Craft beer is a playground for the adventurous. While the mainstream market still thrives on IPAs, lagers, and stouts with familiar hop schedules and malt backbones, some brewers are taking things way, way off the beaten path. From savory snacks to straight-up shock value, there’s a world of weird waiting in your pint glass.
So buckle up and ask yourself: would you try a beer brewed with goat brains? How about one with marshmallows or bull testicles?
Savory Surprises
Pizza Beer (Mamma Mia!)
Let’s start with a classic in the weird beer canon. Mamma Mia! Pizza Beer, created by Tom and Peggy Seefurth in Illinois, is brewed with an entire margarita pizza thrown into the mash. Yes, crust, sauce, garlic, oregano—the works. The result? A garlic-and-tomato-forward beer with Italian herb notes that goes surprisingly well with, well, more pizza.
Bacon Beer
Bacon and beer are a classic combo, but some brewers decided to skip the frying pan and put the bacon right in the brew. Rogue Ales’ Voodoo Bacon Maple Ale, inspired by Portland’s iconic Voodoo Doughnut shop, combines smoked malts, maple syrup, and actual bacon for a breakfast-in-a-bottle experience. It is no longer being produced, though…
The “Wait, That’s a Dessert?” Beers
Donut and Pastry Stouts
Pastry stouts have taken the dessert beer world by storm. Breweries like J. Wakefield Brewing and The Bruery have thrown in everything from glazed donuts to full chocolate cakes. These beers are decadent, rich, and often pack a wallop at over 10% ABV.
Marshmallow Madness
Marshmallows bring sweetness, body, and nostalgia to the brew. Great Notion Brewing is known for experimenting with marshmallow-laced stouts and fruited sours that drink more like dessert cocktails than traditional beers.
Ice Cream Ale
Beers like Southern Tier’s Orange Creamsicle IPA incorporate lactose, vanilla, and citrus to mimic the flavor of melted ice cream. Cream ales and milkshake IPAs also fall into this sweet category, offering dessert-like finishes without being cloying.
The Garden and the Farm
Beet Beers
Not just for salads anymore, beets add earthy depth and vibrant color to beers. Dogfish Head’s Seasonal Beet Beer has made appearances in the past, featuring the root vegetable in a slightly tart, farmhouse-style ale.
Carrot Cake Ale
Carrots, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla combine in beers like Urban Artifact’s Carrot Cake Midwest Fruit Tart. It actually tastes like a slice of spiced carrot cake in liquid form, cream cheese frosting not included.
Garlic or Onion Beers
Some ultra-experimental homebrewers and small-batch craft labs have tried onion and garlic ales. These are few and far between (for good reason), but occasionally pop up at beer festivals where brewers try to out-weird each other.
Bugs, Brains, and Bizarre Additions
Cricket Lager or Ant Ale
Australia’s Bentspoke Brewing created a cricket-infused beer called “Crankshaft Cricket” for a sustainability campaign. Crickets are high in protein and have a mild, nutty flavor. Other insect-inspired brews include ant-acidic saisons in Nordic brewing circles.
Goat Brain Beer
UK-based BrewDog once released a beer called “The End of History” served in taxidermied squirrels, but before that, they made headlines with a one-off beer brewed using smoked goat brains. While nearly impossible to find now, it stands as a legendary example of brewing bravado.
Bull Testicle Beer (Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout)
Denver’s Wynkoop Brewing Company didn’t just make a beer with bull testicles—they tripled down on it. The Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout started as an April Fool’s joke but became a real, canned product due to overwhelming demand. It’s a rich, meaty stout with roasted malt and a hint of nutty umami (yeah, we said it).
From the Sea to the Fermenter
Oyster Stouts
Not as uncommon as you might think, oyster stouts use real oysters during brewing, often in the boil. The shellfish adds a briny smoothness to the beer. Marston’s Oyster Stout is a classic example, and these brews are especially popular in coastal beer scenes.
Seaweed or Kelp Ales
Beers like North Coast Brewing’s Red Seal Ale have occasionally featured seaweed for umami depth. In Japan, kelp-infused beers have also been brewed to complement seafood-heavy meals.
Why Brewers Get Weird
Craft beer is about creativity and expression. As the industry has grown, standing out requires bold moves, and few things get people talking like beers brewed with bugs or baked goods. These experiments are more than gimmicks—they’re part of the evolution of beer as an art form.
Whether you’re into it for the novelty, the flavor exploration, or just to say you did it, there’s a strange brew out there waiting for you.
Would You Try These?
So, what’s your flavor threshold? Would you sip on goat-brain porter or stick with marshmallow stouts? Drop your weirdest beer experience in the comments below!