Best Places To Buy Oyster Stout Beer

Oyster stouts are dark, semi-sweet beers brewed using actual oyster shells. The Beer Judge Certification Program categorises oyster stouts under the “sweet stout” section of dark British beers. Oyster stouts are not a product of the craft beer revolution, but rather have a long history. In England in the early 1900s, drinking stout and eating oysters was a common pairing. Oyster stouts can be purchased from breweries such as Whitstable Brewery, Flying Dog, 21st Amendment, and Porterhouse Brewing.

Oyster stouts in the US

Oyster stouts are dark, semi-sweet beers brewed using actual oyster shells. While the style is recognised and appreciated by American craft brewers, it is not a product of the craft beer revolution. In fact, oyster stouts have time-tested roots going back to Victorian England, when pub-goers would eat oysters on the half shell while sipping their beers, often stouts. The bittersweet, toasty flavours of stouts complement the briny, juicy flesh of oysters.

Oyster stouts were first created in New Zealand in 1929 when an unknown master brewer decided to put a whole oyster, shell and mollusc, directly into their wort for about thirty minutes during the boiling process. Soon after, London's Hammerton brewery in Barnsbury duplicated the recipe, bringing it from the former British colony to the capital in 1939.

Oyster stouts remained rare through most of the 20th century but have reemerged in the 21st century as craft brewers strive for recognition and unique beers. Many labels now make oyster stouts, some using just the shells, others the whole oyster.

• Flying Dog's Pearl Necklace
• 21st Amendment's Marooned on Hog Island
• Porterhouse Brewing's Oyster Stout
• HenHouse Brewing Company's Oyster Stout
• Scheldebrouwerij Oesterstout

Oyster stouts in the UK

Oyster stouts have a long history in the UK. In the 18th century, oysters were a common snack served in pubs and taverns and were often consumed alongside a stout. In the early 1900s, Guinness even ran ads with the slogan "Opening Time is Guinness Time. Guinness and Oysters are Good for You."

Oyster stout was first created in 1929 when an unknown master brewer from New Zealand put a whole oyster, shell and mollusk, into their wort during the boiling process. In 1938, the Dunedin Brewery Company in New Zealand sold the first oyster stout, with the Hammerton Brewery in London, UK, beginning production the following year.

Today, oyster stouts are dark, semi-sweet beers brewed using actual oyster shells. Modern oyster stouts have strayed from their clarifying purpose, and oysters are now added primarily for flavour. Some examples of oyster stouts available in the UK include:

• London Brewing Company's 100 Oysters - Oyster Stout, which has a smooth mouthfeel and an off-white head.
• Marston's Oyster Stout, which uses the name to imply that the beer would be a good pairing with oysters.
• Wright Brothers Oyster Stout, an exclusive partnership with Cornish craft beer brewery Harbour Brewing Company. It has a bittersweet caramel and nutty aroma, a light mouthfeel, and a long finish.

Oyster stouts in Ireland

Oyster stouts are dark, semi-sweet beers brewed using actual oyster shells. While the Beer Judge Certification Program categorises oyster stouts under "sweet stouts", the style is very much recognised and appreciated by American craft brewers.

Oyster stouts and Ireland have a long history. In the 18th and 19th centuries, oysters were commonplace and cheap, food for the working classes. At the same time, stout was flourishing, and the two were often served together in pubs and taverns as a kind of cheap and cheerful meal or bar snack. The bitter, roasted, smooth flavour of a dry Irish stout is a beautiful contrast to the creamy, salty, sweet oysters.

In Ireland, one of the most well-known oyster stouts is the Porterhouse Oyster Stout, brewed by the Porterhouse Brewing Company in Dublin. This stout is brewed with fresh oysters and can be enjoyed in pubs around Dublin, as well as at the brewery itself in the northeast of the city. The Porterhouse Temple Bar in Dublin also serves the Oyster Stout paired with high-quality oysters.

If you're looking to try an oyster stout in Ireland, September is a great time to visit. The Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival, which takes place in the western port city of Galway, is the most important event dedicated to oysters and features a variety of oyster stouts served with oysters. Other oyster festivals in Ireland include the Clarenbridge Oyster Festival in County Galway, the Hillsborough International Oyster Festival in Northern Ireland, and the Carlingford Oyster Festival in County Louth. These festivals provide a great opportunity to enjoy the classic Irish pairing of stout and oysters.

Oyster stouts in Italy

Oyster stouts are dark, semi-sweet beers brewed using actual oyster shells. They are a unique style of beer that is not very common internationally. The combination of beer and oysters is said to have originated in England, where oysters were a common food among the working class and paired well with stout, the go-to beer of the time.

In Italy, there are a couple of oyster stouts that you can try. The first one is called "Perle ai Porci", from the Birrificio del Borgo in Rieti. This beer is made with Fin de Claire Breton oysters and Telline del Litorale Romano oysters, which are part of the Slow Food Movement. The second oyster stout from Italy is called "Impe Stout", and it is made by the Birrificio Lambrate in Milan. This beer has mussels and dulse seaweed added to give it a unique Italian twist.

If you are ever in Dublin, be sure to check out the Porterhouse Temple Bar in the Porterhouse neighbourhood. They serve their famous Oyster Stout, which is made with whole oysters, paired with high-quality oysters every evening.

For those who are more adventurous, the Galway International Oyster Festival takes place every year in September in the port city of Galway on the western coast of Ireland. This festival is dedicated to oysters and is the most important event of its kind. Here, you will be able to taste a variety of the best Oyster Stouts served with oysters.

Oyster stout history

Oyster stouts were first conceived in the mid-1800s in English pubs, where oysters and stouts were commonly enjoyed together. Oysters were abundant, and stouts were the preferred beer style in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In some pubs, oysters were even used as drinking vessels for stouts, creating a fun tradition. This pairing of oysters and stouts was so popular that "oyster stout" became a term referring to a pub session where oysters were enjoyed with beer.

The exact origin of how oysters ended up in the brewing process is a bit murky. One story suggests that brewers discovered that oyster shells, rich in calcium carbonate, served as an effective clarifying agent for beer. The shells helped refine and clarify the beer, improving its quality. Eventually, an unknown brewer took it a step further and added the shells during the boil, along with the barley and hops, thus making oyster shells an official ingredient in the brewing process.

The biggest leap came in 1929 when an unknown brewer in New Zealand took things a step further and added oyster meat to the boiling wort. With this innovation, the oyster stout was born, evolving from a happy hour term to a unique experimental beer. However, it wasn't until 1938 that Hammerton Brewery in London is credited with brewing the first official oyster stout.

Oyster stouts remained a rare style throughout most of the 20th century. They have recently experienced a resurgence, especially among craft brewers striving for unique and innovative beers. While oyster stouts may not have their own category, they are recognised and appreciated, with some brewers including Marston's Brewery, The Porterhouse Brew Co., and 21st Amendment Brewery offering oyster stouts as regional specialties.

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