The two companies have been working on the concept for six months, testing a range of methods of production and styles of beer. The original plan was to produce a dark chocolate ale, but a much lighter lager seemed to carry flavour best.
Historically, the chocolate itself can cause problems in the development of such a product, as it cannot be added directly to the beer during brewing because of the fat content. Montezuma’s decided to use its ‘Lordy Lord’ bar, and used a slightly different process of infusing by maceration and gentle extraction. The result is a light beer carrying a rich, yet well-balanced chocolate and hop flavour.
“As projects go, beer and chocolate is probably about as good as it gets,” said Montezuma’s founder Simon Pattinson. “The head-on collision of a famous British beer maker and innovative British chocolate maker has been as exciting as it has been rewarding, with results that taste as good as the pedigree should suggest.”
The new Montezuma’s Chocolate Lager is 4.5% ABV, in 33cl bottles with an RRP of £2.
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