Is it April 1st?

That was my initial reaction when I heard about these new draft beer-flavored jelly beans. But it wasn’t April 1st, and thus, this isn’t a joke.

Jelly Belly released their latest (and greatest?) flavor at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco last weekend – the Draft Beer Jelly Bean.

It’s not the first alcohol-inspired jelly bean. The company has created a number of cocktail-centric beans in the past, including a Mai Tai and Pina Colada. But this is the first beer-flavored bean; a flavor that, according to Jelly Belly, has had a multitude of requests throughout the years.

Jelly Belly Draft Beer Jelly Beans

So, do they actually taste like beer? I don’t know, but Jeff Brown, Vice President of Operations and Distribution at Jelly Belly, said, “At Jelly Belly, we want that real wild, true-to-life flavor. So to get that crisp, clean beer flavor, it took a lot of trial and error to get to that final bean, which we are very proud of.”

Jackie Dodd, Beer Expert, Cookbook author, and voice behind TheBeeroness.com, reviewed the beans and had the following to say, “I was amazed at how perfect they are. It was the exact level of beer flavor you want, followed by a really great sweetness that keeps you coming back for more.”

Jelly Belly is working fairly hard to promote the beans. They made a video (seen at the bottom), and they even went as far as to suggest jelly bean combos for a Beer Sangria, an Apple Cider Shandy, and a Michelada. I guess you’re supposed to add that combination of beans in your mouth and chew them all at the same time???

Jelly Belly Draft Beer Flavor Combinations

Click to Enlarge

Some of you are probably repulsed, some are likely excited, while others are maybe just curious. I, myself, am standing firm in the curious camp. I feel the need to at least try one. If you also feel this itching curiosity, they’re now available for purchase at the Jelly Belly website.

I should also probably point out that the beans do not contain any alcohol, so while eating a ton might give you some sort of sugar high, you will not be buzzing off these bad boys.

Check out the video for more on the Draft Beer Beans.