The roasted note is likely to fade at least somewhat with some age, which makes Minted an interesting beer to try fresh, and again in a few weeks. Put all your measured ingredients (accept melted frango mints) together in a bowl and mix them by using a mix master or a hand mixer until blended. It is thankfully not liquid dessert, and for that reason, probably won’t wow non-stout drinkers.īut for stout drinkers who double as fans of chocolate and mint, it is one to savor. The taste, fortunately, follows suit.Ī beer nodding to Frango mints can only work through balance, and Minted pulls it off: a silky chocolate-mint note up front that’s never overbearing and gives way to a long, roasty, bittersweet chocolate finish that lingers surprisingly long - as long as the mint. Traditionally flavored with mint and widely popularized by the Marshall Field and Company department store, they were later produced and distributed by Macys department stores. Minted’s aroma is promising: undeniably mint- and chocolate-forward, but restrained by a bold roasty note. Frango mints are a brand of chocolate truffles first created for the Frederick & Nelson department stores. The stores are long gone, but thankfully the truffles are still around. The truffles were usually only available at Christmastime, and only at Frederick’s & Nelson where I grew up in Seattle. I am at once an ideal and doubtful audience: a native Chicagoan with fond Frango-filled memories and a general love for the intersection of mint and chocolate - but with a long-held skepticism of stouts that veer into sugary dessert. Frango Mint is a chocolate truffle pie inspired by Frango Mint truffles. “We wanted to focus on the really potent mint oil standing up and fighting with the chocolate and having that be a delicious balance,” Zimmer said.Īnd do Frango and Hop Butcher pull it off? The mint oil is so potent, Zimmer said, less than a gallon was needed for the 90 barrels of beer (which translates to about 2,800 gallons) that will be released this week. Instead, Hop Butcher tweaked an existing stout recipe, dropping the roast character “to prop up the mint,” Zimmer said, and adding ample cacao nibs to even the flavors. Penn said she was open to the idea, but Zimmer said what may have made for a fun stunt would have resulted in a questionable beer due to the fats, sugars and oils in chocolate. What the beer does not feature is actual Frango mints. 30, 2021, at the Five Rabbit Brewery in Bedford Park. I’m still waiting for a Portillo’s Italian Beef collaboration with someone.Minted beer and Frango chocolate on display as the imperial chocolate stout is tasted for the first time Nov. While I appreciated the uniqueness of that beer, Minted is more drinkable and the ingredients used play off each other better. It’s not too minty, like toothpaste, and not too sweet either.Ĭhicago has seen its fair share of collaborations with unique ingredients including Noon Whistle’s collaboration with Planters Peanuts when they made a peanut IPA. The beer is nicely balanced with chocolate and a hint of mint on the aroma translating to similar flavors on the taste but the mint shines a lot more. Hop Butcher and Garret Brands created a beer that tastes really nice and is perfect for December in Chicago. I probably don’t need 16 ounces of a 10.5% ABV beer, but that’s any beer at that percentage. While some collaborations seem forced and more of a gimmick, with the beer quality reflecting that, this collaboration works. It was released last week and flew off the shelves at beer stores all over the city. The oil is incorporated into the Stout, which features big notes of chocolate and roasted malt. Minted, a 10.5% ABV Imperial Stout, features the mint oil that is used in Frango Mints. And being able to take what we do with beer and infuse it with that spirit is a bit of a dream come true for everyone here at Hop Butcher.” Whether they’re a gift given to friends or family or a delicious treat enjoyed by one’s self, they’re synonymous with this time of year. “And anyone who grew up or spent any amount of time in the greater Chicagoland area has a connection to them. “Frango Mints are as much a part of the holiday season as Christmas trees and wrapping presents,” Hop Butcher co-founder Jeremiah Zimmer said. Hop Butcher and Garrett Brands, owner of Frango Mints and Garrett’s Popcorn, collaborated on a beer that screams Chicago. The chocolate mints, bought at Marshall Field’s, were always around my house and now they’ve found a way into my beer. Can you freeze peppermint candy Much like their shelf life in the cupboard, candy canes can last in the freezer for around a year. The estimated shelf life of these products is at present 4 months from the date of manufacture. If you grew up in the Chicagoland area, the iconic green box of Frango Mints was most likely a staple in your household. Do Frango mints expire On the back of each box, the exact expiration date can be found.
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