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A beer and chocolate pairing is a wonderful thing to behold. It fits in at a home bar, a brunch café in some cases, in a restaurant, at the meal of a cicerone, or at a bar business. The trick to any good pairing is to match two things that are already amazing on their own. Some of the best beer brands can be paired with rich chocolates. That’s a byproduct of the qualities of beer and chocolate individually.
In this BinWise blog post, we’ll be walking you through some of our favorite beer and chocolate pairing options. There are many more, but this list is a good place to start.
Beer and Chocolate Pairing
A good beer and chocolate pairing brings the best out of each part of the pair. There are sweeter beers that can pair perfectly with a rich chocolate. There are also bitter dark chocolate options that lend themselves to a dark beer. The options are nearly limitless. If you have the right beer on tap or at home, you can test out a huge variety of pairing options. If you're storing your own beer to pair, make sure you learn about beer expiration.
These five beer and chocolate pairing choices are a mix of the unexpected and familiar favorites. When it comes to the best pairings, having a wide variety is good for personal and customer satisfaction.
5. Dark Chocolate Truffles and Pilsner
A pilsner is one of the lighter options on this list, which makes it the perfect pair for some dark chocolate truffles. The dark chocolate will draw out the depth and bite of a pilsner. The soft truffle composition will match the smooth qualities of a good pilsner. It’s a smooth, unexpectedly delightful pair.
4. Chocolate Cake and Triple IPA
A triple IPA is one tough cookie to crack when it comes to flavor pairings. It’s a strong beer that needs an equally strong dish. When it comes to dessert options, that strong, rich treat is chocolate cake. A fudge or double chocolate cake will make this pairing even more appealing. Your mouth will water from the first bite.
3. Milk Chocolate Bar and Hefeweizen
A hefeweizen is another one of the mild options on this list. Don’t let that fool you, it’s a well-rounded, unique brew. A hefeweizen looks like a plain, golden ale when it is first poured into a glass. Once you taste it, you’ll understand the subtle mastery of hefeweizen. It pairs well with a milk chocolate bar, which draws out its flavor and doesn’t take away from the hefeweizen.
2. Caramel Chocolates and Brown Ale
A brown ale can be hard to pair. It’s a nutty, best-served-warm, earthy beer. What do you mix that with? What can improve it without altering it? Caramel chocolates are the answer. The best option with this mix is to have chocolate-covered caramel. The sweet caramel and chocolate complement the brown ale perfectly.
1. Raspberry Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Stout
Naturally, there are some beer and chocolate pairing options that mix well because their flavors are practically the same. This mix of raspberry dark chocolate and raspberry stout is one of those fun flavor combinations. It’s sweet and rich and everything you want from a beer and chocolate pairing.
"Key Takeaway: A good beer and chocolate pairing brings the best out of each part of the pair."
Frequently Asked Questions About Chocolate and Beer Pairings
A beer and chocolate pairing sounds like a strange mix to enough people that this combination is still growing in popularity and familiarity. Beer pairings in general are something that is still gaining popularity. Beer and chocolate pairings are starting to join the mix at microbreweries and niche restaurants and bars. However, we still have many things to discover about this delicious mix.
Our answers to these frequently asked questions will give you a leg up in the discovery of more information about beer and chocolate pairings. With these answers, you can hit up the candy aisle and liquor store for some fun experimentation.
What Beer Goes Well With Chocolate?
Stout beers tend to pair the best with chocolate. Stout beers already have some coffee and chocolate flavor tones, so they mix easily for a dessert menu. They are especially suited to pair with a high percentage dark chocolate option. Ultimately, this comes down to equal levels of rich flavor and depth in each.
IPAs are particularly recommended for pairing with a bar of medium dark chocolate. This can vary depending on the IPA. They have a high ABV, typically around or over 10%. The higher the ABV, the darker the chocolate a beer should be paired with.
Why Is Chocolate Good With Beer?
Chocolate is good with beer because they are both fermented. They undergo quite a bit of flavor enhancement in the fermentation process. They match each other in terms of the process that went into creating such unique, delightful flavors.
There’s also the distilled version of this reason behind such a great pairing. Chocolate is good, and beer is good. They have complementary flavors as well. When you put two good things together that don’t detract from the other, the mix tends to be good. That holds true for chocolate and beer.
Do Sweets Go Well With Beer?
Yes, sweets and beer do go well together with a mix of available pairs. The range of sweets that can mix with beer includes:
- Lemon tart
- Chocolate cake
- Carrot cake
- Dulce De Leche
- Brownies
- Sea salt caramels
- Almond brittle
- Apple crisp
- Strawberries and cream
- Oatmeal cookies
- Chocolate pudding
Typically, you want to pair rich desserts with dark beer, and light desserts with, you guessed it, light beer. You can experiment with your favorite dessert and some beers you enjoy. You can even set up a dessert and beer-tasting flight. That would be a surefire way to bring in happy hour business.
What Cookies Go Best With Beer?
Almost any cookie can be paired with a good beer. The list includes:
- Chocolate chip cookies
- Chocolate fudge cookies
- Peanut butter cookies
- Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
- Lemon cookies
- Sugar cookies
- Oatmeal cookies
- Chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies
- Ginger cookies
- Oatmeal raisin cookies
- Oreos
- Pecan Sandies
- Gingerbread cookies
- Snickerdoodle cookies
If you have another favorite cookie, add it to your list! The comfort-food nature of cookies makes them a perfect companion for beer. Of course, this rule also applies to other baked goods. If you’re making a tasting flight at home, stop by your local bake shop beforehand. You can test out new flavors to see how the pairings turn out.
Chocolate and Beer Pairings: Beer that’s Bitter, Chocolate with Spice, Everything Nice
A good beer and chocolate pairing can brighten up a Friday night, and boost the types of menu at a bar or restaurant. If you’re looking to mix up your dessert menu, design a beer and chocolate pairing flight. You’ll draw in curious customers and, when you follow the general guidelines of this post, you’ll leave them wanting to come back for more.
As your business ramps up with this menu addition, you’ll benefit from looking into the BinWise inventory system. BinWise Pro, paired with the BinScan mobile app, streamlines your inventory program. It makes it easier than ever to take inventory and work with your inventory to manage your business.