BOSTON, MASS. — Nothing says Boston like a cannoli and a craft beer, and that’s why Harpoon Brewery is partnering with Mike’s Pastry, the world famous pastry shop, to brew up a limited release beer that pairs this delicious combo in a whole new way: Harpoon Mike’s Pastry Cannoli Stout. The 7.3% ABV beer is made with Mike’s Pastry’s hand-made cannoli shells, cocoa nibs, lactose and vanilla, re-creating the flavor profile of their famed dessert.
Cacao and dark roasted malts offer pronounced notes of milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and mocha, while the lactose and vanilla give the beer a creamy mouthfeel and ricotta-like sweetness. Along with some slightly sweet toasted malts, all the specialty ingredients combine to make a complex but perfectly approachable milk stout.
“Our brewery is just a couple miles from the North End, where people come from far and wide for Mike’s Pastry cannolis, and we have always loved seeing the classic white-and-blue boxes in our beer hall,” said Dan Kenary, CEO and co-founder of Harpoon Brewery. “One of our brewers had the original idea of a cannoli stout as a way to honor his Italian-American heritage, and there was no better partner to do it with than a Boston institution like Mike’s Pastry.”
“This is the first ever beer made with Mike’s Pastry cannolis and we’re honored to have had the opportunity to partner with Harpoon Brewery to create it,” said Joseph Papa, one of the family owners of Mike’s Pastry. “Harpoon Mike’s Pastry Cannoli Stout will be a rich, full bodied beer that our cannoli-lovers will cherish – on its own or between bites of their favorite Mike’s Pastry dessert.”
Harpoon Mike’s Pastry Cannoli Stout will be available on draft and in 16 oz. 4-packs with a suggested retail price of $12.99. It will be available for a limited time at Harpoon’s Boston Beer Hall, throughout New England, and other select markets where Harpoon beers are distributed. To find it near you, check out the Harpoon beer finder: https://www.harpoonbrewery.com/beer-finder/
Cannoli-fanatics and beer-lovers can attend the Harpoon Mike’s Pastry Cannoli Stout launch party at the Harpoon Boston Beer Hall on Thursday, February 27 from 7:30-9:30pm. Attendees will be able to get a first taste of the new beer and top their own cannolis with a DIY cannoli bar from Mike’s Pastry.
For every case of the beer sold, a portion of proceeds will be donated to a charity of Mike’s Pastry’s choosing: Christmas in the City, a Boston-based local non-profit that provides financial support to families experiencing homelessness and poverty.
About the Harpoon Brewery
The Harpoon Brewery was founded in 1986 by beer lovers who wanted more and better beer options. When the Brewery was founded, Harpoon was issued Brewing Permit #001 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, since it was the first to brew commercially in Boston after a dormant period of about 25 years. Harpoon’s line of craft beer features its award-winning IPA and seasonal beers, along with special limited releases. In 2014, Harpoon became an employee-owned company.