You can't get drunk on Ed's Cave Creek Chili Beer. Well, I suppose you could get drunk on this stuff, but it would be hard. Because certainly, Ed's Cave Creek Chili Beer is not the most drinkable of brews out there. It's spicy, and the heat increases the more you sip. But more on the beer.

Ed Chillen is Crazy. When he set up Black Mountain Brewing in the tiny town of Cave Creek, Arizona back in 1989, people thought he was crazy. When he began selling a beer with a serrano chili pepper in each bottle, people thought he was really crazy. Until they tasted his beer. Though it's not for everyone, Cave Creek has caught on in 40 states and overseas (especially in Japan where it has been a huge hit). So much so that Ed has had to contract out production of his beer to a large brewer to meet demand.

Basically, you can spice a beer with anything you like. Hops are the usual choice. But they weren't the first seasoning to be used, and hey, variety is the, err, spice of life. So why not chili peppers?

Cave Creek Chili Beer pours to a light golden color with a spritzy head of foam that quickly forms and just as quickly dissipates. The nose is potent with a strong pickled-pepper smell. The body of the beer is on the lighter side but that doesn't really matter as it's the chili that dominates the brew.

While not overpoweringly hot, there is a definite peppery character that will fill the mouth and gently burn the throat after you sip. This leaves the impression more of pepper juice than beer. Don't look for hops here; the pepper is the spice in this brew. If you're really adventurous, try eating the pepper after you finish the beer. Or just save it and toss it in your next batch of chili. Better yet, use a bottle or two of the beer for a really dynamite chili.

Being the fan of hot and spicy foods that I am, I love this brew. I don't recommend it with spicy foods however, as that would throw the meal way out of balance. It is good with a thick juicy hamburger however, as it really cuts through the beef, and the lingering pepper flavor on the tongue adds flare to every bite.

Update: April 21, 2012: Tonight I'm sipping the latest edition of Ed's Cave Creek, brewed in Mexico by Tecate. The beer pours to a pale yellow color with a spritzy white head formation and that same pickled pepper nose (though maybe with more pepper and less pickle). Taking a sip, I think this beer is far milder than it used to be.

The pepper is still there to be sure, and it tickles the throat and tongue with pricks of spicy heat. Not nearly as much as it used to, though, and I can easily drink this beer a lot faster than I could in the past. That said, it does gain drinkability for that very reason, and its rich pepper flavor makes for a tasty alternative to hops. Then too, you get a pepper to chew on in every bottle.

I've taken the rating down a notch from 4 and a half to four stars. Still, this is a tasty beer in my opinion, if a pricey one at $8.99 a six-pack.

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