5 Need To Know Weird Beers

If you’ve got even a passing interest in beer then you’ll have definitely come across some peculiar flavours over the years, and there’s no shortage of them in 2023. We embrace the weirdness, but that doesn’t mean they all taste good. In fact, a lot of them miss the mark.

Below are 5 need to know weird beers that we think are really worth a try, from pale ales that sound appetising off the bat, to ales that need to win you around. Cheers!

Northern Monk + Aunt Bessie’s Apple Crumble & Custard Pale Ale

We can always rely on Northern Monk to collaborate with the unexpected and concoct an unusual beer. In the past there’s been Seabrook’s Prawn Cocktail and Cheese & Onion cans, and in fact this isn’t the first time they’ve teamed up with Aunt Bessie’s, releasing a Sunday Dinner Brown Ale previously. These past creations are no longer available, but their newer release, ‘Apple Crumble & Custard’ is and it’s one that is far easier to immediately get on board with. The custard is more forward, with the apple bringing a subtle, candy style flavour. Overall, it isn’t too overwhelming as you might expect and does provide a nice nostalgic sweetness!

Size: 330ml
ABV: 4.5%
Price: £2.50

Fungtn Lion’s Mane IPA

We’ve mentioned these low-alcohol gems before because of their innovative use of medicinal mushrooms. The natural starchy quality of mushrooms complements brewed beer, for example, Lion’s Mane IPA uses Lion’s Mane mushroom. This gives earthy depth, building on the subtle caramel, hay notes among the bitterness. This IPA won has won numerous awards but check out their other mushroom projects like Reishi Citra Hop and the new Shiitake Dark.

Size: 330ml
ABV: 0.5%
Price: 12 for £33.60

Eagle Brewery Banana Bread Beer

You might have had enough of banana bread when everyone started making it during the pandemic, but now you’ve had a rest, how about experiencing it in a whole new form? This Eagle brew uses their own natural mineral water and Fairtrade bananas, bringing inviting banoffee aroma with the silky, rich malt blend and touch of peppery spice. Unlike so many flavoured beers, it does really taste of banana, and it’s delicious.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 5.2%
Price: 8 for £12.50

Hammerton Crunch Peanut Butter Milk Stout

Smooth and silky texture, this is like drinking liquid peanut butter… albeit the stout version. It took tonnes of experimentation, but the balance of roasted peanuts and biscuit is spot on. It’s surprisingly light, with malty, chocolatey, coffee notes in the background. Delicious.

Size: 330ml
ABV: 5.4%
Price: £3.70

Marmite Love Hate Ale Camden Town Brewery

This one completely lives up to the saying, so we just had to include it. Not everyone loves it, but those who do really do. Now, it is very yeasty, and the profile of Camden Hells unsurprisingly comes through, so if you’re drawn to that already then definitely give this a go. Real marmite, Pilsner and Munich malt combine for a smoky, bready for an unforgettable experience.

Size: 330ml
ABV: 4.8%
Price: 12 for £24.99

Take a look at our Beer Cocktails guide and experiment with these odd flavours in one of the recipes! You never know what you’ll create!

Goose Poop Beer? Take A Gander At THIS!

Holy Sh*t! Just when you think craft beer has done it all… 

A tasty beer probably isn’t the first thing you think of when you hear ‘goose droppings’, but for Finnish microbrewery Ant Brew, those droppings are a key ingredient in their latest line of eco-conscious beers! Yes - really! We’re not sure how, shall we say, aromatic Goose Poop Imperial Stout (8-10% ABV) is going to be as it’s not yet on the market - but this weird and potentially pongy blend is already causing a stir on the internet. 

Ant Brew’s new ‘Wasted Potential’ series was dreamed up after its home city Lahti, Finland was named European Green Capital 2021. Each of its seven planned beers tell a story about sustainability and the circular economy using ingredients such as local food waste, moss, and wild herbs. The City of Lahti aims to be zero-waste by 2050 and is already repurposing 99% of its waste, so this beer seems to be a goose-step in the right direction.

So how do goose droppings fit into this?

Are they even safe to use for beer? Apparently, yes! Ant Brew assures in a statement that ‘the poop is used in a food-safe way to smoke malt to create a unique stout beer’, so we needn't worry about catching any scary goose poop disease. The droppings are lovingly gathered from local parks, which I’m sure was an interesting job advertisement for Ant Brew to put out - WANTED: NIMBLE HANDS, ANIMAL LOVER, BAD SENSE OF SMELL, GOOD KNOWLEDGE OF CRAFT BEER. It does mean, however, that the parks of Lahti will be the booziest, cleanest and greenest in Europe. 

If the thought of drinking poop beer gives you goosebumps, you’re not alone - but perhaps zero-waste alcohol is something we should be looking to take a gander at in the near future. Innovation is essential to improving how we consume products in an environmentally friendly way, and what better product to start with than everyone’s favourite summer beverage. 

Goose Poop is still in production at the moment, but Ant Brew has already released two of their seven beers from the range. The first, Dumpster Diver, is a wit-style beer brewed with expired fruit purees and orange peels from a local juicer’s stall; the second, Boreality Check, is a sour beer made with local moss. The Wasted Potential beers are currently only able to be purchased in Ant Brew’s pub, however zero-waste beers are popping up worldwide - so keep your eyes peeled and your nose peg on! 

If you happen to come across a zero-waste or eco-friendly beer, please let us know on our Instagram, Twitter or Facebook at @thethreedrinkers! 

We’re always on the lookout for the next big thing when it comes to inventive drinks and we’d love for you to get involved in the process!

For more weird and wonderful beer flavours make sure you check out Prawn Cocktail Crisp Beer or Vagina Beer!