Maine Brewery Uses Lobsters to Make Beer

A Maine brewery is making it a lot easier for people to consume beer and lobster at the same time.

According to the Associated Press (via Fox News), Oxbow Brewing is making beer, in collaboration with a brewery in Parma, Italy, from live lobsters.

Tim Adams, the brewmaster and founder of Oxbow, stated that they placed Maine 12 lobsters suspended in a kettle with boiling sweet wort, which is a mixture of malt and grain. To secure the lobsters, the brewers used a mesh bag that also allows the lobsters' briny and sweet flavor to come out. The brewery then added a dash of sea salt to help bring out the beer's flavor.

The beer, "Saison dell'Aragosta," is 4.5 percent alcohol by volume. The company made a limited amount of about 3,000 bottles. Tastings are available at Oxbow's two tasting rooms and in select restaurants and bars within the area.

"It's about exactly the right amount we were going for. There certainly is a salinity from the salt, and the lobster provides a touch of sweetness and a subtle briny character which is balanced by the acidity of the fermentation," Adams said. "We were very happy with the results, so we will do the same process again this summer. The lobster addition was a last-minute curve ball, but certainly a huge hit."

Adams first thought up of this idea with Italian brewmaster, Giovanni Campari last summer. He recalled eating a Maine lobster roll at a Portland restaurant when Campari made a comment about steeping lobsters in a brew.

"He's a master brewer who uses unconventional ingredients, so I said, 'I can't say no to you. Let's do this,'" Adams said according to the Boston Globe.

Adams stated that all of the lobsters used during the brewing process were eaten.