Beer of the Week: Breakfast First brewed with Cookie Crisp

Breakfast First

Middleton Brewing, Everett

Style: Stout brewed with Cookie Crisp cereal

Stats: 5-percent ABV

Available: On tap at the brewery.

My thoughts: We all remember asking Mom for that cereal that basically was chocolate chip cookies bathed in milk. On rare special occasions, Mom would actually buy it, too.

Now that you’re a grownup, how about having it in your beer?

Geoff Middleton had that thought and made it reality. Not shy about dumping some fairly abstract ingredients into his creations, Middleton dumped more than 5 pounds of Cookie Crisp cereal into his oatmeal stout to bring this beer to reality.

He took Breakfast First to Strange Brewfest in Port Townsend a few years ago and received some good feedback. So good, he’s decided to make it a permanent tap at the brewery starting this weekend. He’ll also be pouring the beer at festivals this summer.

For beer purists, this beer might sound like a joke. But Middleton doesn’t inject a bunch of extracts and flavors into his beer. He sticks to the real stuff, buying hundreds of boxes of the actual Cookie Crisp cereal and dumping it into the brite tank along with the post-fermented oatmeal stout.

The finished product isn’t nearly as sweet as you’d expect. I’d compare it to the sweetness of a chocolate stout, with a tad bit more breadiness and thickness.

From the brewery: Breakfast First is a basic oatmeal stout until more than 5 pounds of Cookie Crisp cereal is added in the brite tank.

More new releases:

Packing Heat, At Large Brewing: Jalapeno-infused American hefeweizen brewed in anticipation of Cinco de Mayo. Available on tap at the brewery.

Caught in the Rain, Skookum Brewing/Urban Family Brewing: This collaboration brew is a hoppy IPA with fresh pureed pineapple added during fermentation and conditioned on flaked toasted coconut. Available on tap at both breweries.

Rye Barrel Belgian, Spada Farmhouse Brewery: Belgian dark strong ale aged in rye whiskey barrels from Skip Rock Distillery and on cacao nibs, vanilla and coffee beans. Available on tap at Fred’s Rivertown Alehouse, Trail’s End Taphouse and Harry’s on Tye.

Juice Groovier Double IPA, 5 Rights Brewing: Brewed with Galaxy, Vic Secret, Mosaic and Azacca hops, this double IPA is juicy and delicious. Available on tap at the brewery, The Hop and Hound and The Independent Beer Bar.