8 Beers for Valentine's Day Dinner and Dessert

By: Ryan Gerstel

Long considered the liquid of choice for all romantic occassions, wine has overshadowed beer on Valentine's Day. But beer can and does deserve an equally honored place at the Valentine's Day table whether you're cooking at home, going to a BYOB, or enjoying a sipper in front of the fire.

This year we have plenty of options for a romantic evening thanks to the changes in the law that allow us to sell beer in ANY size format! Not sure whether a beer will go well with a particular dish? You can buy just one bottle or can to experiment.

Below is a list of eight beers that I believe will make your dinner and dessert even better, and satisfy not only beer lovers, but wine and dessert lovers alike!

Dinner


1. Allagash Interlude: To the people who don't believe beer can be as subtley nuanced as wine, Allagash Interlude will prove you wrong. I had the pleasure of having this on draft last year, and to this day it's still my favorite sour ale of all time. Interlude pairs well with creamier odoriferous cheeses like brie. Like many trat beers, it also accompanies almost any seafood. Because it was aged in wine barrels, Interlude is a great match up with beef. If you enjoy red wine and don't mind a bit of tart, this is the beer for you.

2. Dogfish Head Midas Touch: Like their Red & White, Dogfish Head's Midas Touch is almost more wine than beer. The honey and grapes play with each other nicely, adding perfect balance between sweet and tart flavors. The result is a Chardonnay-like drinking experience with a full mouthfeel and a dry finish. Pour it in a white wine glass and enjoy it with goat cheese or chicken and fish.

Click here for some recipes and beer pairings

Dessert  
  
3. Terrapin Moo-HooChiato: This is the beer for everyone who enjoys a small cup of coffee with their dessert. Moo-Hoo Chiato is Terrapin's Moo Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout, but kicked up a notch with hints of bold espresso. Enjoy this beer with semi-sweet cakes or any dessert you prefer to follow with coffee.   

4.  SingleCut More Cowbell! Chocolate Milk Stout: Who couldn't use more cowbell in their life? Singlecut's smooth and creamy stout offers an abundance of chocolate cocoa, a nice full mouthfeel and a dry finish to balance things out. You'll want to make this beer part of the dessert, accompanying it more than paring it with an equally creamy decadent chocolate dessert like mousse. 

5. Evil Genius Purple Monkey Dishwasher: While there's stiff competition for chocolate peanut butter porters, Purple Monkey is the one that I believe most closely resembles a Resse's Peanut Butter Cup. In the end, that's all that matters. Plenty of sweet chocolate, peanut butter and roast in this robust porter. Pair it with a dessert that is not overly sweet, cheesecake, or flourless cake. 

6. Penn Brewing Chocolate Meltdown: One of the best chocolate-flavored beers you'll have, Chocolate Meltdown doesn't pull any punches when it comes to sweetness. Brewed with Betsy Ann Chocolate and Lactose sugar, Meltdown is as delectable as chocolate beers come.

7. Troegs Jovial: Troegs' flagship Belgian Dubbel is one of those beers that can be enjoyed for either dinner or dessert. Cooking a fatty steak for Valentine's Day? Pair it with Jovial. Enjoying rich chocolate-covered strawberries? Pair it with Jovial. You can't go wrong either way.

8. Thomas Hooker Chocolate Truffle Stout: Chocolate Truffle is a bit different than the chocolate beers mentioned above because it's more dark chocolate. Unlike milk chocolate, dark chocolate is a bit dryer on the finish. In Chocolate Truffle's case, the dryness balances out the initial silky smooth chocolate flavors nicely, adding a refreshing quality not commonly found in dessert beers.

We have all these beers, and many more, in stock to help make this Valentine's Day dinner and dessert one to remember. Light some candles, and let your taste buds do the rest <3.