Dogfish Head Puts a Sweet Spin On Lobster Beer—By Adding Chocolate

Last week we told you about Saison dell’Aragosta, the live lobster-infused brew coming out of Newcastle, Maine’s Oxbow Brewery, which gives new meaning to the term “locally-sourced ingredients.” Now, nearly 600 miles away, the innovative brewmasters at Delaware’s Dogfish Head are putting a sweet spin on the crustacean beer concept ... by throwing in some chocolate.

Dubbed “Choc Lobster,” the draft-only dry porter will make its 2015 debut this Friday. And while it has popped up as a limited seasonal treat since 2012, this summer marks the first time it will be made available to suds connoisseurs outside of the coastal Delaware area. In addition to the company’s own brewery and brewpub, a limited amount of the tipple will be available in Portland, Maine, at the trio of Dogfish Head Alehouses in the Washington, D.C. area, and at select World of Beer locations nationwide.

With notes of bittersweet chocolate and a hint of basil, the taste is meant to mimic the flavor of a lobster roll according to Dogfish Head founder/president Sam Calagione, who conceived of the brew as a nod to his childhood summers spent in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. And that's exactly where the star ingredient hails from—specifically, from Ebenecook Oyster Farm on the Sheepscot River, which is owned by some of Calagione’s close pals.

While Choc Lobster’s official description is “a rich dark ale with notes of bittersweet chocolate and roast, with a slight herbal nuance and a subdued taste of the ocean in the finish,” Calagione sums it up much more vividly: “It tastes like summer to me.”