I know what you're thinking. Beer as a substitute for food? That sounds like a bad excuse to skip dinner and go straight for the bottle. But hold on – because what I'm talking about here is actually something entirely different. Welcome to the new generation of filling, dessert-inspired beers that have taken the world by storm, and that even have TikTok users calling them "liquid cheesecake".

A few years ago I visited a small microbrewery outside Trondheim, and the brewer poured me something he called a "pastry stout". I took a sip and stopped mid-movement. This was not beer. This was liquid brownies with vanilla custard. Thick, creamy, sweet – and after half the glass I felt surprisingly full. That was when it dawned on me: beer can actually become food.

Let's start from the top. A pastry stout is a type of imperial stout – that is, a powerful, dark beer with a high alcohol content – brewed with ingredients you'd normally find in a patisserie. Think vanilla, cocoa, coffee, marshmallows, peanut butter, caramel, and even cinnamon rolls. Some American breweries have even experimented with oats, milk, and lactose to make the syrupy texture even more full-bodied.

The result? A drink that often sits at 10–14% alcohol, is so thick it almost refuses to pour out of the glass, and contains more calories than a full dinner. Some of these beers tip the scales at over 400 calories per 33 cl bottle. That's more than a Big Mac. And the taste? It often resembles a liquid dessert more than anything you'd traditionally call beer.

The timing for these beers is perfect right now in January. Outside it's cold and dark, and the body craves something that warms from within. While summer is all about light lagers and fresh IPAs, winter was made for these heavy, complex beers that give you something to sink your teeth into – quite literally.

Over the past few weeks I've tested my way through a handful of these full-bodied beers, both Norwegian and foreign, and here are some that truly impressed – not just with flavour, but also with the actual fullness they deliver.

Amundsen Bourbon Barrel Aged Sticky Little Fingers Ultra Pastry Stout is perhaps the most extreme example I've tasted from the Norwegian side. At 12% alcohol and 44 cl in volume, this is not a beer you knock back on a thirsty summer's day. No, this is a winter evening on the sofa beer, where every sip smells of bourbon barrels, dark chocolate and caramelised sugar. After one glass you sit there and realise you genuinely don't need anything more. Your mouth is coated in a creamy, almost buttery sensation that lingers long after the last sip.

Another Norwegian example is Disko Brewing Lussi Fatlagret Stoutblend (11%), which combines barrel aging with a full-bodied stout base. The result is complex: smoked wood, espresso, plum and honey. Again – after half the bottle you feel satisfied in a way that ordinary beer would never give you. This is beer that demands respect and time.

From Estonia comes Põhjala Første Snø Cellar Series BA Imperial Stout 2025, and at 14% alcohol this is the absolute heavyweight of this round. The name alone promises winter's first snowfall, and the taste delivers: heavy as a wool blanket, with layer upon layer of dark fruit, liquorice, espresso and an almost port wine-like richness. This is a beer you pour into small glasses and savour as you would an old cognac. Perfect for a cold January evening when you want something that both warms and fills you up.

If you want something a little more classic but still powerful, Samuel Smith Imperial Stout (7%) is a solid choice. The British classic is admittedly not a "pastry stout" in the strict sense of the word, but it has a filling richness of burnt malts, coffee and dark chocolate that makes it a perfect bridge between traditional stout and the more extreme dessert versions. It's also a little easier to get hold of, and works excellently as an introduction to this style.

I remember the first time I tasted a Samuel Smith Imperial Stout. It was at a small beer pub in Bergen, and the bartender said: "If you like this, you're going to love the new pastry stouts." He was right. It was the start of a long journey into a world of beer that challenges everything I thought I knew about brewing.

It's no coincidence that "liquid cheesecake" has become a term on social media. On TikTok, videos of people tasting pastry stouts have racked up millions of views. There's something visually satisfying about the syrupy consistency, the dark, almost black colour, and the intense reactions people have when they take their first sip.

But it's also about something more: we live in a time when drink culture and food culture are merging. People want experiences that are more than just a thirst-quencher. They want something to remember, something to talk about, something that actually fills a little more than just the glass. Pastry stouts deliver exactly that – they are an experience, a conversation starter, and above all: they fill you up.

It's also a generational thing. Younger beer enthusiasts are not as bound by tradition as previous generations. They want to experiment, try something new, and share the experience on social media. A pastry stout is Instagram-friendly, TikTok-worthy, and gives you something to talk about at the next dinner with friends.

If you want to try these beers yourself, I have some advice from my own experiences – and from all the times I've watched people get it wrong at brewery visits:

Temperature is everything. Don't drink them ice cold. Take them out of the fridge 15–20 minutes before you pour. At room temperature the flavours open up, and you really get to appreciate the complexity. I've seen people pour a 14% pastry stout straight from the fridge and wonder why it tastes flat. Give it time to warm up.

Use the right glass. A small tulip glass or a cognac glass works much better than a beer mug. You want to concentrate the aromas, not disperse them. I've even used small port wine glasses for the most full-bodied beers – it works surprisingly well.

Share the bottle. Seriously. A whole bottle at 12–14% is not something you should tackle alone. These beers are perfect for sharing, perhaps as a finish to a dinner or as a replacement for dessert. Invite a friend, pour two glasses, and enjoy it together. It makes for both a better experience and a safer evening.

Combine or replace. Some like to pair pastry stouts with actual dessert – a piece of blue cheese, dark chocolate or a salted caramel cake. Others (like me) prefer to let the beer stand alone as the close of the evening. It really doesn't need anything more. Try both and find your own style.

Plan your evening. With alcohol percentages sitting at 11–14%, these are not beers you have in the middle of an active evening. Set aside time, relax, and let the beer be the highlight – not a pre-drink for something else.

It's a question I've been asked many times, by both purists and newcomers. And my answer is: yes, it's beer – but it's also something more. It's a craft that pushes the boundaries of what a brewer can achieve with malt, hops, yeast and a little imagination. Some will hate it. They'll cry that it's too sweet, too thick, too much. And that's perfectly fine.

I've met brewers who refuse to call pastry stouts "real beer". I've also met brewers who see them as the ultimate expression of creativity in brewing. Both have their points. But for me it's not about defining what "proper" beer is. It's about exploring what's possible.

For those of us who love to explore, who aren't afraid to try something new, and who genuinely appreciate that a drink can be both food and pleasure at the same time? Then this is the generation of beer we've been waiting for. It's beer that fits perfectly on a cold January evening, when you want something that warms, fills you up and gives you an experience you'll remember.

So the next time someone asks whether you want dinner or beer – feel free to answer: "Why not both in one glass?"