Honestly, beer keeps surprising me. Every time I think I’ve seen it all (Krispy Kreme beer? Lobster beer?! Beer made with your DNA?!?), something new comes out. This time, it’s glitter beer, and I am here for it. And it’s happening at breweries across the country — VinePair cites Three Weavers Brewing in Inglewood, CA and Bold Missy Brewery in Charlotte, NC.
In a world of “unicorn lattes” and mermaid-inspired drinks, glitter beer seems to fit in perfectly with our mystical millennial desires. Carli Smith, head brewer at Bold Missy, told Munchies that her Trapper Keeper Saison was brewed in homage to Lisa Frank, designer of all of my neon back-to-school supplies in 2006. “What better way to honor her legacy than with glitter?”
Erica DeAnda is the head brewer at Minocqua Brewing Company in Wisconsin and has created several different glitter beers. She says she’s “absolutely smitten with them… they are fun and bring a new level of uniqueness to a beer.” And in a market with thousands of craft beer offerings, I think we can all agree that uniqueness is key.
Three Weavers seems to have the general consensus for the origination of glitter beer. Alex Nowell released a glittery IPA dubbed “Mel’s Sparkle Pony,” and she was happy to share her sparkle technique with the others. And Seabright Brewery in Santa Cruz featured a pink ale (named “Mermaid Tale”) made with beets and blood oranges, as well as edible glitter, at the Great American Beer Festival back in 2016.
Instead of releasing totally new beers, the addition of glitter is letting some brewers revamp their existing offerings. Sato Brewpub in Buffalo, NY recently added glitter to some of their standby brews, like the “Brewnicorn,” a glittery IPA and the “Gold’s Lager.”
The glitter added to these beers is food-safe and FDA approved, so you don’t have to be afraid that you’re ingesting arts and crafts supplies. Four Day Ray Brewing told the IndyStar that “this is the same type of glitter used in baking and decorating cupcakes.” So, naturally, why not add it to America’s favorite beverage?
My second thought after hearing about this sparkling beer (the first was how to maximize its Instagrammable-ness) was whether the glitter affects the taste. It reportedly has no impact on the brew’s flavor, though I can definitely see how glitter could emphasize something like Peeps beer (?!).
To my great sadness, AmericanCraftBeer.com calls the glitter beer trend a “bad idea in brewing,” but I’m sticking with this ‘90s trend and will be hunting for a pint of the shimmery stuff ASAP.
Photo courtesy of Shannon
