Beer or coffee? Soon you won’t have to choose.

Two Kansas City companies - Boulevard Brewing Co. and The Roasterie – have teamed up on a new beer, Coffee Ale, which will be on store shelves in early March. The businesses – neighbors on the city’s west side - began testing samples in late September and the final limited-edition beer was put in kegs and in 750 ml bottles in late January.

Unlike some coffee beers that are dark and heavy, the new Boulevard beer is a lighter beer with a coffee aroma made by seeping a coarsely-ground light Ethiopian roast into Boulevard ale. It will be part of the Boulevard Smokestack series and is expected to retail for between $8.99 and $10.99.

“It has a lighter base so the coffee itself could shine through. The freshly roasted beans were used in the fermentation process to give the beer as much of a coffee aroma as possible,” said Jeremy Ragonese, director of marketing for Boulevard. “We expect the beer to pair fantastically with desserts or even a doughnut if one is so inclined.”

Boulevard previously partnered with Kansas City-based chocolatier Christopher Elbow on a Chocolate Ale for Valentine’s specials in 2011 and 2012.