Steve Koenemann

Mmmm… Chocolate!

While I would not necessarily consider chocolate beer to be a “seasonal selection”, it does fit in quite nicely with the rapidly approaching Valentine’s Day. I thoroughly enjoy all types of chocolate… milk, dark and white… in the virtually endless ways that they can be served. So, as a bit of a celebration of of this “holiday”, I thought that I would profess my undying love for some of my favorite chocolate beers and then passionately whisper a few sweet nothings to you about some foods that I think make for nice cozy cuddling with these tasty brews. All in good fun, mind you…

Some of you might be shocked to hear that not all beer that has “chocolate” in its name actually has real chocolate as an ingredient, but there are certainly some very excellent exceptions to that, as you will see. Many of these beers, in fact, get that name from the flavor imparted by the darkly roasted malt actually called chocolate malt. Not as dark (starts at about 300ºL) as the darkest malts , like black patent, chocolate malt retains some of the nutty and/or mild coffee flavors that most beer drinkers associate with porters or stouts. In the proper proportions with other ingredients and with the right care and handling during the brewing process, this malt can definitely contribute to a quite distinct chocolate flavor in the beer that I really enjoy.

Some of my favorite chocolate beers would include:

• Rogue Chocolate Stout – This is one of my favorite and most readily available chocolate beers. This beer actually does contain small amounts of real chocolate and I believe that you can tell the difference that makes in the authentic chocolate flavor that comes through when sipping this beer.
• Youngs Double Chocolate Stout – I believe that this may have been my very first chocolate beer; given to me as a gift by a friend years ago. Made with both dark chocolate and chocolate essence, this beer has a very deep and complex chocolate flavor that any chocolate beer lover is sure to enjoy.
• Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock – No list or review of chocolate beers would be complete, in my opinion, without including my all-time favorite chocolate beer. Without any question, for me this is the king of chocolate beers. I was absolutely devastated to hear that Samuel Adams was no longer making the version of this beer that used to come in the 750ml bottle with the silver labeling (see the picture at the link above). Shame on this brewer for bending to mass appeal and mediocrity by significantly changing the recipe of this beer, just so that it could be sold in 12-packs and cases. They had a real winner here and they blew it! The original recipe of this beer used to be made with a special Scharffen Berger chocolate, made especially for this beer. The beer was actually aged on a bed of this dark chocolate and then at the very end a hint of vanilla was added. From my perspective, the result was pure heaven in a glass. I mourn its loss… and pray for its future return.

Sometimes it is fun to match up the beer that you are drinking with some type of food that “pairs” well with it. Now before you get your hopes up too far, my beer/food pairing capabilities are still in their early stages and pretty undeveloped, but I am learning, so bear with me.

• What could go better with a nice chocolate beer than more chocolate! Seriously, try matching your favorite chocolate beer with flavors you might find in other types of chocolate candies. Chocolates or truffles containing coffee, caramel, mint, nuts of various types or even just very dark chocolate all fit in well with any of the beers listed above.
• I also find that cheesecake, particularly raspberry cheesecake, seems to match up well with chocolate beer, just like the raspberries and chocolate used to make fancy desserts.
• Chocolate-dipped fruits (strawberries, apples, bananas and etc.), dipped by hand, half drowned under a chocolate fountain or even poked into a chocolate fondue… finally a use for the five fondue kits you got for your wedding!

There are too many types and brands of chocolate beer to possibly go into here and more ways to pair these beers with food than can be counted. Use your imagination and don’t lose out on a great opportunity to titillate your taste buds with an awesome chocolate beer and just one of the endless variety of foods that can further enhance that decadent experience. If you can’t find a chocolate beer before Valentine’s Day arrives, don’t panic; many brewers make these beers all year and you can enjoy one whenever the time and the mood suits you.

Oh, and by the way, for all of you “male-types’ that have that special “someone” in your lives, but don’t take Valentine’s Day seriously… take the word of a man who is married nearly 29 years… you had better do something fast, as Valentine’s Day is Monday!!

Leave a Reply

Click here to cancel reply.

Username (required) :
Email (required) :
Web Site :
Comment :

CAPTCHA Code *