This is an intriguing development — cashew nuts in beer to approximate the creamy texture you might normally get from lactose.
That’s what 8 Wired did when they collaborated with Wellington plant-based chocolatier Wonderland to create Talia, an imperial chocolate orange stout.
For Wonderland, whose entire range of chocolate and confectionery is plant-based, the collaboration was also an opportunity to challenge some of the assumptions around vegan food and drink.
“There’s still this idea that vegan means compromising on indulgence, and that’s something we’ve always wanted to turn on its head,” says Wonderland founder Kate Necklen.
“This is a rich orange chocolate imperial stout inspired by a creamy milk chocolate bar – and both are vegan. We love that you don’t necessarily know that from the flavour experience.”
The cacao husks supplied for the project are a by-product of Wonderland’s bean-to-bar chocolate-making process. Typically separated from the cacao nib during production, the husks retain the distinctive aroma and flavour characteristics of cacao.
“We’ve brewed with chocolate before, and we’ve brewed with orange before —but we’ve never combined the two, and certainly never with cashew nuts, which is a first for us,” says 8 Wired’s Soren Eriksen.
“From day one this beer took a slightly different turn. We added half the cashews directly to the mash, then after fermentation began loading the beer with cacao nibs, husks and more cashew nuts to build that creamy mouthfeel. We also added organic vanilla extract for smoothness and orange oil.
“Although this is an imperial stout — clocking in at 8.5% — we’ve kept it lean, using less roasted barley and leaning into smooth chocolate malts. Combined with the cashew nuts, that’s what gives the beer its milky chocolate flavour and feel, without any dairy whatsoever. Keeping it vegan was no problem — 99% of our beers already are.”
