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The Wake-n-Bake Coffee Blend, a medium roast created by Terrapin and Jittery Joe's, gives the Terrapin Wake-n-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout its coffee flavor.

Coffee, beer merge with 'Wake-n-Bake'

By: JENNIFER PAXTON

Posted: 12/7/07

In a college town where both coffee and beer are revered by many students, the seemingly unattainable combination of the two causes a celebration.

For Athens-based enterprises Terrapin Beer Co. and Jittery Joe's Coffee, the two have mixed to release their very own "Wake-n-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout."

Students of legal age can purchase the coffee-enhanced beer at its release party tonight at Transmetropolitan.

"It's a celebration of the beer coming out," said Dustin Watts, vice president of sales and marketing for Terrapin. "It's a fun time. There will be plenty of beer."

As far as the rest of the party goes, prizes such as Terrapin Co. T-shirts and raffle tickets also will be offered to attendees.

Wake-n-Bake is the winter selection of the Terrapin Monster Beer Tour, a limited release series of high-gravity beers. High-gravity means a higher alcohol content, and this one's at a hearty 8.5 percent as compared to the norm of about 4 percent, Watts said.

According to Terrapin's Web site, www.terrapinbeer.com, the blended concoction is a "full-bodied imperial stout with flavorful coffee taste and aroma - black as night, this coffee stout is thick, rich and full of flavor."

TERRAPIN WAKE-N-BAKE RELEASE PARTY

When: 6:30 tonight
Where: Transmetropolitan, upstairs
Price: Free
More Information: www.terrapinbeer.com

Terrapin and Jittery Joe's worked together to find a suitable blend of premium coffees from Costa Rica, Guatemala and Zimbabwe for the drink, and its sans-alcohol, all-coffee sibling.

The beer-making process calls for malts, in which grains are roasted, and account for the darker color in the beer. These malts offer a slight coffee taste to begin with, Watts said.

"A lot of times you'll get coffee stouts that are just all coffee. Being able to build a blend specific for the beer allowed us to enhance that coffee profile," he said.

Watts said the craft beverage was released originally a couple of years ago, but it's only available once a year.

It will be available throughout the winter months in Athens only while supplies last, so fans of the drink are encouraged to stock up, according to Watts.

The coffee blend is already being sold at all Jittery Joe's locations, select package stores and through Terrapin's Web site.

Terrapin is familiar to local residents as a renowned beer company in the Southeast, and Jittery Joe's has won over many coffee-loving Athenians.

"It's unique to see a micro coffee roaster and a micro brewery coming together and producing a product," Watts said.