Nectar…Meet Ambrosia
So Valentine’s Day may be over, but love is still in the air. That is… if you still have chocolate lying around, whipping your pheromones into an aphrodisiac frenzy. What’s chocolate got to do with beer, you ask? Who could possibly think of munching on Vosges chocolate while quaffing an ice-cold brew? By definition, chocolate is a preparation of the seeds of cacao tree, a small evergreen sterculiaceous tree (Theobroma Cacao – theobroma meaning “food of the gods”). These are grown primarily in tropical America, and are cultivated for their seeds which are the source of cocoa. The indigenous Indians used cocoa to make a pungent, bitter drink they called “chocolatl“. As it so happens, Dogfish Head Brewery has named one of its Ancient Ales, a pungent, bitter drink they called “Theobrama.” Coincidence?? Is it a coincidence that Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery in Milwaukee, WI is walking distance from the Ambrosia Chocolate Company?? Oh, ye of little faith.
Start with a nice wheat beer such as Blanche de Bruxelles and an almond milk chocolate bar. The citrus from the wheat beer will play nicely with the nutty sweetness of the chocolate. Next find a robust nut brown ale like Samuel Smith Nut Brown or Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar. Pair this with a simple milk chocolate or caramel chocolate. I prefer the simple milk chocolate because it allows the nut flavors in the beer to stand out. But if you love caramel these will pair well also. Following that we are going to spice it up a bit. Select a big, bold stout such as Bells Expedition or Hoppin’ Frog BORIS The Crusher. Next get a chili chocolate like Vosges’s Fire Bar. The big malty chocolate flavors in the beer get an extra kick with the spice from the chocolate. A truly amazing combination of sweet and spicy. Finally get a bottle of the Lindeman’s Framboise it is the best and find the darkest chocolate you can, preferably 70% cocoa. Framboise is brewed with over a ton of raspberries and the dark chocolate plays perfectly into the hands of the sweet and fruity brew. I hope this gives you a new idea to surprise your honey with during the sweetest month of the year. Until next time happy drinking and enjoy a craft brew. |
Chocolate and beer is perhaps the oldest, most natural pairing in history – one any aspiring Beer Geek should take the time to explore. The following pairings will blow your mind… or the socks off your significant other.