PAGE 16 • GO! MAGAZINE
Thursday, april 1, 2021 • ThE BullETiN
BEER, WINE & MORE
bendbulletin.com/godrink
No foolin’: The Maine Dish is brewed
with maple syrup and live lobsters
BY JON ABERNATHY • For The Bulletin
I
f you’re reading this article on or about April 1, and I begin by telling you it describes a beer brewed with maple syrup, balsam fir tips and live lobsters, would
you believe it or think it was an April Fools’ prank? It’s true! In mid-January, Boss Rambler Beer Club released The Maine Dish, an imperial stout brewed with
all three of those ingredients. Inspired by oyster stout (which, despite April Fools’ Day, is also a thing), the brewery looked to head brewer Jacob Bansmer’s home
state of Maine for this unusual beer.
The description says:
“Forget oysters, we flew in Maine-sourced
live lobstah, balsam fir, and maple syrup for
this ode to Jacob’s home state. Don’t worry,
there’s no seafood-y aspect to the beer,
the lobster shell simply imparts a creamy
mouthfeel to complement the subtle hints
of fir and maple in this otherwise rich and
smooth ‘wicked good’ imperial stout you
just have to try!”
I reached out to Boss Rambler to find out
more.
“Jacob is from Maine, and we’ve been
working on this concept to make a beer with
all Maine-sourced ingredients,” said founder
Matt Molletta via email. “We love lobster
and figured if oysters stouts work, why not
lobster (plus it added a really fun, unique as-
pect to the beer).”
Oyster stout is an obscure historical style
originating in England, inspired by the clas-
sical pairing of stout and shellfish.
“Brewers cut out the middleman and
threw the oysters straight in the kettle,” says
Jeff Alworth in The Beer Bible. “Oyster
stouts have enjoyed a minor revival in the
twenty-first century and, against all odds,
they’re actually pretty tasty. The oysters add
salinity, but nothing fishy. Oyster stouts have
a tinge of brine, but otherwise taste just like
stout.”
According to Molletta, a dozen live lob-
sters were overnighted from Maine. “We put
the lobster in muslin bags and boiled them
in the kettle for the first 10-ish minutes of
the boil, then put them on ice for later,” he
said.
Naturally, I inquired about what they did
with the cooked lobster.
“Jacob is from Maine, and we’ve been
working on this concept to make a beer
with all Maine-sourced ingredients. We
love lobster and figured if oysters stouts
work, why not lobster (plus it added a
really fun, unique aspect to the beer).”
— Matt Molletta, Boss Rambler founder
Submitted photo
In January, Boss Rambler Beer Club released The Maine Dish, an imperial stout brewed with ingre-
dients from head brewer Jacob Bansmer’s home state of Maine.
“We had a hell of a lobster feast that night!
We essentially had an all-you-can-eat buffet
of Maine lobster rolls and cracked lobster. It
was enjoyed with the Boss Rambler family.”
Two “full shopping bags” of balsam fir
were split between the mash (during which
the sugary wort is extracted from the malt)
and the conditioning tank. And about three
pints of Maine maple syrup was split between
the boil and the conditioning tank as well.
“We wanted the beer to be rich, but the
additional flavors to be subtle so not to over-
power. I think we nailed what we were going
for,” said Molletta.
The question on everyone’s mind of
course is, what does it smell and taste like?
The short answer: It’s not fishy. The aroma
is that of a sweet, roasty stout, with some
maple and a touch of cola (a character that
can come from fir and spruce). While it may
simply be due to the power of suggestion, I
did detect a hint of brine and a clean “ocean”
quality to it, followed up by a subtle smoki-
ness and more syrup.
It’s nicely sweet with a rich,
not-quite-chocolate flavor that is nutty with
a touch of roast that’s reminiscent of cola.
There’s no overt “fish” or “sea” character, but
I believe there is a contribution from the
lobster in a subtle brine-like note with hints
of sweet lobster meat. Overall, there is a del-
icate, smoky hint of maple syrup and a good
sweetness without being cloying.
To be honest, if I drank this blind, I prob-
ably wouldn’t have been able to tell that
there was anything like lobster used in
the recipe; it’s a tasty sweet stout with just
enough alcohol at 8% by volume to boost it
to “imperial” strength. So have no fear!
I asked Molletta how customers have
been reacting to the beer. In general, it’s
been well received, he said.
“There’s been some who have dived right
in, excited to try such a ‘weird’ beer, but
there’s certainly been some skepticism as
well. It’s taken some educating on our end,
and also just accepting the fact that it’s not
some folks cup of tea.”
The Maine Dish is currently available on
draft and in cans, which can be ordered for
pickup or delivery. No foolin’!