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Oyster Stout | Local Ale From United Kingdom | TasteAtlas

Oyster stout

Oyster stout is a stout style brewed with oyster shells. It is not clear how it originated, but it is possible that the oysters were primarily used to clarify and improve clarity—the shells were used to help clear the impurities.


Oyster stout is often classified as a sweet (milk) stout, but many consider it a separate category. Nowadays, it is mainly brewed with whole oysters. The examples are dark, smooth, and richly flavored. They often have bitter-sweet flavor, with mineral and saline character and the usual roasty notes reminiscent of cocoa and caramel.


If the beer is made only with shells, it will have more subtle briny notes. Although it is unclear how and when oysters were first added during brewing, oysters and stout have a long history in the British Isles. The pubs often offered oysters on the shell, and guests would usually pair them with their favorite brew, which was often stout.


This style is still rare, and it is produced only by craft breweries.