer fan, Millpond Brewing‘s Veneto falls firmly into the second category — a dessert-in-a-glass imperial stout that hasn’t graced shelves or draft lists since 2022.

Well, break out your bottle openers (actually, your can koozies this time), because Veneto (2025) is back this Friday, June 27, and it’s bringing some big firsts along with that familiar barrel-aged decadence.

Three years gone, but not forgotten

Veneto has always been one of Millpond’s most beloved one-offs, requested often but rarely seen — until now.

“We’ve been planning to bring it back for quite some time,” says Bryan Schubert, brewer and owner at Millpond. “Veneto is one of our most requested adjunct stouts, but it’s not in the yearly rotation like Three Layers — our German chocolate cake-inspired imperial stout — so bringing it back was always part of the plan.”

And this time, it’s showing up in a new format: 12oz cans, marking the first time the brewery has canned a barrel-aged stout.

“The magnum format was never ideal, in my opinion,” Schubert says. “It’s not something you can drink on your own in one sitting, and beer share occasions don’t happen as often as they used to — I’ve got two kids now!”

He’d long considered 8oz bottles, but they’re tough to source. “With some of our other brewery friends finding success with BA stout in 12oz cans, I thought, why not give it a try? Twelve ounces can still be a single serving, right?” he adds, laughing. “Veneto was the perfect beer to lead the way — it even mirrors all those cold brew cans you see now.”

The coffee collab that finally happened

For a beer inspired by tiramisu, coffee had to be the star — and this year, Millpond finally teamed up with Blueprint Coffee to bring it to life. The partnership? Years in the making.

Mike Marquard, Blueprint co-owner, just so happens to be Schubert’s neighbor. “Our sons are in the same class and we hang out across the street at ‘the meadow’ pretty often,” Schubert says. “This collab took waaaay too long to happen.”

When the time came, the process was easy. “I texted Mike with a soft pitch and gave him an opt-out, just to keep it friendly. He replied in two minutes with a yes — and asked what style of roast I thought would work.”

Schubert described Veneto’s tiramisu roots and suggested something dark and espresso-forward. Marquard recommended Timespan, Blueprint’s upcoming dark roast blend — still in beta — built on a 50/50 mix of beans from Nariño, Colombia and Fazenda Rio Brilhante, Brazil.

“He was flawless with the selection,” Schubert says. “As a master of his craft, he helped steer the beer in exactly the right direction.”

Aroma, balance, and that elusive second sip

So what does Veneto (2025) actually taste like?

“Espresso aromatics immediately greet your nose,” Schubert says. “Then come pillowy vanilla-marshmallow sweetness and rich dark chocolate notes.” That’s thanks to a layered combination of Madagascar and Tahitian vanilla beans and cocoa nibs from Ghana and Puerto Rico, all sitting atop a base that spent 16 months in Still 630 RallyPoint Rye whiskey barrels.

But what really sets Veneto apart is its finish.

“It’s not heavy or cloying like some pastry stouts,” Schubert explains. “The dark roast coffee cleans up your palate. It’s still indulgent, but balanced enough that you can enjoy the full 12oz to yourself.”