Oyster stout

"Oyster stout" originally signified a brew that paired well with oysters. The custom of washing down bivalves with a dark, roasty ale dates to 19th-century Britain, where so many oysters were dredged from the Thames that pubs served them as a free snack, much as modern bars do with pork rinds and peanuts.

Recently, two U.S. breweries have taken the term literally, incorporating the essence of oyster into their beers.

"When they heard we were brewing an oyster stout, half the people were like, 'Wow!' and half scrunched up their faces," says Gene Muller, founder and general manager of Flying Fish Brewing Co. in Cherry Hill, N.J.

Exit 1 Bayshore Oyster Stout debuted in November, and a few 25-ounce bottles of this limited release might still be lurking at outlets in Washington and Maryland.

It doesn't taste like seafood, assures Muller.(read more)