What happens when the artisanal doughnut and cronut (a cross between a doughnut and a croissant) trend intersects with a craft beer craze? Heaven!

1. Doughnut-Inspired Beers

Rogue Ales (Newport, Oregon) was ahead of the doughnut trend with their Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale, brewed with Applewood-smoked bacon and maple syrup and inspired by the famous Portland, Oregon, doughnut shop’s bacon maple doughnut. They followed that with a Chocolate Peanut Butter and Banana Ale, inspired by Voodoo’s Memphis Mafia doughnut, and a Pretzel, Raspberry and Chocolate Ale, a brown ale inspired by the Voodoo Doll doughnut. All three make for slow sipping and could be considered a meal, or a dessert, itself.

København, Denmark’s Evil Twin’s Imperial Doughnut Break takes doughnut inspiration to the next level: the hefty 11.5 percent ABV porter is brewed with more than 900 doughnuts from Glazed Gourmet Doughnuts in Charleston, South Carolina, according to the Charleston City Paper. Apparently it worked, as the beer blog Brew Drink Run raves: “The smell! This smells exactly like chocolate glazed doughnuts. EXACTLY.”

2. Beer-Inspired Doughnuts

Cleveland, Ohio’s Brewnuts is a dedicated craft beer-based doughnut shop that features rotating seasonal doughnuts made with local beers. The creative flavors range from decadent (The Nutty Monkey, made with Fat Head’s Goggle Fogger Hefe Weizen, mashed bananas, and chopped walnuts, and topped with a Nutella glaze and crushed banana chips) to hoppy (The Pale, made with Buckeye Brewing Company’s Cleveland IPA and finished with a butter beer glaze.) This summer, the team is transitioning out of the temporary shop and in to the permanent Donut Bar.

3. Beer Fest Fodder

Doughnuts are stepping in next to sausages and pretzels as sweet and savory beer-fest snacks. At last year’s SAVOR in Washington, D.C., Stone Brewing Co. collaborated with the fried chicken and doughnut joint GBD for a seminar on pairing doughnuts and beer. Last year at GABF, a new Denver brewery, Station 26 Brewing Co. (a fire station turned craft brewery and taproom) put on a bluegrass brunch with live music from the Hayward Strangers, doughnuts from Glazed & Confuzed, barbecue from Rolling Smoke BBQ, and ice cream from Milk Money.

4. Make Your Own

To bring this hole-y pairing into your own home, try these Beer-Glazed Donuts from CB&B's Cooking with Beer special issue.

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