Picture this: The sun is setting, cotton candy pink streaking the dusky sky. The dinner plates are cleared, the dishes are done, and you accomplished most of the things on your to do list during the day. The kids are asleep, no one is crying, and nothing more requires your attention. How are you going to celebrate?
We suggest soaking it all in with a little sweet something on one hand and your favorite drink in the other. But before you simply go grabbing a Milky Way and a generic light beer, consider that the already amazing sounding alcohol and chocolate combo can be made even more incredible by finding the perfect pairing. Companies like compartes chocolates make for some of the best gift items if you want your loved ones to find this amazing taste combo. Here’s how to make the most of your evening treat.
Beer + Chocolate
The easiest and best known pairing in the beer and chocolate category is a sturdy stout beer with a dark chocolate. The coffee and chocolate notes in the beer play well off of the high cacao content of the dark chocolate. The beer ends up tasting sweeter, and the chocolate, stronger and more bittersweet. Yum!
Another highly rated combination in the beer and chocolate realm is white chocolate enjoyed with a fruited sour or lambic beer. The acidity of this style of beer is such a great contrast to the creaminess of the white chocolate. This sweet and tart pairing is perfect together, so drink and eat up whenever you like.
And although popular thinking on the subject might not agree with the recommendation, lighter, hoppier beers can also find their ideal chocolate mate. In this case, milk chocolate is the way to go. Pilsers and pale ales don’t overpower the less intense, sweeter taste of the milk chocolate, and vice versa.
Wine + Chocolate
As with beer pairings, the key to finding the right chocolate to go with a particular wine lies in matching the style and intensity of both. A lighter wine goes well with a more elegant chocolate. A deeper, heartier wine requires an intensely bittersweet chocolate so the taste won’t get lost in the wine’s bolder notes.
So it follows that a full bodied, tannin forward wine like a Zinafandel, Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon seeks a strong bitter or semi-sweet dark chocolate coupling. Bars with fifty percent or higher cacao are the best matches in this category. Shiraz, Zins or Cabs with bold fruit notes heighten the appeal of this blend.
When choosing to indulge in a smoother, creamier milk chocolate, a lighter wine presents the perfect complement. Pinot Noir and Merlot make an excellent match with light and sweet milk chocolate bars. Again, making sure there are ample fruity notes in these lighter red wines is key to finding the best pairing in this category.
The sweetness and creaminess of white chocolate simply begs for a similarly sweet style of wine. In this case, a Rose, Moscato, or Riesling presents the right sugar forward notes, helping to bring out the rich, buttery flavor of the white chocolate. It’s a match made in heaven.
Wine + Spirits
The trick to successful spirit and chocolate pairings is using high quality, top shelf items in both categories. No amount of liquor will make a cheap chocolate taste better, and vice versa. So splurge on the best spirits, like Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Jameson Irish Whiskey or Tito’s Vodka, as well as chocolate, such as Santa Barbara Chocolate’s Chocolate Liquor (which in fact contains no alcohol, but instead indicates it is the purest, smoothest, least processed chocolate available).
Mezcal, smoky bourbons, and barrel aged American whiskeys are the best matches for dark chocolate in this category. The smokiness of both Mezcal and bourbon serves as a great counterpoint to the bitter sweetness of dark chocolate. The vanilla notes in American whiskey that come from being aged in oak barrels are brightened and heightened by dark chocolate as well.
Sweet and lighter flavored milk chocolate finds the perfect mate in rum and Curacao. Good rums feature a lot of butterscotch and caramel notes, which high quality milk chocolates mirror. The orange flavored liquor Curacao brings a fruity flavor to milk chocolate, adding a bright element to an already potent combination.
White chocolate meets its match in the category with gin and tequila. When the floral notes in these liquors meet up with the cocoa solids in white chocolate, it makes for quite the light and creamy delight. One makes the other taste even better and more unique.
Making Your Perfect Match
No matter what your favorite kind of drink or type of chocolate you prefer, one thing is for sure: These are treats that are made even better when consumed together. And though the pairings listed here are tried and true, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t branch out and try something new. A good rule of thumb is to pair similar tastes (creamy with creamy) or contrast them (bitter with sweet). Listen to your taste buds, experiment, and most of all—enjoy! Always remember to drink responsibly, and if you're a London resident seeking help or advice regarding alcohol addiction, don't hesitate to reach out to an alcohol rehab in London for professional support.
