You’ve been reaching for beer as the perfect partner for dining all year so why not keep that streak alive for Valentine’s Day? As you know, beer has finally earned its place at the table pairing nicely with flavorful appetizers, crisp salads, and hearty main courses. Beer is a great match with desserts as well. These three combinations are sure to finish your meal on a high note.

The Sixth Glass

The complex malt sweetness and caramel/toffee character found inThe Sixth Glass make it ideal to join desserts that feature caramel notes. Bread pudding with a bourbon butter sauce is a near perfect match for our Belgian-style quadrupel. Rich dark fruit notes blend seamlessly with the bourbon while the prickly carbonation scrubs the palate to ensure that each bite of the rich bread pudding delivers full, intense flavor. The Sixth Glass seems sweet due to the high ABV, but actually finishes crisp and dry leaving you ready for the next bite.

Long Strange Tripel

Bright tropical fruit notes created by Belgian yeast leap from a crisp, bready malt base in our traditional take on a tripel. Hints of mango, apricot, and pear are a natural match for strawberry cheesecake. The fruit flavors blend nicely and make the strawberry pop while the simple, crisp malt bill is an excellent contrast to the richness of the cheesecake. This pairing will make you experience strawberries in a completely new light.

Chocolate Ale
Our Chocolate Ale was crafted to serve as a vehicle for huge chocolate aroma and flavor imparted by steeping cacao nibs in the beer as one might brew cold toddy coffee. This use of the nibs lends massive chocolate notes without any bitterness. While you may be tempted to pair Chocolate Ale with chocolate, avoid doing this because you will mute the flavors of both the beer and the chocolate. Instead, pair with ginger cookies. The spice character of the cookies paired with Chocolate Ale will recreate the complex flavors found in Christopher Elbow’s signature chocolates. Are you already full from dinner? Drink Chocolate Ale on it’s own. The beer is perfect as a standalone dessert.

- Jeremy Danner, Ambassador Brewer