Favorite Beer & Chocolate Pairings of 2023
Join me for a look back at my favorite beer and chocolate pairings of 2023!
Beer and chocolate belong together. The vast variety in both beer and chocolate leads to countless delicious and surprising pairings. From Doppelbock to Hazy IPA and from white chocolate to dark, here were my favorite chocolate and beer pairings of the year. Check out my Pairing Beer & Chocolate zine to learn more about how these indulgences work together!
Burial Abstract Oppulence: Illusion 1 with Manoa Ali’i Kula Lavender 60% Dark Milk
The flavor bonds between this big, boozie, Tiki-inspired beer and this floral Hawaiian chocolate and numerous. The beer is an Imperial Cream Ale brewed with pineapple, orange, toasted coconut, rum-soaked raisins, and Tahitian vanilla beans, and it’s a decadent tropical dessert in a glass. Toasted pineapple with caramelized brown sugar crust, sweet shredded coconut, rum-soaked sugar cookie…There’s nothing obscure or sophisticated here, just thoughtful indulgence.
The bar, on the other hand, is refined and classy with bright, fragrant lavender blanketed by velvety dark milk chocolate carrying Manoa’s house character of grassy rum.
The floral spice of the lavender steers the fruit back from the sweet end of things and creates the impression of lavender peach tart, while the agricole-like spirit behind the bar pulling forward the rum-soaked fruit of the beer. This pairing was a lot, and all of it was good.
Great Lakes Nosferatu Imperial Red IPA with French Broad Malted Milk 45%
The milky caramel of French Broad’s best-selling bar, which is made with malt powder from Riverbend Malt House, syncs up with the deeper crystal malt of the beer to create layers of luxurious. creamy caramel held in a regal, bitter frame by the hops. The old school American hops in the beer lend a touch of candied orange to the dominant caramel. This is pretty much perfect.
Rochefort Triple Extra with Manoa Ali’i Kula Lavender 60% Dark Milk
Yep, we’re discussing this bar twice. This bar has become one of my favorite pairing companions this year, showcasing the flexibility dark milk bars can provide, particularly with their creamy mouthfeel and gentle sweetness. Lavender, when used in a restrained way like this, is a great accent seasoning, working with a range of fruit flavors. I paired this with Rochefort Triple Extra, and added one more perfect pairing to the list this bar is capable of. Lavender simple syrup drizzled over caramelized bananas on a chocolate chip waffle crisps. Not too sweet, but sweet enough to keep the lavender and the beer’s yeast phenolics from getting sharp. Yes, yes, yes.
Rabid Morningstar with Hogarth Gianduia
Rabid’s Hazy IPAs are juicy and bright, and I tried their Morningstar Double IPA when my friend Estelle Tracy of 37 Chocolates sent me Hogarth’s Gianduia bar with a hunch beauty would result. I was right. Picture loads of caramel-drenched candied orange peel with a could of milk chocolate and toffee around the edges.
Urban Artifact Teak with Chequessett Maushop’s Smoke
The savory and weathered meets the bright and fresh in this pairing. Chequessett Maushop’s Smoke brings wood smoke, tea leaves, and soft berry that blanket over the pops of vibrant tropical fruit and tartness in Urban Artifact Teak. Contrasting berry and lime/guava flit over a foggy bank of driftwood campfire smoke, the acidity tempered by the smoke and cream. Lovely.
Tynt Meadow Trappist Ale with Jcoco Orange Blossom Espresso
The robust and nuanced malt and fermentation spice profile of this Trappist ale from England offer the perfect patterned background for this bright and bold bar from Jcoco. You don't go to Jcoco for subtlety, you go for fun, and this bar is a blast with bright, floral orange and fresh espresso against simple dark chocolate. Together you get thyme-spiced orange, espresso, and oak with moderate acidity. The impression I got was like a dry, herbal sangria-based cocktail.
Learn more about pairing beer & chocolate here!
You can also check out my lists of favorite beers and favorite chocolates as well. Happy holidays!