Surly Coffee Bender: 100 Favorite Dishes, No. 70

By Anne Rucker Fri., Mar. 4 2011 at 7:00 AM

Categories: 100 Favorite Dishes of 2011

Pin It

Anne Rucker

Like the can says, "It's never too early to GET SURLY!"

Never before has a beverage so delicious been so darnn confusing. Is it coffee or is it beer? Is it acceptable to drink at breakfast, or should it be reserved for later in the day? Why not both?

Anne Rucker

On one hand, Surly Coffee Bender goes down like a surprisingly refreshing, oaty and slightly bitter pale ale. On the other hand, you take a swig of this cold, lightly bubbled brew and you could take it to be a nutty, rich, and chocolaty iced coffee with just a hint of caramel and molasses. The best of both worlds! Using cold extraction, the geniuses at Surly are able to blend a Guatemalan roast coffee with their delicious Bender ale to create a pretty magical mixture. As you pour this darkly colored beer, the smell of roasted coffee wafts up to your nose and you can't help but feel bright-eyed and ready to start your day ... or night. Try not to let it confuse you, this beer is always acceptable, no matter what time it is.

SURLY COFFEE BENDER
(Available year round at most local liquor stores)
Surly Brewing Co. website

Hungry for more? The dishes in our countdown thus far are linked below:

No. 71: Quang's bun tom xao
No 72: Maple Bacon Donuts at YoYo Donuts
No. 73: Cupcake's mini cupcakes
No. 74: Willy D's ribs
No. 75: Salsa a la Salsa's fried chocolate truffles
No. 76: Anodyne's Artichoke Melt
No. 77: Origami's steamed duck
No. 78: B.T. McElrath's Salty Dog bar
No. 79: Mozza Mia's house-made limoncello
No. 80: Salty Tart Bakery's pastry cream-filled brioche
No. 81: Little Szechuan's bamboo tips with chili sauce
No. 82: Oceanaire's Jumbo Lump Crab Cake
No. 83: Aperitif's Nonni's Meatballs
No. 84: Christos's Saganaki
No. 85: Sesame seed bagel at Seven Stars Coffee House
No. 86: Lemon ricotta pancake at Hell's Kitchen
No. 87: Blackbird gourmet banh mi
No. 88: Tank Goodness cookies
No. 89: Gal Bee at Sole Cafe
No. 90: Porter & Frye's El Pelon
No. 91: Coffee News' fish and chips
No. 92: Bread & Chocolate's Fabulous Fudge Bar
No. 93: People's Organic panna cotta
No. 94: Sea Salt Eatery crawdad po' boy
No. 95: Fuji Ya's Tofu Don
No. 96: Ike's Food and Cocktails The Weekender Bloody Mary
No. 97: Punch's Toto pizza
No. 98: Stockholm Pie Company's peanut butter fudge cream pie
No. 99: Dogwood Coffee Co.'s macchiato
No. 100: Al's Breakfast buttermilk pancakes

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Dining Newsletter: The week's top local food news and events, plus interviews with chefs and restaurant owners, dining tips, and a peek at our print review.