What You Didn't Know About The Cap'n Crunch Beer
For many people, Cap'n Crunch's Crunch Berries was a favorite childhood treat. The taste of the cereal calls to mind carefree mornings spent watching cartoons with a bowl of the sugary stuff on hand. However, despite its long-running claim to fame as the preferred breakfast for kids everywhere, there is at least one Cap'n Crunch product on the market that isn't meant for children.
Massachusetts's Somerville Brewing Company turned the childhood favorite into a beer in 2017. Caitlin Jewell, Somerville's co-founder and co-owner, told Boston.com the Cap'n Crunch-flavored beer was partly inspired and partly a tribute to friend and fellow craft beer brewer Mike Johnson, who was responsible for the creation of the Crunch Berries beer back in the year 2000.
Jewell also admitted to Tasting Table, "We always have Cartoon Network playing in the tasting room," which might have contributed to the nostalgic creation, whether intentionally or not. Aptly named Saturday Morning, the cereal-infused Belgian Ale features notes of flaked corn, bubble gum, spice, and of course, the light, fruity sweetness of Cap'n Crunch.
The cereal-infused beer is fruity but still packs a punch
Brendan O'Toole, the brewery's sales and operation manager, described the brewing process to Boston.com saying they "start with a base recipe roughly similar to that of our Trekker Trippel and add the breakfast cereal during the mash-in. We also added a good amount of flaked corn to the mash in order to add smoothness to the body and further emphasize the cereal-like overtones."
Somerville's co-owner and brewmaster, Jeff Leiter, told Tasting Table, "Cap'n Crunch is made with oat, wheat and corn, and, like most breakfast cereals, it's a showcase for sugar...We felt the malt sweetness of a tripel would provide an ideal canvas." The beer is no doubt a fun and fruity way to give a childhood favorite a unique adult twist. However, per Boston.com, the cereal-laden beverage also boasts a hefty alcohol-by-volume content of nine percent, so despite the name, enjoying it first thing in the morning might not be the best idea.