Something we love to do at Cape May Brewing Company is push the boundaries of flavor and creativity. So when our Lead Brewer Brad Young proposed the idea of mixing our original Honey Porter with Mike’s Hot Honey, it was a lightbulb moment.

What do you get when you combine the two? You get our newest brew, Hot Honey Porter.

We caught up with Brad to learn more about this brewing process, and where the inspiration behind it originated.

“For one, I love Mike’s Hot Honey,” said Brad. “I leave it out on the counter. Salt, pepper, Mike’s Hot Honey. I’m not kidding.”

[Ed note: Yes, in that exact order.]

“So, it just made perfect sense to me. I thought, ‘Why not combine this with our Honey Porter?'"

We asked Brad why he thinks our fans will love this new brew. Our Brewers know best, of course.

“It’s different. Pepper beers and spice beers can be a lot, and some people tend to shy away from them. This is one where you can balance the spice, while still enjoying the flavor. You don’t have to be afraid of it being too spicy, because it’s really in addition overall to the beer, that has that honey sweetness and honey flavor. On the very back end, you just get a little bit of pepper flavor.” said Brad. “It’s the kind of spice that will keep you coming back for more.”

If you’ve seen our newest Instagram video, then you got a small taste of what it was like to combine Hot Mike’s Honey with our Honey Porter. But, in case you didn’t, Brad gave us the inside scoop.

[Ed note: In all seriousness, if you haven’t watched our Instagram video yet, you’re missing out. Go to @capemaybrewco RIGHT NOW.]

“This is the same exact beer, we just subbed out the original honey with Mike’s Hot Honey. During the brewing process, we added Mike’s Hot Honey towards the end of the boil so that it doesn’t volatilize the aroma compounds of the honey and the pepper. We add it near the end so it gets mixed in, and the flavor doesn’t get blown off with the steam,” said Brad. “And, that’s how you get that delicious porter.”

Now, it’s obvious that you’ll love the beer, but we wanted to know what Brad’s favorite part about it was.

“Everything,” he said. “It was a weird idea in a meeting and it worked perfectly. There were no hiccups. Everything was balanced. It was clean. It just worked.”

Since fall is finally in full swing, what better time to crack open our Hot Honey Porter? Gather around the campfire with friends and family, roast some marshmallows, and enjoy the sweet, spicy sensation of this brew.

We ended this interview with a VERY important statement from Brad.

“Don’t be scared to try dark beer and don’t be scared that this one is too spicy!”

You heard it here first, folks.

Hot Honey Porter is now available in the Tasting Room on draft and in our Brewtique to-go for $13.99.

Do you want to beat the crowd? Order Hot Honey Porter online for pick up.