Zichovec - Winter Affair Gossip Pühaste

For the third year in a row, we’ve been hosting the Winter Affair international beer tasting festival, and for just as long, we’ve been brewing collaborative batches with some of the participating breweries. It’s a unique opportunity to get to know each other better, share interesting insights, and combine our expertise. The beers created as part of the Winter Affair Gossip series are the result of these meetings—they bring together beer worlds, unique recipes, and a love for the craft across countries and continents. One of this year’s guests was the Estonian brewery Pühaste, which ranks among the best in the category of strong, dark, and complex-flavored beers. So together we set out to create a Double Milk Stout that smells of bitter cocoa, warms like a liqueur, and surprises with a spicy interplay on the palate. The base is cocoa, which gives the beer body, depth, and a dessert-like character. Instead of sharp heat, dried Ancho chili peppers bring subtle smoky notes, a hint of dried fruit, and a gentle warmth at the finish. Cinnamon rounds out the entire flavor with a spicy-sweet note that beautifully ties it all together.