The 5 Most Versatile Beer Styles for Pairing with Craft Chocolate

by David Nilsen

I often get asked about my favorite beer style to pair with craft chocolate, and I usually try to sidestep the question by offering a style or two that will be the most surprising. Favorites change and are highly subjective, so I think it’s more valuable to ask which beer styles are most versatile for pairing. Pairing beer and chocolate isn’t always simple or straight-forward, so having types of beer in the fridge that can work with a variety of chocolate bars can be really helpful, especially when you’re starting out and just playing with pairing combinations.

These are the styles I would recommend to have on hand for home pairings, particularly if you’re just having some friends over and want to try some beers and chocolates together without too much strategy and worry. Between these, you'll be able to find a dance partner for the majority of bean to bar chocolate bars. 

Below are what I consider to be the five most versatile beer styles for pairing with craft chocolate. 

English Barleywine—This is the most versatile chocolate-pairing beer style there is. The malt, fermentation, and occasional age-accrued flavors (think port and sherry) cast such a wide net for finding harmonious flavors in chocolate, with the beer's body and moderate sweetness often smoothing rough edges. Low to moderate English hop character can really make a pairing pop with the right bar, provided bitterness isn't too high. Grab a beer like J.W. Lee’s Harvest Ale and enjoy how flexibly it adapts to various chocolate profiles.

Flanders Sour Ale—If it has a fruit inclusion, a Flanders Red or Oud Bruin will probably work reasonably well with it. The acidity, fermentation complexity, subtle fruitiness, and bready/dark sugar notes allow these beers to pair flexibly with a wide range of chocolates. These beers will work well with most dark single origin bars below around 75%, but will absolutely sing with bars featuring dried fruit inclusions. Try a beer like Duchesse de Bourgogne with a bar freaturing dried stone fruits, cherries, or berries.

Hazy IPA—The most popular family of beers in craft beer offer a bright break in a chocolate pairing line-up, and are great for white and spiced bars. Hazies are all about showcasing hop aromas and flavors, which can include tropical and citrus fruits, herbal and floral notes, and a range of more esoteric descriptors ranging from diesel to white wine. Their soft bodies and [usually] lower bitterness than old school IPAs allow those flavors to shine. You might not think of IPA and chocolate as obvious partners, a beer like Troegs Perpetual Haze with the right chocolate will change your mind.

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Belgian Dark Strong Ale—Single origin? Give it a try here. Single origin bars can be difficult to predict pairings for with many styles, but a Belgian Dark Strong Ale’s notes of caramel, dark bread, and dark fruit allow for many flavor bridges to a range of chocolates. While not every combo will work, beers like Chimay Grande Reserve (blue label) often have the flexibility and range of flavors to find good companions in single origin dark chocolates in the 70-80% cacao range, particularly fruitier origins.

Baltic Porter (or really any lower-bitterness Porter or Stout style)—This is the clean-up beer that fits wherever the others don't. Baltic Porters have a much gentler roast profile, lower bitterness, and—in many ways—a more complex malt presentation than most other strong Porters or Stouts, and they cast a wide net in pairing situations and can work solidly with a wide range of chocolates, making them good to have on hand for impromptu pairings. Well-brewed Baltic Porters can pair well with a wide variety of mid-percentage single origin dark chocolates or mid-intensity bars of any type, so these are great utility pairing beers to have on hand. It isn’t the most common style, so a Milk Stout, Oatmeal Stout, or American Porter can fit in this spot as well.

Grab a beer in each of these styles and an assortment of craft chocolate bars, and invite some friends over for a pairing! You can find my guide for hosting a beer and chocolate pairing at home here. Take notes, encourage everyone to relax and have fun, and be sure to tell me how it goes!