Shambles Brewery collaborates with Zimmah Coffee for rare brews

Ever fancied beer for dessert? This Hobart brewery collaboration was so popular that it didn’t take long to sell out. Shamble’s lead brewer reveals if it’ll return any time soon.

Henry Tanner lead brewer at Shambles Brewery with the Shambles Stakeout coffee & doughnut stout that has been produced with Zimmah Coffee and Queens Fine Pastry doughnuts. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Hobart’s Shambles Brewery is known for bending the rules with its brews, but its latest concoction pushes the boundaries further by mixing dessert and the morning pick-me-up with the classic stout.

The Stakeout coffee and doughnut stout is part of Shambles’ annual winter collaboration with local business Zimmah Coffee.

Shambles Brewery's Stakeout, new winter collaboration with Zimmah Coffee and Queen's Pastry. Picture: supplied.

Continuing on the coffee route, Shambles’ lead brewer Henry Tanner said the team wanted to support another local business in this year’s limited edition.

“We needed to find another add-in that would complement both coffee and our classic stout – and who doesn’t love doughnuts,” he said.

“It doesn’t particular change the brewing process at all, we just add the doughnuts in during the boiling process to get that hint of pastry and remove them prior to the fermentation.”

Mr Tanner described the beer as “dessert-like” with a hint of chocolate, Brazilian coffee and the sweet flaky goodness of the doughnut, the coffee-doughnut combination inspiring the police name Stakeout.

The brewery’s chef has also included a doughnut burger with fried chicken and layers of bacon and cheese, to complement the new addition to their offerings.

After extensive online sales and sales at the Winter Feast cleared out shelves at Shambles, just a few cartons and kegs remain of the limited-edition brew.

“People are loving it, they’re coming in specifically for the Stakeout and they are really enjoying the sweet flavour to it,” Mr Tanner said.

“We’ll probably have to go along the same lines next year, maybe even try a new pastry or dessert.”