Big Storm Brewing Co. and William Dean Chocolates are looking for some help. The local duo's new collaboration beer — known simply as a toffee chocolate stout — needs a name, and they'd like it to come from a Tampa Bay resident.
Released at both Big Storm taprooms on Saturday for tasting (and in honor of World Chocolate Day), the unnamed brew aims to conjure food memories of chocolate-covered toffee. Good thing, too, because whoever dreams up the best name will nab a 20-piece box of artisan chocolates from William Dean, plus a private eight-person tour of Big Storm, a tap handle and a stockpile of the collaboration beer.
The winner gets announced on Nov. 16 during a VIP unveiling event with Big Storm head brewer Joel Moore and William Dean founder Bill Brown. Submissions — from 21-year-old entrants, of course — should be emailed to namethebeer@bigstormbrewery.com until 10 a.m. Nov. 13.
"The subtle nuances of chocolate are exciting for me," Brown said in a statement. "While it took several attempts to get this chocolate stout just right, the final product is an excellent example of pairing great flavors together."
And in case you're a serious chocoholic at heart, this ain't the only product William Dean and Big Storm have partnered on. The public will soon see the release of a macaroon filled with buttercream made from a reduction of the Clearwater-based brewery's American stout (CL got a taste of the biscuits in all their crunchy, indulgent glory, and they're definitely worth scoring), as well as beer-inflected chocolate.
Keep your eyes peeled.
This article appears in Oct 26 – Nov 2, 2017.