It’s time for another Quick Pint, with a look at one of my favorite beers! Founders’ Breakfast Stout easily plays into my love of breakfast and beer. I’m primed to love Founders‘ beers anyway, as they’re from my hometown, but their Breakfast Stout has long been at the top of the list. It’s made even more special by the release parties they used to hold at the brewery, which featured a breakfast buffet and a mug of stout (take a look at one we attended here).
Founders gets away with calling this a breakfast stout because they add coffee, chocolate, and oatmeal to it. The oats add a smoothness to the beer, while the chocolate and coffee add sweet and bitter elements. Think of it like a foamy, sweet, and slightly alcoholic mug of coffee. At the Breakfast Stout breakfast years ago, we were given souvenir mugs to take home; they’ve both since broken from heavy use, but I replaced them with my new mug from a Founders tasting at House Wine last year.
The beer leans toward the sweet and bitter side, but to me it’s perfect for drinking as the weather turns cool. It performs just the way a warm cup of coffee perks you up in the morning. The beer is readily available, too. You’ll find four-packs at almost any bottle store, and plenty of places will have it on tap. The Breakfast Stout is also a primer for my favorite beer of all time, the Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout (which is, in fact, a completely different beer and not just Breakfast Stout aged in bourbon barrels).
Details: Founders Brewing Company Breakfast Stout
ABV: 8.3%
IBU: 60
Availability: September-December (roughly), bottled and on tap