Little Bang Brewing has created a Chocolate Stout to celebrate the launch of Creditors, a thriller by the State Theatre Company. The event took place on the second floor of the brewing company where invited guests got to try endless amounts of the new creation.

You could smell the chocolate and roasted hazelnut before the stout even touched your lips. It was creamy but didn’t have the thickness of a Guinness. The stout wasn’t too sweet and it was bitterly firm that finished clean in your mouth.

Co-owner of the Little Bang Brewing, Fil Kemp, created this chocolate stout by extracting the chocolate flavour from cocoa nibs by using a high content of ethanol. The flavour was then added to the foreign extra stout which is a base stout that is used for Breakfast at Stepneys, another beer brewed by Little Bang Brewing.

The beautiful beer wasn’t the only thing to indulge in, thanks to the team at Los Pinchos Locos, the guests were served four canapés.

First was the Mushroom Stuffed Brie which was succulent, soft and crunchy. Secondly, we were served a Beef Brisket with Manchego Cheese and a house aioli. The aioli tasted like a mix between chipotle and barbeque sauce. The bread rolls were fresh and the meat was warm. The taste was fulfilling and it wasn’t heavy on the stomach.

Next came the Jerked Chicken Slaw with Bacon and Pickled Cucumber. This was my personal favourite. It was like all the best parts of a barbeque put into a burger slider. Eating one only made you want another.

The last canapé was a Hazelnut Chocolate Flowerless Fudge Cake. This dessert was rich but perfectly portioned. A good way to resonate the theme of a Chocolate Stout.

The room was perfect for the event. It was dimly lit with golden Christmas lights and the guests mingled on the couches and had the entertainment opportunities of a pool table, a dart board, board games and a Nintendo 64. However, everyone was happy enough just to enjoy conversations with each other, with a Chocolate Stout in hand.

Words by Christian Cominos