Sriracha, the beloved and now iconic chili sauce, has made its way into chips, hummus, and even ice cream, so it was only a matter of time before a brewery rolled out their own tangy take. Oregon’s Rogue Ales even released a Sriracha Hot Stout. The brewery is no stranger to spicy beer; they also make a Chipotle Ale that is brewed with roasted jalapeños grown on Rogue Farms in Independence, Oregon.
Here are five other spicy beers to be on the lookout for:
Habanero Sculpin IPA
Ballast Point Brewing (San Diego, California)
Sculpin is a stellar IPA in its own right. It’s fruity and bright without being overwhelmingly bitter. And an addition of habanero peppers doesn’t make it any less drinkable. It is definitely spicy, especially in the finish, but retains the tropical fruit and floral flavors.
Mexican Cake
Westbrook Brewing Co. (Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina)
Mexican Cake, an imperial stout aged on cacao nibs, vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, and fresh habanero peppers, was originally brewed for Westbrook’s first anniversary. Now they bring it back every May and also release barrel-aged variants. Last year’s, in September, included one aged twelve months in Four Roses barrels; one aged twelve months in tequila barrels; and Double Barrel, a blend of one aged twelve months in Pritchard’s rye and bourbon barrels.
Sweet Heat
Burnside Brewing (Portland, Oregon)
Burnside’s Sweet Heat is a bit of an enigma: a wheat ale brewed with 200 pounds of apricot puree and “dry hopped” with Jamaican Scotch bonnet peppers. The spicy pepper warming plays nicely with the touch of sweetness from the apricots, and at only 4.9 percent ABV, it’s a more sessionable spicy beer.
Viva Habanera
Night Shift Brewing (Everett, Massachusetts)
Night Shift’s rye ale, brewed with agave nectar and aged on fresh habanero peppers, packs the heat, but spice levels can vary per batch so it’s worth trying it out a few times. The strong capsaicin heat makes it a slow, and enjoyable, sipper.
Ghost Face Killah
Twisted Pine Brewing (Boulder, Colorado)
Ghost Face Killah is an extra-strength spicy beer, brewed with six kinds of chiles: Anaheim, Fresno, jalapeño, serrano, habanero, and ghost chiles. The ghost pepper is particularly notorious, and according to Twisted Pine’s website, the “brewers have to wear masks and gloves in the preparation of this beer, but people’s reactions to this one-of-a-kind concoction make all the hard work worth it."