BEER & CHOCOLATE?!?
Tips for Pairing Beer and Chocolate
Through all of our research, we have discovered that beer and chocolate can not only be paired on the basis of flavor, but also on mouthfeel...
1. Match Strength with Strength
Certain styles of beer do not naturally lend themselves to pairing with chocolate. Generally more moderately alcoholic, lighter-bodied sessionable styles, such as pilsners, pale ales and ESBs do not hold up well to rich, fatty cocoa butter. We even found this to be true with a mild milk chocolate.
There have been a few notable exceptions. We have had great success pairing hefeweizens with a chocolate crust lemon custard tart and a lavender chocolate cake. In both cases, the chocolate component acted as a maid of honor to the pairing of the fruit/spice characters of the beer and the desserts.
2. Don’t Be Afraid to Try an Exception
We also found the Left Hand Brewing Co.’s Good Juju Ginger Ale to be an excellent candidate for pairing with chocolate desserts. Ginger and chocolate are already known to pair well together from a flavor standpoint, but could this lighter-bodied spiced ale stand up to the richness of a chocolate dessert?
Sarah and I randomly chose to try the beer with her Honey Lemon Tart, a honey gelee topping white chocolate mousse and a light lemon custard. The snappy ginger spice worked beautifully with both the sweet of the honey and white chocolate, as well as the tart of the lemon custard. The ginger character also helped offset the heft of the cocoa butter.
3. Steer Clear of IPAs
IPAs continue to be a challenge for pairing with Sarah’s chocolate treats. The intense hop bitterness of most of these beers often creates a real clash of flavors, making it difficult to find a truly pleasurable pairing. I think the right IPA is out there, one with enough malt flavor and body that will not be dwarfed by the hops—I just haven’t found it yet.
As one might expect, bigger, richer and maltier beers seem to pair best with chocolate: porters, stouts, barley wines, sours and barrel-aged styles. Higher alcohol beers tend to stand up to the cocoa butter better, while the malt sweetness of these bigger styles often offers a nice compliment to the sweetness of chocolate. These styles of beer also tend to blend well with other flavors—from wood, coffee or other added ingredients—much like chocolate does.
