![\"grimm](\"https:\/\/cdn.craftbeer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20250724153118\/grimm-no-hands-beer-with-poured-beer-in-glass.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nLauren and Joe Grimm started Grimm Artisanal Ales back in 2013 out of their Brooklyn apartment kitchen, testing out small-batch recipes with local grains. In 2019, the couple introduced No Hands Now, a low-ABV sour ale loosely inspired by a Michelada. \u201cThe name sort of evokes the decision to do a weird trick which might be fun or fail disastrously,\u201d Lauren said.<\/p>\n
Even before you take a sip of No Hands Now, the illustration on the label catches your eye: Two men in matching jumpsuits ride a tandem bike with their hands up as if to say, \u201cLook ma, no hands!\u201d With chipotle chiles, lime, and sea salt, this small-batch beer offers a smoky chile aroma, a hint of cedar wood, and the bright zing of fresh lime.<\/p>\n
Lauren explained that the beer begins with fermentation in their oak foeder, where many of their wild ales go to build up tartness and complexity from resident microbes that live in the wood. When the beer is \u201cready,\u201d it gets steeped in ancho and chipotle chiles and lime juice. Finally, the beer gets a dry-hop with lime-accented Motueka hops and a bit of sea salt. The ale pairs well with a range of dishes, including Korean fried chicken, ceviche, elote, barbecue, and even a sharp cheddar grilled cheese. A tajin rim is optional but encouraged.<\/p>\n
If you like the tamed heat and citrus-forward flavors of No Hands Now, you might also enjoy 4 Noses Michelada Caliente<\/a>, made in collaboration with The Real Dill pickle company, heady with serrano and habanero peppers, pickle brine, and Bloody Mary mix.<\/p>\n Birdsong Jalape\u00f1o Pale Ale, <\/a>Charlotte, N.C.<\/p>\n Tara and Chris Goulet started the Charlotte, N.C.-based Birdsong Brewing Co. in 2010, when Conor Robinson, a co-worker at the bakery Tara worked at, began brewing beer. Soon after, the Goulets got working on Birdsong. When they first opened the taproom, they tinkered with infusing a handful of fresh cut jalape\u00f1os into their American pale ale since the malty notes of the APA worked better to offset the heat compared to IPAs\u2014and Jalape\u00f1o Pale Ale was born. Their customers loved it, so the Goulets cracked down on making the beer at production scale.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just kind of winged [preparing it on a mass scale]…it turned out that it wasn\u2019t so much figuring out the volume of peppers as it was the contact time for the peppers in the liquid,\u201d Tara said. From June through November, which is jalape\u00f1o season, Birdsong purchases the peppers from a North Carolina farm. In 2024, the brewery used 400 pounds of locally grown jalape\u00f1os.<\/p>\n While 40 pounds of jalape\u00f1os go into each batch, a blend of Columbus, Galena, Fuggle, and Willamette hops lends some sweetness and a clean, fruity finish. Jalape\u00f1os are hotter than anchos, or dried poblano chiles, but since this brew calls for removing the seeds, the result is relatively mild, and its aroma brings a bag of jalape\u00f1o chips to mind. Birdsong recommends pairing the ale with shrimp tacos, raw oysters, or a giant soft pretzel with beer cheese. Bonus points if you also put the ale in the beer cheese<\/a>.<\/p>\n For something with a more pronounced jalape\u00f1o kick, try Aviator\u2019s Crackpot Kick Jalape\u00f1o Pilsner<\/a>, a Bohemian-style, full-bodied Pils with more seeds and heat.<\/p>\n Malibu Brewing Hatch Chile Lager<\/a>, Malibu, Calif.<\/p>\n Malibu Brewing\u2019s Hatch Chile Lager began, as all the best ideas do, as a gift. Co-owner Jill Ahrens wanted to surprise Ryan Ahrens, her husband and the CEO of Malibu Brewing, with something personal for his birthday in 2022\u2014a beer that nodded to his New Mexico roots, where Hatch green chiles are a sacred treasure.<\/p>\n The brew team got to work, experimenting with the smoky, earthy heat of the peppers, and soon, Hatch became a taproom favorite. Over the years, the recipe evolved, picking up nuance and depth, and last year, Hatch Green Chile Lager took home gold at the Brewers Cup of California in the Chili Beer category (separate from the Herb and Spice Beer category, which features spiced<\/em> rather than spicy beers; think oatmeal raisin cookies and black pepper with peaches), beating out Clandestine Brewing\u2019s Thunder Ball<\/a> and Two Ravens Brewery\u2019s Smok\u2019N<\/a> Hot Blonde<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hatch Green Chile Lager starts with Malibu\u2019s Sand & Sea Mexican-Style Lager<\/a>, a crisp, clean base, and then freshly roasted and peeled Hatch chiles join the party. A blend of hot and mild peppers lends savory and vegetal notes that allow the beer to shine without overwhelming the drinker. In the Malibu taproom, Hatch is the foundation for some of their beer cocktails, from a Spicy Ginger Mule to a Pineapple Brewrita.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a unique and versatile beer,\u201d Jill said. \u201cIt tastes great on draught and even better with a juicy smashburger.\u201d Unsurprisingly, Hatch Green Chile Lager also enhances the flavor of Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes and goes well with anything with corn: think popcorn, corn nuts, cornbread, and even corn dogs.<\/p>\n Country Boy Brewing Nacho Bait Habanero Blonde<\/a>, Lexington, Ky.<\/p>\n In 2013, a plumber accidentally wiped his face with a rag that Nathan Coppage, one of the founders at Country Boy Brewing, had used to dry the knife he\u2019d used to chop 10 pounds of habaneros for the Nacho Bait Habanero Blonde Ale. \u201cThat is my favorite memory of Nacho Bait,\u201d Coppage said. \u201cI noticed a hole in my latex gloves\u2026 no sooner than I had grabbed another pair, the plumber came running and yelled, \u2018What kind of chemical was on the rag? Is my face melting off?!\u2019\u201d Coppage continued, \u201cIt still burned like hell, I\u2019m sure\u2014but he knew he wasn\u2019t going to lose any skin.\u201d<\/p>\n Founded in 2012 by four Kentuckians, Country Boy Brewing keeps it simple with a focus on real ingredients without the bells and whistles. With their new Georgetown facility\u2014the state\u2019s largest brewery\u2014even more of their lineup is hitting taprooms and shelves, including Nacho Bait. Like Malibu and Birdsong Brewing, Country Boy uses a core beer in its lineup\u2014Cougar Bait, the brewery\u2019s blonde ale\u2014as the base.<\/p>\n \u201cThe habanero addition made the beer taste like ballpark nachos from our youth,\u201d explained Evan Coppage, another co-owner and head of brewery operations. Nacho Bait, first brewed in 2013, is among the hotter beers on this list, but the hint of peach and mango balances out the serranos\u2019 heat. A sweet, stone-fruit flavor coats the tongue before tingling in the back of your throat.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had [habanero] peppers from our home garden that were so hot no one could eat them. One of our owners decided to make a beer with them,\u201d said Pete Weiss, marketing director at Country Boy Brewing.<\/p>\n \u201cThe funny thing about this beer is the spice level varies depending on the time of year,\u201d he added. \u201cIn the summer, we use fresh habanero peppers, and in the winter, we have to use store-bought peppers\u2014the summer homegrown peppers are always a bit more spicy.\u201d But to keep a steady fruitiness, the brewery consistently uses 10 pounds per 10-pound barrel. The brewery\u2019s only other annual spicy brew is Jalape\u00f1o Smoked Porter, made with jalape\u00f1o peppers and heavily smoked malt.<\/p>\n Weiss recommends pairing the beer with non-spicy foods such as French fries, fried mozzarella sticks, and cheese pizza, while its fruity components complement meat such as duck and pork.<\/p>\n Bell\u2019s Brewery Mango Habanero Oberon<\/a>, Kalamazoo, Mich.<\/p>\n Larry Bell founded Bell’s Brewery in 1985 in Kalamazoo, initially opening a homebrew shop where the first batch was brewed in a 15-gallon soup kettle. Bell\u2019s later grew into a commercial brewery, and in 2021, it ranked as the sixth-largest craft brewery in the U.S. and Michigan\u2019s largest independently owned brewery. But by the end of that year, Bell sold the company to Lion, a subsidiary of the Japanese Kirin beverage group.<\/p>\n Bell\u2019s signature Oberon wheat ale debuted in 1992, and the company debuted Mango Habanero Oberon in 2020, which has since become the most frequently requested beer among Bell\u2019s fans. This sweet-spicy wheat ale includes fresh mango puree, giving it a hazy orange hue and a slight floral taste punctuated with habanero powder.<\/p>\n \u201cThis beer has certainly taken on almost cult status,\u201d said Michaela Eagan, public relations manager at New Belgium Brewing and Bell\u2019s Brewery. \u201cIt\u2019s largely made in small volumes and available at our pub, Bell\u2019s Eccentric Caf\u00e9, which probably adds to the lore.\u201d This mango-forward ale complements a plethora of South Asian dishes made with amchur, or unripe mango powder, along with zesty Thai, Cambodian, and Laotian fare such as green mango and papaya salads.<\/p>\n Festive, spiced beers<\/a> have been around since the 80s, but truly spicy brews have carved out a following over the past decade. Across the country, breweries are turning up the Scovilles with contests such as the Carolina Reaper-laced Signal One Challenge<\/a> at Maltese Brewing Co<\/a>., a nanobrewery fittingly owned and operated by firefighters in Fredericksburg, Va.; and the Deal With the Devil Challenge<\/a> at Burning Barrel Brewing Co<\/a>. in Rancho Cordova, Calif., with both vying for the title of world\u2019s hottest beer and exuding pure Hot Ones <\/em>energy, glass of milk included.<\/p>\n For those chasing even more heat, we suggest Habanero Sculpin IPA<\/a> (Ballast Point) and Ghost Face Killah<\/a> (Twisted Pine Brewing), or kicking up your beer chili or beer can chicken a notch with spicy brews for a full circle (of hell) moment. No matter which state you\u2019re in, odds are there\u2019s a beer hothead nearby\u2014and a flaming pint to match.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In a sea of juicy IPAs and lip-puckering sours, spice feels almost radical: an antidote to sweetness and a rebuttal to predictability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7603,"featured_media":114714,"sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sticky_collection":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"100565,105104,51852,54914,79134,45603","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4812],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-114712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-full-pour"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMore Mild Than Wild<\/h2>\n
![\"birdsong](\"https:\/\/cdn.craftbeer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20250724153322\/birdsong-brewing-co-jalapeno-beer.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nHatching New Levels of Heat<\/h2>\n
![\"hatch](\"https:\/\/cdn.craftbeer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20250724153521\/hatch-chile-lager.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nA Slow Burn<\/h2>\n
![\"country](\"https:\/\/cdn.craftbeer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20250724153403\/nacho-bait-beer-can-in-hand.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nSweet Heat<\/strong><\/h2>\n