5 Coffee Beers to Drink on National Coffee Day

National Coffee Day is Friday, September 29th, 2017.

Alcohol is a depressant. That means that after a few pints of your favorite brew, you’re probably more likely to take a quick nap than run a marathon (not to mention a stomach full of frothy beer doesn’t make for a fun run). Brewers must have figured that out because one of the biggest trends in the craft beer world is the addition of coffee. While there are many coffee beers on the market, they vary in style, flavor, and consistency.

Give these great tasting coffee brews a try.

Surly Coffee Bender

Minnesota’s Surly Brewing Company has made a name for itself in the craft beer world in the last decade for its ability to consistently push the envelope with interesting, delicious beers. Surly’s take on the coffee beer Coffee Bender is an American oatmeal brown ale. Locally roasted Guatemalan coffee gives this beer its distinctive flavor and aroma.

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Oskar Blues Hotbox Coffee IPA

When you think of coffee beers, you likely think of stouts, porters, and other darker beers. You probably don’t think about IPAs. Well, one of the tastiest, most well-rounded beers on the market is Oskar Blues Hotbox Coffee IPA. This 7.2% IPA is full of the floral and citrus flavors you expect from the beer style, but with the added kick of coffee. That flavor comes from an infusion of cold-brewed Ethiopian coffee extract that comes from nearby Hotbox Roasters.

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Ballast Point Victory At Sea

This 10% imperial porter from Sam Diego’s Ballast Point is smooth, sweet, and malty. It has a distinct vanilla sweetness, as well as a coffee flavor that comes from an infusion of real coffee beans from nearby Caffe Calabria Coffee. This is a perfectly balanced porter and will get you buzzed two ways: one from the high-alcohol content and one from the caffeine.

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AleSmith Speedway Stout

Speedway Stout is one of the most famous coffee-infused beers on the market for a reason. This 12%, dark-as-midnight beer is made with chocolate and roasted malts before receiving an infusion of roasted coffee courtesy of Ryan Bros. Coffee. It’s malty, chocolaty, and robust, yet exceptionally smooth and well-balanced. Plus, if you don’t plan on drinking it right away, you can leave it in your wine cellar and age it for a few years. The flavors are only going to be enhanced and more pronounced as it matures.

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Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout

One of the best and hardest-to-find coffee beers on the market is the Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout. Similar to Goose Island’s Bourbon County offerings, people are willing to wait in line for hours to get their hands on this 11.8% imperial stout that is almost bursting at the seams with coffee and chocolate. The best part is that after brewing, the beer is cave-aged in oak bourbon barrels for a year to meld the amazing flavors together. If you can get your hands on this beer, open one today and save one for a later date.

Other coffee beers worth trying: Stone Brewing Xocoveza, Prairie Artisan Ales Bomb!, and Goose Island Bourbon County Coffee Stout.