Wasabi Beer Exists, And It's NOT For The Faint Of Heart

By now you're no stranger to unique beers — head to your local bar, and you'll find everything from pumpkin beers to floral beers to chocolate stouts. But while you may consider yourself adventurous in the beer department, it turns out there's at least one variation you probably have yet to test yourself on, and it might be the most daring one yet — specifically, the Wasabi Beer being sold on Firebox, which is actual, literal beer infused with wasabi flavors.

Everything about this beverage is unique. Per its product description on Firebox's website: "Ah, wasabi. Japanese horseradish. Tickler of taste buds. A proud member of the Brassicaceae plant family. And now your new favorite beer flavour. Goodbye, hops. Your yeasty maltiness has nothing on this spicy number. Say hello to Wasabi Beer. The magnificent wizards at Niigata Beer have combined Japan’s favorite condiment with your favorite booze."

It comes in a distinctive bottle with a mermaid on it, as seen below, and is sold online by the bottle. This variation is only available in the UK, but fear not — this appears to not be the only kind of wasabi beer on the market, and it looks like you can find other options in the U.S., too.

But does it deliver on its wasabi taste? One reviewer on Beer Advocate writers, "Taste is very light malt with unmistakeable wasabi notes. It's not really hot or spicy... But, it's definitely wasabi! I bought this as a novelty beer... But, I actually LIKE the unusual flavor. Not something I'd want to drink everyday... But, yeah! I'd actually buy and drink this again!"

This is hardly the first unique happy hour treat Firebox has offered in recent memory. FIREBOX distributes the equally tastebud-stinging hot sauce gin created by the British That Boutique-y Gin Company. FIREBOX describes it as double-distilled after being aged for a year in authentic hardwood barrels. Its rich flavor comes from juicy juniper berries, Guajillo peppers and Ancho chillies — a combination "hot enough to pack a punch," yet "mild enough to not to singe your sphincter." FIREBOX also Spit-Roasted Pineapple Gin, Moonshot Gin, and Strawberry and Balsamic Gin from the same manufacturer.

Though, if beer is your drink of choice, there's only one that may even stand a shot of competing with the wasabi beer for a place in your refrigerator: The Last Ever Blockbuster beer.

OK, it's not actually the last ever Blockbuster beer (did Blockbuster even have a beer during its prime?). In reality, the brew is a collaboration between 10 Barrel Brewing, a Bend, Oregon based brewery, and the one time VHS rental giant, Blockbuster. for context: the one remaining Blockbuster video rental store in the United States is located in Bend, Oregon. That should put this endeavor into better context. The black ale's bottle was inspired by the iconic Blockbuster logo, and features the yellow silhouette of a VHS tape. If you want some, you're going to want to head to one of 10 Barrel's six brewpubs on the West Coast.

Firebox's Wasabi Beer is manufactured by Japan-based Niigata Beer. Each is 500ML and sells for $7.79. But, for now you might need a friend across the pond to hook you up with the spicy sip, as shipping is not yet available to the U.S. — fingers crossed it's coming soon.