Hardee’s Has Teamed Up With A Nashville Brewery To Create A Beer That Includes The Chain’s Signature Biscuits

What do you get when you infuse 200 pounds of Hardee’s signature Made from Scratch Biscuits into an ale?

We’re about to find out. Hardee’s announced today it is working with Nashville-based Southern Grist Brewing Co. to turn its famous biscuits into a Strawberry Biscuit Ale. Specifically, the brewer has figured out a way to infuse Hardee’s biscuits into a full-bodied, cream ale that incorporates hints of strawberry jam and buttermilk.

Beginning Sept. 1, Strawberry Biscuit Ale will be available at the Southern Grist Brewing Co. Taproom in Nashville and via shipping by Southern Grist in select markets nationwide to residents 21 and over. Taproom pricing is $12 for a four-pack.

The partnership between Hardee’s and Southern Grist was created as a way to celebrate National Biscuit Month, and because both companies call Nashville home.

“When we came up with the idea for a Hardee’s Biscuit Beer, only one brewery came to mind to bring the idea to life–Southern Grist,” Owen Klein, CKE Restaurants VP of Global Culinary Innovation, said in a statement. “They approach brewing with the same mad scientist mentality that we use for our new menu launches and know how to deliver on flavor. After a few rounds of testing, Southern Grist nailed it. An amazing crushable beer with subtle notes of fresh-baked biscuits, buttermilk and strawberry jelly. All it took was a few hundred pounds of Made From Scratch Biscuits.”

Of course, it also took several months of planning and tests to find the perfect mix of biscuits, strawberry puree, grain, hops, yeast and water. The brewing company, however, was more than up to the challenge.

“Southern Grist has created more than 900 different flavor profiles since our inception in 2016, but never a beer infused with biscuits, so we were definitely intrigued when Hardee’s approached us,” Jared Welch, Southern Grist Brewing Co. co-founder and production manager, said in a statement. “That, paired with we are both Nashville-based brands known for our innovation, we thought we could have a lot of fun with this partnership and bring something special to both our guests, and we have.”

Notably, Hardees is not the only quick-service concept to translate a signature menu item to alcohol.

Dunkin’ partnered with Boston-based Harpoon Brewery nearly five years ago to launch the Harpoon Dunkin’ Pumpkin Spiced Latte Ale. That relationship continued to expand and now includes options like Harpoon Dunkin’ Blueberry Matcha IPA, Harpoon Dunkin’ Maple Crème Blonde Ale and Harpoon Dunkin’ Midnight American Porter–all made with coffee, donuts or matcha tea from Dunkin’. A request for information regarding this fall’s Harpoon/Dunkin’ lineup was not returned.

More recently, Auntie Anne’s teamed up with Evil Genius Beer Company for an Oktoberfest lager, called Is Butter a Carb?” brewed with actual pretzels. In addition to Auntie Anne’s pretzels, Is Butter a Carb? also includes imported German hops and malts.

This is the first time Auntie Anne’s signature pretzels have been used as an ingredient to develop and create a unique beer available for purchase.

“The only thing better than pretzels AND beer, is pretzels IN beer,” Trevor Hayward, co-founder of Evil Genius, said in a statement. “We really wanted to tie the brands together in a fun way that reminds you of biting into a warm pretzel with every sip.”

The companies said the new beer has all the makings of a classic Oktoberfest, such as a rich malt foundation balanced by delicate hop character, and a prominent toasty flavor profile rounded out with “pleasant salinity.”

“We can’t wait for fans of Auntie Anne’s and Evil Genius to get a taste of this fun collaboration,” Danika Brown, director of Brand Marketing at Auntie Anne’s, said in a statement. “It was important to us to not only create a beer made with our iconic pretzels, but also a beer that could be enjoyed alongside our pretzels. We knew we wanted something that would transport our fans and allow them to feel like they were celebrating Oktoberfest in Germany.”

Is Butter a Carb? is now available throughout Evil Genius’ nine-state distribution footprint that includes Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

These QSR/libation partnerships are also extending beyond beer. Last year, Sonic launched a hard seltzer line in partnership with COOP Ale Works featuring some of its top-selling beverage flavors, like Limeade and Orange Pineapple. The product has since expanded to 39 states and has been named the “Official Hard Seltzer of the Big 12.”

“The response from fans around the country has been overwhelmingly positive and sales of Sonic Hard Seltzer continue to increase every month,” Sean Mossman, president of COOP Bev Works, recently said in a statement.

If these types of collaborations continue to generate both buzz and sales, we can perhaps expect more fast food-inspired adult beverages. I, for one, will drink to that.