Beers
14 Mar 2024
A chocolate collaboration
Media Release
Two family-owned, local small business collaborate to create a unique chocolate stout
A good idea turns a by-product from Bahen & Co’s chocolate making process into an integral ingredient Eagle Bay Brewing Co’s new single batch Cacao Stout.
Josh Bahen from Bahen & Co Chocolate Makers of Margaret River approached Nick d’Espeissis, the brewer from Eagle Bay Brewing Co, to see if he might be interested in using a by-product from the chocolate making process, cacao husks, to make a chocolate stout. Nick, who loves a beer challenge, instantly agreed that it was worth a shot, and the collaboration between the two local businesses began.
Bahen & Co is a new player in the Margaret River chocolate scene. Josh hails from a winemaking background and is dedicated to making chocolate the old fashioned way, in small batches, using vintage machines and only two ingredients; cocoa beans and cane sugar. After roasting, the husk of the bean has significant flavour and complexity, however it is not always used in the chocolate making process, and it seemed to Josh a shame to waste a by-product with so much potential.
Bahen & Co and Eagle Bay Brewing Co share similar ideologies, both are focused on producing high quality, locally-made products, in small batches with no short cuts. Both businesses are committed to being as green as they can and recycling wherever possible. “We are really excited to be able to use a waste product from a local chocolate making business, and turn it into a delicious chocolate stout. Waste not, want not” says Nick d’Espeissis, brewer at Eagle Bay Brewing Co.
Nick was aware that some microbreweries in America had used the cacao husk in stout before and he set about experimenting with the flavours of different husks provided by Bahen & Co.
Once the recipe had been decided, Josh came into the brewery to lend a hand on brew-day.
The result of this collaboration is now available at Eagle Bay Brewing Co, Eagle Bay, open 7 days 11am – 5pm, and it is proving so popular that Nick and Josh are considering making another batch.
