SYLVANIA, Ohio — It goes without saying that the fall season is known for pumpkin spice everything. It’s no surprise that Inside the Five decided to take on the flavor, but with a twist: a collaboration with Maddie & Bella Coffee Roasters.
The Pumpkin Spice Latte Ale can be enjoyed at both locations in Sylvania and Perrysburg.
When asked where the idea came from, co-owner Brandon Fields explained that "a lot of our beers are culinary-inspired," he continued to share that routines like grabbing a cup of coffee in the morning bring forth the question "huh, how can we turn this into a beer?" It was this thought-provoking process that lead to the creation and collaboration of Inside the Five's Pumpkin Spice Latte Ale.
In addition to the use of Maddie & Bella coffee, Brandon said they use pumpkins from Gust Brother’s Pumpkin Farm in Ottawa Lake, Mich. Around 500 are used for all of Inside the Five’s pumpkin beers. “If we can source it local we do,” Brandon said.
The partnership with Maddie & Bella Coffee Roasters spawned from a long-term friendship the owners had. While the coffee can be enjoyed in the Pumpkin Spice Latte ale it will be found in all the coffee-based beers including the vanilla coffee porter Deimos.
Both beers were sampled. The Pumpkin Spice Latte ale greeted the taste buds with the Maddie & Bella coffee locals know and was followed by the expected sweetness of nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Then it has a creamy finish, much like the latte counterpart, which is accomplished using nitrogen.
If you like porters and coffee then Deimos is a must-try. The coffee vanilla porter had a bold coffee taste and was followed by hints of creamy vanilla. Similar to a coffee with a splash of creamer. The porter is surprisingly light and refreshing.
When asked how this whole brewery idea started Brandon shared that he was gifted a home brewing kit from his wife and it took off. “I just fell in love with taking random ingredients, putting them together and creating something to share with people.”
From sourcing ingredients through local businesses to creating spaces people can gather, Inside the Five is impacting the community one beer at a time.