Days of the Beer, July 23

The beer for today is Highland Black Mocha Stout.

On July 23, 1904, Charles E Menches came up with the idea of filling a pastry cone with two scoops of ice-cream and thus invented the ice-cream cone.

On December 13, 1903, Italo Marchioni received a patent for a mold that made pastry cups to hold ice cream. His patent was not for a "cone" so when he filed lawsuits against cone manufacturers for patent infringement, he lost.

The cone itself was invented in St. Louis, Missouri in 1904 at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. There were actually several people at the Exposition who claimed to have invented the cone. Ernest Hamwi, Abe Doumar, Albert and Nick Kabbaz, Arnold Fornachou and David Avayou all have claims to ownership of the concept.

So why is the beer, Highland Black Mocha Stout? In Asheville North Carolina, theres a place called the Ultimate Ice Cream Company on Tunnel Road. The sell non-dairy soy cream, gelato and also sugar-free varieties. They also offer a large variety of homemade ice cream. Last time we were in Asheville, Kriddy and Dana had the Highland Brewing Company Black Mocha Stout ice cream. It's made with Highland beer, which is reduced to a syrup and then mixed into the ice cream.

The beer itself:

Highland's most robust beer, having a very malty body with a large, roasted chocolate flavor. It is black in color with a very clean finish and a moderate hop flavor.

It received an 87 on Ratebeer and is an A- on Beer Advocate.